The SuperHuman Academy Podcast

Today we are going to talk about creativity, and to do that, we are inviting someone on the show who really has helped thousands and thousands of people become more creative in a way that might surprise you. His name is Grant Faulkner, and he is the executive director of National Novel Writing Month and he's the co-founder of a 100 Word Story. Now you've seen his stories in Tin House, Southwest Review, Green Mountains Review, all kinds of different places, and you've seen his essays in the New York Times, Poets and Writers Digest, and The Writer. Grant recently published a collection of 100 word stories, Figures and what he does is help people become more creative. He's written a book called Pep Talks for Writers, and he has a new book coming out in October. I wanted to have Grant on the show because he has helped so many people do something that maybe they didn't think they could do: be creative and write. But in the course of the conversation we go a lot deeper and we talk about why writing and creativity are such superhuman skills, why they will change the way you think, change the way you live, and help you accomplish your goals. It's a great episode, and I think you guys are going to find it very interesting. Grand and I have a lot of in common things as you will see. Enjoy!

Today we are joined by Drew Logan. You've probably heard of him - he's a renowned fitness expert, celebrity trainer, and a television star. But actually, we go through something much more kind of interesting and rare in the beginning of the episode, which is that Drew died. Three times. He is the only known survivor of three consecutive sudden cardiac arrests. Doctors don't know why it happened. They don't know if it'll happen again. And living with that has given drew a really unique mindset and really unique approach to life. Drew is known for his fitness approach, 25 days, which deals a lot with habit and mindset. And in this episode, we talk about how all that works and how he has created a proven program to rewire your brain, stop weight gain, and finally crush the habits you hate forever. His book will be coming out in September, which if you're listening to this at release, is probably right now. And he sure has a lot of really valuable stuff to offer.

On today's episode, we are joined by Akshay Nanavati. He is an author, public speaker, and just all around really impressive guy. He has overcome drug addiction, PTSD, from fighting in Iraq with the Marines, and alcoholism that pushed him to the brink of suicide. He's explored some of the most hostile environments on the planet and he has come up with a methodology. It is the same methodology that shares the title with his book, FearVana, which the Dalai Lama himself said "inspires us to look beyond our own agonizing experiences and find the positive side of our lives." Akshay and I had a really incredible conversation. He is also very much interested in neuroscience and the science of memory and learning, and so we attack it from that angle. We start talking about fear, and how we can break the patterns of fear, but more importantly, how we can use fear, and how fear can be a good thing in our lives to create improvement and push us forward. It's a very unique and interesting perspective, and I think you're going to learn a lot not just about fear... not just about tenacity and bravery, but also about habits, about learning, about the brain, about neuroscience, and just about how to structure your life in a very very deliberate way. You might also learn a thing or two about how to turn things around if you're someone who's really suffering or has hit a rough patch.

Today we are joined by Ryan Stewman. Now, about his bio. Honestly, you can't make this kind of stuff up. Ryan started out life with a very, very challenging upbringing. He was adopted got into all kinds of trouble. He got arrested for selling drugs. He got out.... but got arrested again, and spent a pretty good amount of time in prison. But today, fast forward, and he is a millionaire entrepreneur. He runs six different businesses. He's published four different books. He has three healthy children and a loving wife... He has really cleaned up his life, and has become an expert in sales and entrepreneurship. Now you might be asking yourself at this point: "I mean, his workload sounds pretty superhuman. His time management sounds pretty superhuman. But what exactly is superhuman about this guy?" Well, first of, we do get into all of that: The entrepreneurship that he learned throughout his struggles. We get into what you can learn from such a challenging and trying experience, and how you can learn something like entrepreneurship. But beyond that, we also get into the skill of sales, and why I think it's an important skill that anyone should have, whether it's selling yourself at a job interview, selling yourself to that attractive guy or gal at the bar, or selling in your day job. Throughout the interview, we talk a little bit about what good salesmanship or saleswomanship looks like, how you can learn it, and why we feel it's a skill that will allow you to unlock your superhuman potential. There's also some pretty touching personal stories in here, and obviously the story has a happy ending, because you can check out Ryan and all of his incredibly successful businesses today. Finally, there's some instructions at the end of the episode that will get you a free copy of his book, so check that out!

Today, we are joined by Tee Major. Now, I have to admit: I didn't know about Tee before his publicist reached out, and I'm kind of sad that I didn't, because he's an amazing guy and you guys are about to find out why. He's not only one of Jillian Michaels top Fit Fusion trainers on the web, he's a member of the ACE group and a specialist in fitness and nutrition, too... But he is also a tactical fitness instructor who served the military, and was their trainer in Iraq and Kyrgyzstan, during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He's worked with the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marines, but as I found out, there's actually even more to him! He's an entrepreneur, a successful business owner, a nomad traveling the world, an adventurer, and really just someone who has so much to share. Throughout the episode, we get into a lot. Obviously, we talk about fitness and leadership and nutrition, but then we also go into entrepreneurship. We go into freedom and even get into these pretty difficult childhood and some of the very painful financial and emotional struggles that set him back until the point where he was able to make a change and completely turn his life around, and get to the very impressive place that he is today: Running multiple businesses and helping people all over the world, inspiring millions of people on YouTube, and so on. I'm really excited for you guys to hear this episode. I think there are a couple very very significant takeaways both in life and in fitness that everyone out there should hear.

Today we are joined by Dr. Marilyn Glenville. If you haven't heard of Marilyn, well, you probably don't live in the UK, because she is the U.K.'s leading nutritionist and she specializes in women's health. But she's an inspiring public speaker, she's very easy to listen to, and very practical in her approach. She's also the former president of the Food and Health Forum at the Royal Society of Medicine... and she's written over 20 books. In the episode, we talk about nutrition, we talk about all the various aspects, the ins and outs, we discover some interesting stuff we discover some interesting ways that ancestral health or a Mediterranean diet can improve maladies that you might not know it can improve. And, in general, we give some great homework for you to play around with and see how you can optimize and improve your diet. I know you guys are going to enjoy this episode, so I don't have to say I hope!

