Episodes
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Greetings, Superfriends, and welcome to the 300th episode of the SuperHuman Academy Podcast - where, as you’ve probably already heard me mention in previous episodes, after nearly 6 years and 4.5 million downloads - it is my duty to inform you that this episode will be our last - at least for now.
In this final chapter, I want to take a few moments to answer some of your questions, share with you how I’ve come to this decision, and let you all know what you can expect from me in the future.
The first question that’s probably on everybody’s mind, I imagine, is this:
Why would you stop a successful podcast?If you’ve been paying attention, you know that podcasting is at its all-time peak right now, with just about everybody in every market you can imagine getting into the medium. And it’s only expected to grow, with people consuming more and more podcasts every single year.
Of course, a lot of these new shows are destined to be part of “the long tail” - never crossing more than a thousand downloads per episode. But SuperHuman Academy, since its inception, has been a reasonably successful show - earning thousands of downloads per episode consistently throughout its 6-year run.
Add to this the fact that some of our best and most interesting guests and episodes have come out in just the last year - with quite a few “superstar” guests and life-changing episodes happening in 2020.
Why, then, have I decided to bring all of this to a close?!
In truth, there are a lot of reasons.
First, there’s the “family” component. My wife and I just had our baby boy, and I’ve made the decision to clear off most of my calendar for a while to focus exclusively on this exciting and rewarding new adventure. The fact that I have the freedom to do this is a major blessing that I realize not many people enjoy - and I intend to take full advantage of it.
But, as you can imagine, there is much more to the story than that.
You see, when I first started this business - with nothing more than a simple Udemy course recorded with a webcam, it was intended to be a fun “side project” - a way to give back and earn a living while I searched for “the next big thing.” I could have never anticipated that I would be where I am today, employing a full team, with over 300,000 students worldwide, bestselling books, a successful podcast, certified coaches all over the world, etc. What was intended to be a fun, lifestyle-oriented “side business” in many ways became a runaway success - and my main focus for the better part of 7 years.
All of that is well and good - I have no regrets whatsoever, and of course I consider myself extremely blessed for everything this journey has done for me and for those I’ve touched along the way.
But, in all truth, somewhere between then and now, I lost sight of what was important to me. I spent a few solid years mingling with and learning from the smartest minds in the business. And yes, there were amazing times where everything “clicked” and we were on top of the world. But since then, there have also been years of struggling - often uphill - towards endless growth and expansion, without considering whether or not it would bring me happiness (spoiler alert: it didn’t).
Ultimately, for the second time in my life, I found myself in a prison of my own making: working more hours than I wanted to, to build something that wasn’t even my dream. As a result of this, I learned a number of very valuable life lessons: first, there’s no happiness in living other people’s dreams. And second, there’s nothing more important than happiness - nothing.
That’s why, when COVID-19 struck, and a few key team members took it as an opportunity to resign and start their own businesses, rather than fighting tooth and nail to rebuild, I instead chose to view this as a huge moment of awakening - and a huge opportunity.
It’s funny, you know? Day in and day out in my courses, podcast, and in interviews, I talk about designing the life that best suits you, about living “a la carte” instead of “prix fixe,” and about how you can create your own unique lifestyle where you work as much or as little as you want to.
And sure, in many ways, my life today reflects those values and ideas. But sometimes our own advice is the easiest to forget - or, as they say in Hebrew, sometimes, the shoemaker goes barefoot. When the spell of “constant growth” wore off, I was forced to look at the plain facts: while I love this business, I love all of you, and I’m forever grateful for this entire experience… continuing to grow this business bigger and better isn’t what makes me happy anymore.
It doesn’t challenge me or excite me like it used to. It’s not what I feel compelled to do. And no amount of impact, press recognition, or money is going to change that.
Similarly, another reason for stopping is that I sense that I’ve done all I can with the podcast. Sure, I can continue finding great guests to interview every week, but the reality is that most of the guests I’ve wanted to interview have already been on the show at least once, and those who haven’t, I’ve come to realize probably never will be.