Today we are joined by Dr. John Day. He is a cardiologist from Salt Lake City, Utah, who spent a significant portion of his life in Asia. He is fluent in Mandarin and he was trained at Stanford University. Here's where it gets interesting: He did some work some research with a little known village in China known as "Longevity Village." And there, he discovered a people who live, on average, to be 100 years old or older. Over the process of getting to know them, working with them, speaking their language, Dr. Dre was able to figure out the secret. He was able to determine exactly what they do... and how it's so different from what we do. I don't know if you guys know the statistics, but most people in most western countries... Well, we do not live to be 100 years old. We live to be significantly less. And so I think there's a lot of really interesting value here. Some of it will come as a surprise... But most of it won't. Most of it is a reinforcement of a lot of the stuff that we talk about every week, maybe with some new, unique, and interesting angles that will inspire and motivate you. I hope you guys are able to live well past 100 with the information that you learned in today's episode!

If you've been listening to the show for any amount of time you know that I'm a big fan of leveraging my time, and you know that I'm all about "outsourcing," "delegating," finding ways to do things in a more efficient way, by hiring people bringing people on... so on and so forth. And today, I wanted to talk with someone who is an expert in that field. Specifically, his name is Mike Grogan, and he's a best selling author, sought after speaker, and an internationally recognized expert on habet creation, change management, and leadership development. Mike is an Irish national who's traveled all over the world, spoken to over 100,000 people in the U.S., Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. His online videos have reach over 15 million people. But we didn't even get into a lot of that stuff, because what Mike does today is that he actually lives in the Philippines, where he is the co-founder of The Rise of the Pinoy, an advocacy group with a mission of empowering Filipinos to create a First World Philippines. He also is involved in helping a lot of individuals and international organizations work with and really harness the incredible amount of intellect and ambition that there is in the Philippines. Now you guys probably know, if you've ever reached out to our customer service or watched our videos, that more than half of our team is all based in the Philippines, working full time to deliver you guys great content, answer all your emails, and more. So this is something that I'm really passionate about, something that I feel was one of the best decisions I made in my business, not just from a cost perspective, but also from a quality of service, quality of product perspective. I really feel that it has allowed me personally and my business to grow and accelerate in ways that I just couldn't have if I hadn't tapped in to this incredible country of 100 million smart, ambitious, and hardworking people. In this episode, I wanted to share that with you guys. I think there's going to be a ton of value for you, whether or not you're entrepreneurs, because you can start discovering how you can potentially outsource or delegate some of the things that you're doing every single day... whether that's research, whether that's organizing your daily life, and really benefit as so many top business leaders have already from the power of the international workforce. We talk about that, we talk a little bit about habits, we talk a little bit about what makes Mike superhuman, and just a little bit about mindset. Also, make sure you listen through to the end for a FREE copy of Mike Grogan's book! I think you guys are really going to enjoy this episode!

Today we are joined by Darius Foroux. He is a serial entrepreneur a blogger and the podcaster behind The Practical Podcast. You may have also heard of his book, Win Your Inner Battles, or his program, Procrastinate Zero, which is a high achievement training program, or his various blogs about productivity, life lessons, and various different ways to have more energy and motivation. We originally heard about Darius from Hugo in Spain, so thank you for the recommendation! As you know, I love talking productivity and I'm a total productivity geek, and I'll take any opportunity I can to learn some new tips and tricks. In this episode, I definitely did that. We talk productivity, we talk tools, tips, strategies, and different ways that you can have more energy and get more done... And I don't think anyone out there would object to that. I'm sure you guys will enjoy the episode!

Welcome to this week's episode. Today we are going to explore a topic that really we haven't explored enough, and that is learning about music. We all know that music is so good for our brains, and we know that there are so many benefits to learning a musical instrument besides looking cool at parties. But how do we do it? And more importantly, how can we do it faster and more effectively? Well today we are joined by Josh Turknett. He is the author of The Migraine Miracle. We talk a little bit about that, but more importantly, he's a neurologist and he's the author medical editor for The Journal of Evolution and Health. And, on top of all that, he's a musician and instrumentalist. He's the founder of Brainjo, which is a system of musical instruction that really incorporates the Science of Learning and Neuroplasticity. And he's just all around a pretty interesting guy. In this episode, we talk about learning, we talk about migraines a little bit, and then we go into and kind of geek out on the learning behind music. Can anyone learn how to play music? How can you accelerate your learning of music? How does it influence your brain? How does it change your brain? It does take us a little while to warm up and really get into the super nitty gritty of it, but I think it is going to inspire you and I think you're definitely going to learn a lot. I certainly got an incredible idea for how I could dramatically improve my memorization of new musical pieces.... And it was this common sense thing that I never thought of. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Today, I have a guest for you that I totally hit it off with. Her name is Amy E. Smith, and she is a life coach who specializes in helping you have the hard conversations. She helps you say no without looking like a total jerk. And she coaches people and speaks all over the world all over the country through her brand The Joy Junkie, and she uses her roles as coach, writer, podcaster, and speaker to help individuals really empower themselves get to a point of self-love and confidence, where they can communicate authentically, openly, and honestly. You might ask: what's superhuman about that? But honestly, I think it is one of the skills that has helped me really grow as an individual. And... just the morning of recording this podcast, I was having this exact debate with someone very close in my life. So we recorded an episode on it, and I was very lucky that Amy happened to be on the docket for this week's episode. In it, we talk about a lot of very very interesting stuff from emotions, responsibility, emotional maturity, communication styles, and inner dialogue. It sounds all really touchy feely, but actually it was an incredible episode. I think you'll definitely see that we hit it off! Let me know what you guys think!

This week is a special episode for a couple different reasons. For one, we are continuing my format of coming a little bit less prepared to the interviews and just seeing where it takes me, and I think you guys will agree that the interviews tend to come out a little bit more interesting, a little bit more engaging, when I just roll with the punches and explore my curiosity. The second reason that this episode is special is because we're covering a topic that's actually pretty close to my heart and politically close to my journey of becoming superhuman, and that is the quest to stop drinking alcohol. We are joined today by Ruari Fairbairns. He's an entrepreneur, he's a speaker, he's an oil broker of all things, and he's a father of two girls. He and his partner founded One Year No Beer, which is basically a challenge to help people get alcohol free and focus on fitness in a more communal and a little bit more modern approach than some of the other ways that people quit alcohol. They have tens of thousands of members all over the world who are transforming their lives following simple and science backed shifts in mindset. In this episode, we talk about all kinds of different benefits for giving up alcohol. We're going to talk about ways that you can give up alcohol and ways to really assess if this is something that is right for you. As I said, this is something that's provided a lot of value in my own life, from improved health to forcing me to develop my own social skills, and you'll hear a lot about that in the episode as well.

Greetings, SuperFriends, and welcome to another special episode. This week, I want to elucidate an idea or framework that I've been developing and pondering on for quite some time. It's an idea I have for a certain type of people. A group that I like to call "Iceberg People." And in this episode, I'll not only explain to you who they are, but also why (and how) to become one.

In this episode, we sat down with Mark Aramli. Mark is the inventor and principal engineer for the patented BedJet CCS. Mark's first engineering role was at United Technologies, builder of the space suit for NASA. His engineering responsibilities included the space suit primary life support system (PLSS), specifically elements relating to heating, cooling and climactic comfort of the interior space suit environment for the astronauts. But he's also worked on some other VERY interesting projects, as we learn in the episode. My goal in the episode was to dive deeper on sleep than we have on previous episodes. Specifically, I wanted to learn about temperature, and how it effects our sleep. And, as always...Can we hack it? It's a great episode, and I know you're going to love it.

Today, we're joined by Caroline Miller, author, public speaker, coach, and expert on "grit." For almost three decades Caroline has been a pioneer with her ground-breaking work in the areas of goal setting/accomplishment, grit, happiness and success. She is recognized as one of the world's leading positive psychology experts on this research and how it can be applied to one's life for maximum transformation and growth. In 2015 she was named "one of the ten Positive Psychology coaches to follow." Caroline has also been featured in hundreds of magazines, newspapers and other media around the world for several decades, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, US News and World Report, ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR and CNN. She's even published an impressive 6 books, including Creating Your Best Life, Positively Caroline, and Getting Grit. In this interview, I wanted to dive into a topic we haven't covered much at all on the show: grit, or, as I understand it, tenacity and perserverance. What is it? What does it help with? How does it work? Can you learn it? Of course, Caroline offered all of that - but much, much more. We go into her story, the role of passion, the power of patience, and much, much more. I just know you're going to love this episode.

Greetings, SuperFriends, to a very special episode of The Becoming SuperHuman Podcast! Typically, on the show, I interview world class athletes, memory champions, coaches, and more to help you guys understand the skills, strategies, and tools they use to overcome the impossible and achieve superhuman performance in a variety of fields. Today's episode, however, is quite different. In it, I talk about one of the more important rites of passage I've experienced in my own journey towards Becoming SuperHuman. But it's not one you would expect. If previous "special" episodes have taught me anything, it's that you guys love hearing about my own experiences, and enjoy deviating out from the standard format to learn about new and unusual things. Well, this episode will definitely offer that, and what's more, I want to give you guys a heads up that I'll be slowly experimenting with and changing the format of many future episodes to be a bit less formal, a bit less scripted, and hopefully, a bit more fun for my guests and I - so look forward to that. What follows is one part explanation, one part manifesto, and one part experience sharing: It's both a deep insight into my own mind, and a painfully shallow attempt to describe something indescribable. But I'm pretty sure you're going to love it. As always, hit me up on the Twitter Machine - @gosuperhuman - or post a comment on the blog post, which has some special videos and pictures - including a few of yours truly, and let me know what you guys think.

Today we are joined by Cedric Bertelli, an expert in a little-known but interesting practice called Tipi. Tipi is an emotional regulation technique that helps people overcome fear and emotional trauma. It deals with sensory memory, or unconscious body memory. To be quite honest, I didn't know anything about Tipi at all before this interview, and for that reason, I was excited to invite Cedric onto the show to explain it to us. In this episode, we talk about an interesting and shockingly simple method for overcoming emotional trauma. We learn about "Tipi" and how it works, why and how the method was developed. We discuss the body and the brain, and it's natural ability to heal itself from literally anything. Cedric doesn't hold anything back, and shares with you exactly how the method works, so that you can experiment with it at home. Though the method does go against so much of what we think we know about psychological trauma and healing, I encourage you guys to keep an open mind. As I point out in the interview, I felt a little bit like I did when talking to Wim Hof, who has shocked the scientific and medical community with his ability to control the autonomous nervous system with a simple breathing technique - so I encourage you guys to keep an open mind!

Today, we're joined by Christopher Kelly, software engineer and pro cross country mountain biker by day, and host of the Nourish Balance Thrive podcast, certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner, health coach, and all around fitness buff by night. Recently, I had the opportunity to appear on Chris' show, and I so enjoyed chatting with him that we agreed to do a follow up conversation here on our show. I wanted to learn how Chris became so interested in nutrition, what he learned through his certification, and hear some of the best stuff he's learned by doing over 150 episodes. In this episode, we talk about a LOT of different things, from autoimmune isolation diets, to health optimization, to immunity, to accelerated learning, blood glucose, diabetes, cold exposure, and a heck of a lot more. Christopher has so much knowledge to share that I couldn't help but jump around and cover a lot of ground - so I do apologize if it feels a bit like I'm all over the place. All in all, It's a phenomenally interesting and engaging episode with lots of exciting information, and I think you're really going to enjoy it!