While the show has grown to a respectable size, it will likely never grow any bigger or reach the next level. And so, after 6 years without missing a single episode, the hard truth is that I’m bored. Sure, there are occasional interviews that blow my mind and make me want to keep going, but if I’m honest with myself, my sincere enthusiasm for recording the show week after week waned a long, long time ago.
What’s more, I’ve found that my overall enthusiasm for the personal development space has really waned along with it. You see, though I’m still a lifelong devotee of all that personal development has to offer, after 7 years of working in the space day in and day out, I need to take a step back and cleanse my palate for a while. I’m sure I still have plenty to learn - and that I haven’t heard it all just yet… but sometimes, it certainly feels that way. Not to mention that the marketing, the content creation, the collaborations, the webinars, and broadcasts… it’s all a lot more work than it seems, and quite frankly, I think I probably just need a break.
People talk a lot about a “7-year itch,” and there’s really something to that. This same thing happened to me in my last business, a luxury car parts internet retailer that I grew to seven figures - and then sold after 7 years. Whereas I used to be obsessed with cars and learning everything there was to learn about them, towards the end, I was so burnt out that I wanted nothing to do with them. Only now, 9 years later, have I rediscovered that passion and enthusiasm I once had as a kid.
So now, you must be wondering:
What’s Next?I mean, from the sound of it, you might be worried that I’m going to pack up and leave, shut down or sell my website, and disappear into the sunset - much like I did when I left the aftermarket automotive industry.
Not to worry. I’m not going anywhere - at least not right now. After all, a huge part of why I do all this is a feeling of responsibility. So many of the techniques, ideas, and strategies that I talk about in my courses and on this podcast fundamentally changed my life - and for that reason, I feel like it’s my moral obligation to continue sharing them with the world - even if my day-to-day involvement has been reduced to a minimum.
This is why I spent the better part of the last year training over a dozen SuperLearner Certified Coaches, who will continue working hard to ensure that the worldwide impact of the SuperLearner methodology continues to grow. It’s also why my team and I have been really active in sharing content on social media - so make sure to subscribe to us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, if you haven’t already.
So while my company will be running mostly independently of me, with a smaller staff and significantly reduced marketing, all of our existing courses, programs, and content are not going anywhere. In fact, I might even come back from paternity leave and continue producing new courses or content, from time to time - especially on social media. I even have an idea (and a domain name) for a new podcast, which I’m calling “The Lifestyle Entrepreneur.” It’s all about how to build your business around the lifestyle you want, as opposed to the other way around. In fact, if that sounds good to you, you can show your support for this new project by subscribing to the mailing list at LifeStyleEntrepreneur.com
In addition to all of that, the serial entrepreneur in me couldn’t stand still for too long. Paternity leave or no paternity leave, it took me all of about 15 minutes after deciding to scale down my time commitment to SuperHuman Academy before co-founding a new business that I’ve been working on a lot lately. It’s called Coffee (you can check it out ChooseCoffee.io), and it’s a high-ticket sales team as a service. Basically, we work with businesses that have high ticket offers - whether that’s coaching programs, mastermind memberships, B2B software, and more - but who don’t want to deal with hiring and training a sales team.
While it might seem completely out of left field based on my skill set, I’m excited about this business because it gives me the opportunity and challenge of working on novel technological implementations for our clients, connecting their systems to ours, without being involved in the “business” side of things too much. Leveraging technology to automate work has long been one of my favorite things - and one of my favorite parts of building out SuperHuman Academy, so I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to take on a role where that’s my sole focus.
Finally, there are still some question marks as far as what’s next. As time has progressed, I’ve felt increasingly compelled to get involved in some way, shape, or form with environmental impact. I’m not sure whether I want to do so as a volunteer, a cofounder, or even as an employee… but I know that I’m passionate about solar energy, carbon capture, alternative protein, electrification, and more. So, if any of you out there have ideas as to how I can leverage my skills to make an impact in that industry, I’d love to hear from you.
Now, that was a lot to take in - and probably pretty confusing. On the one hand, I’m scaling down my involvement in this business, but on the other, I might start another podcast, on top of at least one other side business I’m starting?
“Dude... make up your mind,” amiright?