Today we're joined by Dr. Andrew Newberg, co-author of How God Changes Your Brain and How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain. If those two titles are familiar, it's because Andrew's co-author, Mark Robert Waldman, has been on the show before. Dr. Newberg is a neuroscientist and Director of Research at the Markus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, as well as Adjunct professor of Religious studies and Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania school of medicine. You've probably seen him in Newsweek, the LA Times, and more, or seen the byproduct's of his work, including The Mystical Mind, Why God Won't Go Away, and Why We Believe What We Believe. My goal with this interview was to get a better understanding not just of neuroscience, but also to understand how it is influenced by our spiritual beliefs and practices. In this episode, we talk about all things neuroscience, and go deeper than we did with Mark Robert Waldman into the cognitive benefits of implementing a spiritual or mindfulness practice. We do take a while to get into the practical and hands-on stuff, but I think you'll get a LOT out of the surrounding discussion. I learned a lot of interesting things about the brain, but also about the state of neuroscience, what we know about the brain, and some of the challenges facing the scientific field as a whole. Overall, I'm quite sure you'll enjoy the conversation, and that it will provide you with lots of useful and actionable information!

Today, we're joined by Vinnie Tortorich, public speaker, celebrity trainer, author, and podcaster. For years, Vinnie has worked with people from all walks of life, ranging from Iron Man athletes to Celebrities, to help them understand how to stay in shape and lose weight. He's known as America's Angriest Trainer, because of his views on the fitness and diet industries, and the unfair manipulation they've imposed on all of us. You've probably heard him every other week on Adam Carolla's show. In this episode, we talk about a range of interesting stuff, from diet and nutrition to particulars on how weight loss and weight gain actually work. Even though these are topics we've covered quite a few times on the show, somehow, I still managed to learn some fascinating new tidbits, and so I think you're really going to enjoy the episode.

Today, we are joined by past guest and bestselling author Dr. William Davis, who's latest book, Undoctored, takes a look into the medical system, how it's failed us, and how we can all become more informed about our health. You probably know Dr. Davis from his previous book, Wheat Belly, or from his popular episode on this show. In this episode, we talk about healthcare, why it isn't serving you, and how you can flip the script on the conversation you have with your doctor. Dr. Davis shares how you can take charge of your health, what you can do to improve it, and much, much more. I think you're really going to enjoy it. And now, without further adieu, let me present to you, Dr. William Davis

Today we are joined by Justin Mares, a serial entrepreneur and author, and the more recent founder of Kettle and Fire, a rapidly growing ecommerce company specializing in ultra-healing bone broth. Justin is widely regarded as a marketing expert, and has been involved in no less than two startups which were successfully acquired. He's the author of Traction: The Startup's Guide to Getting Customers. Our goal for this episode, however, was less on the business side - though I definitely did want to touch on Justin's vast knowledge in that area. Instead, the main focus was to share with you a rapidly-growing trend in the health space - bone broth. In this episode, we talk about marketing, entrepreneurship, bone broth and why it's beneficial for your health, habits, physical fitness, speed-reading, movement, and much, much more.

Today, we are joined by a very special guest, and someone who, without knowing it, has dramatically improved my own life in the last half a year. His name is Jason Nemer, and he is the co-founder of and driving force behind the rapidly growing sport of AcroYoga. Haven't heard of it? Well… Acro Yoga is a partner acrobatic practice that combines elements of gymnastics, yoga, and thai massage to create an incredibly enjoyable and powerful experience. Far beyond just the physical exercise and fitness element, my own experiences with Acro Yoga have been deeply healing and uplifting emotionally and spiritually - for reasons that we'll get into in the episode. Today, Jason travels the world sharing this incredible practice with people everywhere. He's been featured on The Tim Ferriss Show, Forbes, and more… and today, we're very honored to have him here. In this episode, we talk about… well, obviously, Acro Yoga… but much much more. We talk about what the practice is, and the surprising ways it will impact your life. We talk about trust and emotional health. We talk about how to start a global movement. We talk about learning… and much, much more. Personally, I think this was one of our best episodes ever - up there with our award-winning episode with David Heinemeier Hansson - but maybe it's just the huge amount of admiration and gratitude I have for Jason and his work. Don't know.

Today we're joined by Jake Ducey, a 3-time author and speaker on the topics of leadership, human potential, and motivation. Though Jake is actually much younger than you'd imagine, his list of accomplishments and insights are quite impressive, ranging from working with some of the world's largest corporations to speaking to over half a million people. He's received praise from such greats as Jack Canfield, who called him an inspiration! Pretty impressive. In this episode, we talk about inspiration, purpose, fear, life philosophies, and much, much, more. Jake's youthful energy is a breathe of fresh air and a reminder of the power of positivity - and so I think you're going to really enjoy this episode!

Today, we are joined by Dr. Greg Wells, a physiologist, scientist, broadcaster, and author. Dr. Wells has dedicated his career to understanding human performance and how the human body responds to extreme conditions. Throughout his career, Dr. Wells has coached, trained and inspired dozens of elite athletes to win medals at World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. He has studied athletic performance in some of the most severe conditions on the planet, like the Andes Mountains and the Sahara Desert. Dr. Wells is also the author of Superbodies: Peak Performance Secrets from the World's Best Athletes, which explores how genetics and DNA, the brain, muscles, lungs, heart and blood work together in extreme conditions, and, he has a new book coming out soon called The Ripple Effect In this episode, we talk about a really wide range of fascinating topics, from sleep and nutrition to exercise and peak performance habits. We uncover some surprising things that you may not realize are influencing your overall physical and mental performance, and even go into some cool tools and strategies you can implement right away. I really, really enjoyed this conversation, and I think you will, too.

Today, we're joined by a very special guest - but one that I'm not even sure how to describe… He's a serial entrepreneur, author, podcaster, internet marketer, eclectic, business expect, and taco lover. He was employee #30 at Facebook and #4 at Mint. He's the entrepreneur behind such successes as Sumo and AppSumo. He's regularly seen with and compared to greats like Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin, Ramit Sethi, and more. Oh, and he just paid $1.5M for a domain name - what? I was so excited to do this episode because although Noah and I have been in contact by email for years, we've never actually had the chance to sit down and have a real mind-meld. I really love him and his work, and I think you're going to understand why immediately. In this episode, we talk about… well, all kinds of stuff. Noah was his interesting, quirky, and insightful self right out of the gate, diving into his unique and effective learning philosophy. He managed to be SO interesting, that I got through less than half of the questions I had prepared… and yet, I think that the interview is actually better for it. On my end, I learned about a ton of interesting skills, habits, and ideas that I want to try out in my own life, and I think you will too.

Today, we are joined by Kevin Horsley, a GrandMaster of Memory, world record holder, bestselling author, and public speaker who hails from South Africa. For the past 25 years, Kevin has been working to better understand the mind and memory - overcoming his own difficult learning disabilities and going on to win the world record for the matrix memorization of 10,000 digits of pi - often referred to as the "Everest" of memory tests. In this episode, we talk about… you guessed it… memory and learning. Just a warning: we go very deep very fast into the nitty gritty of many of the techniques, and how Kevin is innovatively using them. If you haven't heard our past episodes on memory and learning with Anthony Metivier, Mattias Ribbing, Ron White, and a few more, you might want to listen to those ones first, because we do assume in this interview that you kind of understand basic mnemonic techniques by now. We talk about speed reading, methods for reviewing and retaining what you learn, memory palaces, and a lot more. Kevin holds nothing back and shares a ton of super valuable tips and ideas, and so I think you're really going to enjoy it.

Today we have a very special treat, as we're happy to invite back one of my favorite thought leaders, podcasters, and authors for a second time on the show. The guest is Robb Wolf, and he's the NYT bestselling author of The Paleo Solution, the host of the Paleo Solution Podcast, and widely regarded as one of the absolute top authorities in the world of diet and nutrition. Robb joins us today to talk to us about his latest, much-anticipated book, Wired to Eat: Turn Off Cravings, Rewire Your Appetite For Weight Loss, And Determine The Foods That Work For You. You guys, I have to say, that I so enjoyed Robb's previous book, that I quite nearly broke my own rule about not reading advance copies before the interviews. In this episode, we talk about… understanding variance, a framework for diagnosing what works for you, blood glucose monitoring, how much carbohydrate is too much… we went really deep into the nitty gritty, and yet once again, we only scratched the surface of Robb's tremendous knowledge. I now really understand why writing this book was so necessary.

Greetings, SuperFriends, and welcome to a very special episode of The Becoming SuperHuman Podcast. Why is it special, you ask? Well, it's not every week that I turn 30 years old! To mark this milestone (which happens on March 18th), I wanted to do something special. To commemorate the very blessed and very unique life I've lead up until this point, and to reflect back on just what the heck I've learned over the last 30 years. Years ago, I was greatly inspired by Ryan Allis, who, on his 30th birthday, published a 1,284 slide presentation aptly named Lessons From My 20's. I very strongly recommend you check it out (at http://hive.org/20s) if you haven't already. In it, Ryan shares just about everything he learned over the period of 10 years as an entrepreneur, thought leader, and human being. I'm also deeply grateful to Gretchen Rubin, who, in her fantastic and pragmatic book on becoming a better human being, Better Than Before, shares a wonderfully catchy concept she calls "Secrets of Adulthood." Basically, a Secret of Adulthood is a powerful and simple lesson that can only be learned by, well, growing up and maturing. They range from the fanciful and fun, like "Try not to let yourself get too hungry," to the very serious and inspiring: "What you do EVERY DAY matters more than what you do ONCE IN A WHILE." Immediately after reading her book, I began collecting a list of my own - and that list is what you'll be hearing today. Some of them might be strange. Some of them controversial. Many were learned in deeply cherished books, yet still many in passing conversations with complete strangers. Some learned at the highest of highs, and others at the most harrowing and horrific of lows. Some are completely unique, and others simply build on those before them. But from my perspective, each of them is, unquestionably, true - at least in my experience. With that said, I invite you to let me know what you think? Has life taught you some of these same lessons? Or perhaps others that I have yet to learn? We are each so unique shaped by the paths that we travel on, and I find it most fascinating just how much those paths often converge.

This week, we are joined by Elaina Love from Pure Joy Planet, and the Pure Joy Culinary School, and one of the pioneers in the growing "raw, plant based diet" movement. Like so many of the nutrition experts we've had on the show, Elaina focuses on a low carb, higher-fat diet free from artificial junk and processed foods. What makes Elaina unique is that she is known as one of the more respected authorities both in the raw and in the vegan communities, though as we found out in the interview, her diet isn't as black-and-white as you might expect. Because we've never done a show about veganism, much less about raw food, I wanted to understand that side of the story a little bit better, and challenge some of my own assumptions and long-held beliefs about diet and nutrition. In this episode, we talk about dietary suggestions, the benefits of raw food, and a whole entire new world of enzymes and why you should consider taking them. I really expected to find her much more extreme, but was surprised to find that we agreed on just about everything! I also learned a great deal in this episode, which was surprising given how many episodes we've done on diet and nutrition. I came away with a long shopping list of new products and supplements to try out, and a bunch of new ideas to test in my own life. I think you guys are going to LOVE this episode!

Today, we're joined by Jared Kleinert - a 21 year old entrepreneur and author best known for his bestselling book, 2 Billion Under 20, and more recently, 3 Billion Under 30. Starting out at a very young age, Jared has built one of the world's most valuable networks, and regularly rubs elbows with some of the world's most influential people - and in doing so, has become quite the influencer himself. You've probably seen Jared on TED.com, Forbes, and more… Pretty impressive! The goal of this interview was to understand just how Jared has achieved so much success at such a young age, but also, to see what tips he can share with us from his time with the world's top thought leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, and more. Throughout the episode, we talk about a LOT… we talk about relationship building skills, networking, craaaazy stories that come from Jared's network, what he's learned from some of the world's top performers, how he learned what he learned and got to where he is, and much, much more. It was so inspiring to talk to Jared and see what he's been able to do at such a young age, and I think you're going to learn a lot from him - I certainly did!