If I were you, I’d probably want a clear, definitive answer:
Is this really the end for the SuperHuman Academy Podcast?The best answer I can give you is “Maybe.”
Allow me to explain:
For now, I will definitely be taking at least a few months hiatus from the “superhuman” content and podcast interviews.
And one way or another, I really want to get off of the superhuman hamster-wheel, where I’m constantly under the gun to create new podcast interviews and content on a weekly schedule.
With that said, I can’t promise I won’t miss it - just a little.
And quite frankly, if the opportunity to interview one of my “bucket list” guests were to crop up - hint hint, Tim Ferriss - of course, I wouldn’t turn it down.
So, yes, there may be a future version of the show where I release episodes more like once a month or once in a while.
It’s all going to depend on what I end up doing next, how much time that takes, and what I feel excited about doing. I think I owe that to myself.
All this is to say that I would love it if you all stay subscribed both to our free content mailing list at SuperHumanAcademy.com and to the podcast itself in your podcast player. Who knows… I might just surprise you.
And now, before I let you go, one last thing:
Thank You. Genuinely.Have you ever taken a moment to look at something that is “normal” in your life - something that you take for granted - with fresh eyes, and realized that it’s absolutely mind-boggling? It could be looking at your kids and realizing that you made them… or looking at a 300,000-pound airplane and realizing that it glides through the air…
Well, that’s exactly how I feel when I think about this podcast, and about SuperHuman Academy as a whole. The fact that all of you - hundreds of thousands of people in all 205 countries and territories worldwide - have tuned in for literally millions upon millions of hours of my content is absolutely humbling and awe-inspiring. And the incredible reviews, personal transformation stories, and testimonials many of you have shared are also deeply, deeply moving.
When I think about my own origin story - from being a bullied, depressed, and underachieving 13-year old with low self-esteem… to where I am today… in a position to empower and provide value to so many people all over the world, I’m truly speechless. It has been, without a doubt, the greatest honor of my life thus far.
And so, I want to thank you - each and every one of you. Not just for tuning in and listening… and no, not just for supporting my business financially throughout the years, either - though I appreciate both of those things tremendously. What I really want to thank you for is the deep impact you’ve had on my life. For the meaning and the purpose you’ve given to my own, at times very painful, journey. I don’t often think about what I would say to 13-year-old Jonathan, if I could go back in time. But most likely, thanks to all of you, I think I know what it would be:
“Stick it out. In the end, you can’t even imagine how many people you’re going to help because of this.”
On that note, the teacher in me can’t resist sharing just one last, final “nugget.” At the end of nearly every episode of the show for the last few years, I’ve asked each guest the same closing question: “If our audience were to take away one big message from this episode and carry it with them for the rest of their lives, what would you hope for that message to be?”
For me, from day one, through thousands of hours of content and endless interviews and videos, my message has been the same. It’s been my personal mission to be a living example of how you can create your own, unconventional, custom-tailored life to suit your own needs, dreams, and desires. There’s a sense of poetic fulfillment, then, that this final episode - this closing message - is me doing just that. Walking the walk, taking my own advice, and making the uncommon decision that leads to more happiness, satisfaction, and growth.
My only hope is that each of you have learned to do the same.
Wishing you all the best - from the bottom of my heart.
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Welcome to a very special episode of the show, episode 299 out of the 300 - where I've certainly saved some of the best for last. Some of you may have heard through my personal journey and story where, a few years ago, I read a book that solved probably my biggest personal problem, and certainly my biggest problem in the area of personal development and growth. Really, it reinforced for me the idea that you can learn your way out of any problem, and that you can learn to be the kind of person that no longer has that problem.
I'm talking, of course, about love and romance, and finding the person that I'm destined to spend my life with. Many of you will know that it took my 9 long and painful years between relationships to find the woman who is now my wife, and, probably by the time you hear this, the mother of my child. And that was an incredible transformational journey, which really solidified what is possible in personal development. What is possible when you apply the things that we talk about in the last almost 300 episodes. Fundamentally, you change, your life changes, your outcomes change, and your whole world changes.