So, I know this is confusing, but today, we are joined by Jon Levy - with a Y instead of an I - the author of The 2AM Principle: Discover The Science Of Adventure. Once a self-described nerd, today, he runs with the bulls in Pamplona, crashes million dollar weddings, takes a flight on average every 3 days, and is widely considered one of the top experts in adventure, with endorsements from many of the industry's biggest names like Lewis Howes and Chris Bailey. In this episode, we talk about Jon's framework for seeking out and experiencing jaw-dropping adventures. As someone who considers "adventure" to be one of the 8 criteria for a balanced and happy life, and an avid adventurer myself, I was eager to figure out how Jon finds and chooses various adventure opportunities, and how he has turned something so seemingly random into a well-thought-out methodology. We talk about how to systematically create and find adventure, the difference between those two things, suggestions for building an incredibly exciting lifestyle, and much, much more. This was a really incredible episode, guys. I learned a TON - and I know you will, too.

Today, we are joined by author, neuroscientific researcher, therapist, and the world's leading expert on spirituality and the brain, Mark Robert Waldman. Mark is faculty at Loyola Marymount University and author of 13 books, including Words Can Change Your Brain and How God Changes Your Brain, the latter of which was nominated as a "must read" by Oprah Winfrey. He's also just published a new book on January 31st, called Neurowisdom. Mark's body of work is a formidable cornucopia of knowledge on the brain, and how we can influence it's development and behavior with something as simple as thoughts and beliefs. But don't worry, this isn't going to be another episode where I go off into energies and woo-woo… Mark is a very respected researcher in the field of neuroscience, having had his work published in peer-reviewed journals worldwide, and publications ranging from Time Magazine to Forbes and The New York Times. In this episode, we talk about… god, neuroscience, psychedelics, spirituality, yawning, communications, guided meditations.

Today, we are joined by Edmund John, founder and CEO of Flag Theory… Flag Theory is a company that specializes in, well… turning people into Jason Bourne. International bank accounts, offshore corporations, multiple passports… you name it. This episode reflects my ongoing curiosity around and passion for disaster planning. What happens when economies collapse? When countries go to war? I don't know about you, but I want to be prepared, just in case. In this episode, we talk about everything from weathering political instability to legally avoiding taxes and everything in between. Though you might think you need to be a multimillionaire to worry about this kind of stuff, but as Edmund explained, you really don't… In fact, after meeting Edmund and his team a month or so ago, I promptly signed up for their services and started protecting myself. Just a quick heads up and disclaimer. I do use and do recommend Flag Theory and their services, but it's important that you know that I earn a small commission if any of you guys choose to work with them. It's also important that you understand that nothing in this episode constitutes financial or investment advice, so, even though I'm now protected by redundant corporate entities in two countries… please don't sue me!

So, check it out, guys. As you know, I've been pretty interested in ideas like Q'i, energy healing, and the unknown for the last year or so. Well, today, we're going to take a deep dive into that, and really exploring the outer reaches of the word "superhuman" - and, well, I'm not quite sure what to make of this. We're joined by Yolanda Williams of Yew Chi Wellness, a Reiki master teacher, educator, and speaker. If you don't know about Reiki, well, we're going to get into that in the episode, but basically, it's a form of energy healing… but here's where things get really interesting. Before the interview, Yolanda offered me a Reiki healing session, which I was very happy to accept. So far, so good. But here's where things get really interesting… the Reiki session was performed remotely - over the span of 7,500 miles - without Yolanda and I ever talking. What's even more interesting? Yolanda's assessments were actually quite accurate. Needless to say, I had to get to the bottom of this and figure out just what the heck was going on… and of course, bring you guys along for the ride. In the episode, we talk about Reiki, healing, energies, and much, much more. The episode will certainly require you to keep an open mind - but if you do, I think you'll learn a lot and maybe have some of your long-standing beliefs challenged. I know I did...

This week, we have a little bit of a unique episode... This week's guest is... Me! You see, after lots of feedback from you guys to share more about me, and my thoughts, and my story, I decided to recruit my friend and repeat podcast guest Dr. Anthony Metivier to turn the tables around and interview me on my own show. Now, in this episode, we cover a LOT of new information, and we unearth a LOT of things that I've never really talked about elsewhere. I share a pretty in-depth and pretty upsetting story of my own struggles with depression and low self esteem, I talk about the various ways that I've grown, changed, and overcome... and I share my thoughts on entrepreneurship, authenticity, and a lot, lot lot more. Because Anthony and I are such dear friends, the conversation does have a pretty informal tone. And, I have to say that we do jump around a bit from subject to subject. My hope, though, is that this episode will really help you guys get to know me better, and that it will offer you some valuable information and insights that you can apply to your own lives... Because, as you'll hear in the episode, it's really so critically important to me to ensure that my work improves your lives, and furthermore, it's one of my goals to build a more intimate relationship with my audience and fans.

Today, we're joined by David Karr, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Cebador for Guayaki. You might recognized the name Guayaki for those bright yellow packages of teas called Yerba Mate in supermarkets everywhere.. and if you've been a fan of the show for a while, you probably know a bit about Yerba Mate, or have heard me recommend it for it's powerful nootropics powers. Well, today, I wanted to interview someone who has devoted a good part of his life to sharing this plant with the world. My goal for this episode was to explore Yerba Mate, a plant medicine that I've used and promoted extensively for the many benefits it offers, but of course, you'll get much, much more from it. Throughout the episode, we talk about Yerba Mate and it's many health benefits, we talk about social entrepreneurship, business, life journeys, and much, much more. David shares his thoughts on how capitalism can be hacked to create and amplify social good, and also explains how he managed to build such a successful company from the ground up. It's a fantastic episode, and I just know you're going to get a TON out of it.

Today, we are joined by Kevin Warwick, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research at Coventry University, and former Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading. Oh… he's also considered to be the world's first actual cyborg, having connected his nervous system to the internet nearly 15 years ago. But don't worry, we'll get to that later on in the interview... Kevin is one of the leading researchers in artificial intelligence, robotics, and biomedical engineering, and has authored and co-authored more than 600 research papers and written or edited 27 books including I, Cyborg, QI, The Quest For Intelligence, and In The Mind Of The Machine. He's also received doctorates and awards from more higher learning institutions than I have time to list, but one interesting one is that the Institute of Physics selected Kevin as one of only 7 eminent scientists to illustrate the ethical impact their scientific work can have… the others, by the way, were Galileo, Einstein, Curie, Novel, Oppenheimer, and Rotblat. You may have also seen Kevin's work in the National Geographic Documentary, "I, Human." This episode goes far and wide, and might be one of the most mind-blowing episodes we've ever done. Kevin and I talk about artificial intelligence and what it means for humanity. We talk about cyborgs, and what possibilities technology has for making us truly superhuman, we discuss the future of learning, and even start to understand what it will look like when - not if - a new species of humanoids roam the planet. All in all, it's an incredibly fascinating episode that will bring you up to date on the cutting edge of technology and help you understand how, in the future, we'll truly become superhuman.

This week, we are joined by a New York Times bestselling author who's books you've almost certainly heard of: Why We Get Fat and Good Calories, Bad Calories. Way before the "Paleo" movement took off in a meaningful way, our guest today was one of the early opinion leaders to promote the idea that not all calories are the same - and that the idea of just "eating less" regardless of what you eat is fundamentally flawed. Though we have covered diet and nutrition quite a bit on the show, it's such a central aspect of optimal performance that it bears further investigation and occasional repetition. Throughout the episode, we take a really deep dive into not just nutrition, but also how it came to be that everything the average person knows about nutrition is fundamentally wrong. We learn how this misinformation has persisted, why it has been so detrimental, and how things are starting to change all over the world. We talk about paleo nutrition, common dietary misconceptions, and a criticism of bad science. All in all, I think you're going to take away a lot from this episode - I certainly did.

Today we are joined by Mattias Ribbing, a 3-time Swedish memory champion, and one of less than 200 people in the entire world who can lay claim to the title "GrandMaster of Memory." He's written three books on both memory and productivity, and is an accomplished public speaker and coach. But, while today Mattias is one of the top experts in memory and accelerated learning in Europe -as you'll learn today, he wasn't always a memory whiz. And like myself, Mattias' journey started out of a passion for learning and improving himself. In this episode, Mattias and I mind-melded on everything from learning and memory, to a brain-optimizing diet, to fasting, flow, and nootropics. Mattias shares a LOT of incredible wisdom and certainly doesn't hold back his best tips… I even learned a few new things about mnemonic techniques that I've never heard, and came away with a long list of improvements I want to make to my own training materials! Mattias is simply brilliant, and his intellect and enthusiasm simple bubbles over - so I also encourage you to check out his books and lectures.

Greetings, SuperFriends, and welcome to a very special episode of The Becoming SuperHuman Podcast... Our 100th episode! Can you guys believe that it's been a HUNDRED episodes? When I first started out, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to 10. And when I listen back to my first few episodes, the absolutely cringeworthy performance I gave makes it all the more impressive that you guys have stuck with me this far. For our 100th episode, I wanted to do something a little bit special. You see, at the beginning of every episode, we promise to give you the skills and strategies to overcome the impossible. For the most part, I feel that we deliver on that promise every single week. Though, with 100 episodes, it can be hard to keep track of all of the takeaways we've offered on the show. Even I, who records the episodes and then listens to them after they've been edited, lose sight of all the nuggets and hidden gems that come out over the course of time. That's why, for this special episode, I want to revisit each episode, and offer you the top 1-2 takeaways that I personally remember from each one. I'll tell you why I think that each one is important, and how it has affected my life. At the end, I'll also let you know my top 10 favorite episodes, and the top 10 books that guests have recommended. Let me say, guys, that this was quite easily the most difficult, grueling episode to produce. I spent countless hours over the last few MONTHs digging through all of the incredible ideas, quotes, books, talking points, and takeaways that we've shared over the last 2 years. Even with speed reading and memory techniques, it was a hell of a lot of information to go through, and ultimately, a lot of major stuff had to be left out. For this reason, I want to encourage you guys to check out and listen to - or re-listen to - any episode that piques your interest. You just may want to listen to this one with a pen and paper in hand. Either way, I hope you enjoy this very condensed summary, catch a few things you didn't know, and recall a few things you'd maybe forgotten over the last year or two. I know I did. s

This is the 2nd part of the Episode 100 where I revisit each episode, and offer you the top 1-2 takeaways that I personally remember from each one. I'll tell you why I think that each one is important, and how it has affected my life. At the end, I'll also let you know my top 10 favorite episodes, and the top 10 books that guests have recommended. Please refer to Episode 100A which is the first part of the Special Episode 100.

A few years ago, today's guest was a financier headed down a path of poor health. Today, he is one of America's top transformational coaches, with millions of followers on his social media channels, numerous companies, and an internet marketing empire that, quite frankly, blew my mind when I discovered it. Through his message of the powers of juicing and other dietary habits, he's transformed the lives of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people… He's also published 11 books, ranging from juicing to dream hacking and mental transformation… So you know we just had to hear more. In this episode, we talk about childhood trauma, path to self improvement, spirituality, belief systems, juicing, lucid dreaming, motivation, accelerated learning, outsourcing and delegation, identity and purpose, and so much more. I went into the interview expecting to talk about juicing and nutrition, and in the end, came away with a massive, massive dose of inspiration, motivation, and heck… even a few life lessons that just might shape the way I navigate the cosmos going forward. I want to give a big big shout out to Shanna at Organifi for helping me get ready for the interview and encouraging me to dig deep with today's guest - I think you'll agree that it really made a difference in the quality of the interview.