So, today I'm really excited that I finally had the opportunity to interview Katherine Woodward Thomas. She is a Master's in family therapy, a New York Times bestselling author of Conscious Uncoupling: 5 Steps to Living Happily Even After, and more pertinently to today's episode and my life, Calling in “The One:” 7 Weeks to Attract the Love of Your Life.
Now, if you are already in a relationship, or you think that this woo-woo, I wanna stop you right there, because in this episode we go so much deeper than just that. What this episode really comes down to is dealing with trauma, which we all have, it's improving and growing through our own psychological hangups, which we all have, and it's learning how to have more love, happiness, and joy in our lives, which we all want.
I really enjoyed this episode. I'm not going to read through the amazing summary of Katherine's credentials, media appearances, etc., because ultimately what's important is the impact that she's had and the people that she has worked with and the lives that she has touched. So, I encourage that you listen for what you can apply from this episode, and if you're looking for that one final SuperHuman achievement, which is finding love, then this is the absolute best episode for us to end on.
Enjoy!
-Jonathan Levi
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Missing episodes?
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today I had a wonderful guest. I knew I would enjoy this episode, which is why I gave it one of these coveted final spots, and yet I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would. The guest is Kati Morton, she is a clinical psychologist, and a family and marriage therapist, and she runs a private practice in Santa Monica, CA.
But, you probably will know her for her internet activities, where for the past 8 years she's leveraged social media to spread mental health information worldwide through video. She's worked with folks on eating disorders, self-harming behaviors, and many more things - in fact, at the time of this recording, she has over 1 million subscribers on YouTube with over 75 million views. Kati has appeared on all kinds of traditional media as well, and she has published a number of books - her first book, Are U Ok? A Guide to Caring for Your Mental Health, was released in December of 2018.
Now, why did I enjoy this episode so much? Well, first as you can tell, Kati talks about how it's so important to have a connection with someone if you are going to work with them on your mental health. She and I immediately had an awesome connection and shared understanding about just how hard times have been for a lot of people, whether it's economically, socially, or the anxiety we've all been facing. Thus, I felt that this is just the right episode for where I've been, which is in a lot of pain about the environmental situation, the social situation, the political situation, and just feeling the weight of the world and the suffering that people are enduring around the world.
This was a phenomenal episode also because Kati gave some very practical and ingenious techniques for immediately alleviating some of that pain, and I thought that this was the best time to share this with all of you. So pay special attention when she talks about the "shake", as well as when she talks about "thought bridges", because I thought that these ideas were massive, and they are just the tip of the iceberg in this episode.
Enjoy!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
In this week's episode, I'm joined by a repeat guest and longtime friend of mine, Robb Wolf. Robb has been on the show many times before, seeing as he's written many New York Times bestselling books - in fact, two, in the past so far. He is also a former research biochemist, that is better known for The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat.
Robb is my go-to thought leader on all things nutrition. He's the person who convinced me to go paleo, he's the person who convinced me to modify that diet with more data about my own blood sugar and insulin response levels, and now he is pioneering a healthy rebellion - a social movement with a goal of liberating a million people from the sick care system.
As if all that wasn't enough to take on, he has also written a new book called The Sacred Cow, a contrarian look at a potential way for solving our food crisis, specifically the animal protein crisis that we're facing, and dealing with climate change. Now, I'm going to warn you, a lot of Rob's opinions are contrarian, and he even goes out and says that you have to be careful not to get canceled for sharing some of the opinions that he shares. But, I always like to bring in both sides of the opinion, and honestly, I wanted to talk to someone who is spreading a message of hope, right now, especially when it comes to the environment.
So, Robb and I talk about a lot of different elements of this whole piece. We talked about what the best way is for humans to get our animal protein, assuming that an animal protein diet is what people want and not everyone is going to go off of it - and not everyone should go off of it. We talked about the sustainability and environmental impact of factory farming versus grazing animals.
We then talked about alternative energy solutions, which I didn't know he geeked out on as much as I do, but it turns out he geeks out on much more than I do. As part of that conversation, we also talked about some of the challenges with alternative energy.
And we talked about much more, that you'll have to listen to the podcast episode to know all about it. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I did!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today we are joined by Wade Lightheart. Wade is a 3-Time Canadian national All Natural Bodybuilding Champion who competed as a vegetarian, a former Mr. Universe Competitor, the host of The Awesome Health podcast, and one of the world’s premier authorities on Natural Nutrition and Training Methods.
He has worked in the field for 25 years, sold books in over 80 countries, served as an advisor to the American Anti-Cancer Institute, and is the Co-Founder and President at BiOptimizers, a digestive and health optimization company.
This was a really fun episode. Wade and I connected on a lot of different subjects that we both feel passionately about. We talked about technology, and how our dissonance with our evolutionary blueprint is causing so many of our health problems. We also talked about loss in his life, the discipline and how he cultivated it to compete at such a high level, and we talked about digestion and the lymphatic system.
In fact, I learned a couple of really powerful biohacks in this episode that I never understood how they worked or why they worked, and I'm going to be going out and making a purchase after this episode of something that I think is going to provide massive health for my family and me.
In addition to that, Wade was very generous at the end of the episode. He gives away not just a complete online course, but an awesome discount on some products, if you want to check out BiOptimizers' products.
Enjoy!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Welcome to a very special episode of the show! Today we are joined by Mark Victor Hansen. Mark has sold over 500 million books. He's best known as the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, but he actually has written over 309 books, and is known for his endearing and charismatic style. You've probably also heard of some of his other books including The One Minute Millionaire.
Mark is known for having spoken to over 6000 audiences worldwide on a wide variety of topics, and he actually studied directly under Buckminster Fuller, one of Einstein's greatest students. He has a lifetime of entrepreneurial success, alternative energy pursuits, and more. I do encourage you to check out his list of 309 books, as well as his appearances on Oprah, CNN, The Today Show, Time Magazine, USA Today, the New York Times, and much, much more.
In other words, Mark is probably one of the most SuperHuman authors on the planet, and in this episode, I wanted to learn not only how that is possible, and how he has achieved so much, but also what are the mindsets, the tools, the tactics, and techniques that have allowed him to do so much. In addition to that, I wanted to learn what his message was for all of you, during these admittedly challenging times.
The conversation was absolutely fascinating, and it veers more on the side of entrepreneurship that we usually go. But I think that's what people need to hear right now, in these challenging economic times, so I know you're going to enjoy this episode as much as I did!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today we are joined by national bestselling author, international speaker, and life strategist Valorie Burton. Valorie is the founder and CEO of the Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute and her life-changing message has an intriguing, research-based emphasis in the pioneering field of applied positive psychology – the study of what happens when things go right with us.
Valorie teaches that resilience is a skill that can be learned – and anyone who wants to have fulfillment, high impact and success must learn it.
Now, in this episode, we go wide. We talk about having emotional resilience during these very troubling times of political, social, and economic unrest. We also talk about how to maintain positivity, and how to take care of yourself during these times.
And, of course, we talk about the topic of her new book, which is guilt, and how to let go of the subtle and small guilt, that is not only holding you back but, as I learned in this episode, is behind so many of the bad decisions that we make in our lives. Just by listening to Valorie speak, I was able to identify some of the really bad decisions that have led to a lot of unhappiness in my life, which, in fact, were not bad judgment, but guilt driving my actions.
I think this is a massive episode! I will inform you that I did lose my composure at one point during the episode... We went very deep and talked about some of the painful things that are going on in the world today, and both of us got really moved.
Enjoy!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today we are joined by none other than Cal Newport. Cal is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, but most people don't even realize that, because, in addition to that, he is one of the greatest best-selling authors in the personal development and productivity space of our time.
Cal's work has been published in over 25 languages and has been featured in many major publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, Washington Post, and Economist. You probably know him as the author of Digital Minimalism, Deep Work, and So Good They Can't Ignore You.
In other words, he is one of the most critically acclaimed guests of all time, and in this episode, you will, without a doubt, understand why. Cal is a very unique thinker, and he has thought very deeply about productivity, work, and getting things done. His ideas have shaped what has become the common standard for getting more focused work done in your day, and also putting controls in how technology impacts your life outside of work.