This week we are joined by Justin Stenstrom, a nationally acclaimed life coach, author, entrepreneur, and speaker. Justin is the founder of EliteManMagazine.com, host of the Elite Man Podcast, and the author of the book Giving Shy Guys Game. Justin's mission is to empower modern men to be their absolute best selves - a mission which we share - though the episode has appeal to both men AND women. Throughout this episode, we talk about confidence, self esteem, fear, relationships, and much, much more. You'll clearly see that years of interviewing, writing, reading, and learning has turned Justin into a jack of all trades when it comes to personal development, and so what's really nice about this episode is that it hits the high notes of a TON of different areas of life. I think you'll really going to enjoy it and learn a lot!

Today, we welcome nutrition expert and public speaker Jaakko Halmetoja to the show. Jaakko is the host of InspiRadio Podcast and has spent the last few years popularizing unique uses of foods like chaga mushroom, chocolate, wild foods, berries, and medicinal herbs. He's also the author of two books, including The BioHacker's Handbook. My goal for this episode was to go a bit wider with nutrition - far beyond the topic of paleo that we've covered before. I wanted to discover unique foods, unusual findings, and surprising takeaways. In this episode, we talk about a wide variety of health and biohacking topics - from superfoods to unusual supplements and different ways to hack your body and mind. I really enjoyed his very holistic approach to nutrition and nutrients, which is so much less rigid and pinpointed than that of so many experts out there. My big takeaway from this episode was that it's more about the big picture - the overall lifestyle and mosaic of what you eat and how you live, than it is about adding one specific compound, nutrient, or behavior into your regimen.

This week, we are joined by Australian endurance athlete and motivational speaker Luke Tyburski. Luke is the subject of the new documentary, The Ultimate Triathlon, which documents his grueling journey towards completing the notorious Morocco to Monaco triathlon, a 2,000 kilometer, 12 day taste of hell on earth. To put it into perspective, The Ultimate Triathlon is the equivalent of swimming 500 laps in a 50 meter pool - then cycling the entire length of Britain, and then running a staggering 14 - yes, 14 - marathons. All in less than 2 weeks. In this episode, I wanted to gain some insight not just into Luke's physical performance and training regimen, but also into what goes on in the mind of a person who willingly subjects himself to such grueling conditions. How does he do it? Why? And what can we learn from it? Throughout the episode, we talk about endurance, goal setting, tenacity, and how you can learn to overcome even the toughest of physical limitations. Luke shares how he has been able to train himself to push past the breaking point, and there are a ton of great takeaways that are sure to inspire and motivate you.

This week, we're joined by Olly Richards, the world-renowned language learning expert behind IWillTeachYouALanguage.com. Olly speaks no less than 8 languages, and has taught tens of thousands of people all over the world how to learn languages quickly, easily, and without all the headaches. Also a successful entrepreneur and author, having written numerous books and online courses, and he even hosts his own top-rated podcast. In this episode, I wanted to connect with Olly and hear what he has to say about language learning. Does he agree with past experts we've had on the show? Disagree? How and why? How do his own strategies for accelerated language learning mesh with my own framework? In this interview, Olly and I really hit it off, and we jammed about everything from language learning, to memory techniques, to why all of this is so important. Olly shares some interesting and often surprising thoughts on how best to learn a language, and even tells us about some cool resources that I'd never heard of. It's a great episode, packed with actionable takeaways, and whether or not you've ever been intrigued by language learning, I think you're going to really enjoy it.

This week we are joined by Ryan Munsey, a former athlete turned bestselling author. Ryan started his career with a degree in dietetics, and along the way, worked as a personal trainer, a nutritionist, and even a fitness model. Today, however, in addition to writing, he hosts The Optimal Performance Podcast, runs the House of Strength training facility in Roanoke, Virginia, AND, on top of all of that, serves as the Chief Optimizer of Natural Stacks, a supplement and nootropic company. He's been featured in Men's Fitness, CBS, FOX, ESPN Radio, and many more. Ryan and I really hit it off during the episode, and you can definitely tell that we're cut from the same cloth. The episode runs the gamut - from nootropics, to diet and nutrition, to supplementation, and more. A lot of the things Ryan shared, I had never even heard about before, and I found myself learning a lot more than even I expected. I can confidently say that after hearing this episode, you'll have a much better grasp on how to boost your mental and physical performance.

As you guys know, my connection to the "superhuman" world is the work I do in accelerated learning, speed reading, and memory techniques. And I would imagine that you all, like yours truly, are very interested in keeping your brains happy and healthy, as much if not more than the rest of your bodies. Well, today, we're going to talk about exactly that - keeping your brain healthy - now and well into your old age. We are joined by Steven William Fowkes, the biohacker, author, and health expert behind Project Wellbeing, who's spent the last 14 years promoting an insight into Alzheimer's prevention. Now, you might not yet be the age where you need to worry about Alzheimer's, but in fact, Steven's words of wisdom apply to all age groups. That's because he has authored or co-authored 6 books, and is a true renaissance man with interests and work spanning from nanotechnology to nutrition to material's science. In this episode, we talk about all things related to the brain and improving it's performance. We talk about Alzheimer's prevention, nootropics, a brain-boosting diet, all sorts of biohacks, and more. For those of you who really love the technical, geeky stuff, you're going to love this episode, because we go way down the rabbit hole and geek way out. Either way, I think you're going to learn a ton from this episode, and if so, drop me a tweet and let me know what you thought!

Today we are joined by the New York Times Bestselling Author behind the book, "The Paleo Cure" and the host of Revolution Health Radio Podcast. You might remember in the past, we had my friend and role model Robb Wolf on the show, who is considered one of the most central folks to the Paleo movement. Well, Robb called today's guest the most knowledgable clinician in the paleo world - and for that reason, we just had to get him on today's show. You've seen him and his work in TIME, NPR, The Atlantic, and more - but it turns out that as a licensed acupuncturist and a self-described "health detective," today's guest has a lot more to teach us about health than just dieting. In this episode, we talk about everything from the paleo diet, to how it can repair quite a bit of chronic health ailments, to the many issues with our modern lifestyles, and much, much more.