Now, in this episode, I had the privilege of getting to go deep into Cal's work, because he is currently releasing a new online course with Scott Young, which talks about many of the subjects that he wrote years and years ago about. That means that I was able to go back in time and ask him questions, without shame or embarrassment, about things that he published a decade ago.
So, we talked about digital minimalism, about deep work, accelerated learning, the importance and neuroscience of focus, and the mistakes so many people make that prevent them from actually developing the skill of paying attention. We also go into digital habits, and in why it's your phone that is in control of you, and not the opposite.
I honestly think it's one of the better episodes we've ever done, and I'm sure you will enjoy it!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today we are joined by Josh Clemente. Josh, the founder of Levels, is a mechanical engineer and CrossFit-L2 trainer. At SpaceX, he led a team to develop life support systems that sustained astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on their May 2020 trip to the International Space Station aboard Dragon Endeavor: the first new crew-carrying spacecraft since 1980.
Josh has also spent time designing and building Hyperloop technology and leading engineering for a company providing vehicle-based rescue systems for emergency response teams.
But, we barely talked about any of that stuff today, because, as I already mentioned, Josh is the founder of a really fascinating company that I've been following for a while, called Levels. Their idea is that wearables are nice, but they rarely give you real, powerful data about what's going in your body. Well, Levels is trying to change that, by coming out with the first consumer-available continuous glucose monitor.
Now, you've probably heard the hardcore biohackers in the world, like Dave Asprey and Tim Ferriss, wearing these glucose monitors that they need all kinds of connections to get, and all the wonderful things you can learn by wearing a glucose monitor.
So, I wanted to learn what the big deal is with these, and why it's such an important technology to put in the hands of consumers. I ended up learning a lot about what turns out to be one of the most important molecules in the body - glucose - which powers almost everything that you do. And that's why we need to make sure that we have just the right Goldilocks level layers in our body at all times - more about this in the episode.
I think you are really going to enjoy this episode, as I did!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today we are joined by Stephan Spencer. Stephan is a bestselling author of 3 books, serial entrepreneur, Internet luminary, life hacker, podcaster, and contributor to Harvard Business Review and AdWeek. His books are The Art of SEO, Social eCommerce, and Google Power Search. Stephan has optimized the websites of some of the biggest brands in the world, including Chanel, Volvo, Sony, and Zappos.
But that's actually not what we cover in today's episode! You see, Stephan is also one of the most incredible personal transformation stories that I've ever heard - and I have heard a lot. He went from being in a different, and somewhat dark, place in his life to completely transforming everything about himself, and in a pretty short time too. In the episode, I ask him more about that transition and transformation than I've ever had the opportunity before in polite conversation with him.
We talk about the event that started it all, about personal growth as a field, and some of the incredible and transformational experiences he has had traveling the world with folks like Tony Robbins, and working with some of the top thought leaders on the planet. Of course, we also share many useful tips that you can use to spark your own transformation and move past skepticism and into awareness and openness.
I think it was a really fun, engaging and entertaining conversation, that I'm sure you will enjoy as well!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today I was joined by Dr. Enric Sala. Dr. Sala is a National Geographic explorer in residence, dedicated to restoring the health and productivity of the ocean. He's authored over 120 scientific publications, which are widely recognized and used for real-world conservation efforts, such as the creation of marine reserves.
Dr. Sala has also founded and leads National Geographic's Pristine Seas, a project that combines exploration research and media to inspire country leaders to protect the last wild places in the ocean. To date, they've created 13 of the largest marine reserves on the planet, covering an area of 4.5 million square kilometers. Dr. Sala has also received a ton of awards, including the Young Global Leaders award by the World Economic Forum, the 2013 Research Award from the Spanish Geographical Society, and many, many more.
Now you might be wondering, what does an environmentalist and conservationist have to do with being SuperHuman? Well, if you've listened to the last 289 episodes you know that so much of optimizing our health is dependent on the health of our planet. It's dependent on things like being able to get healthy and high-quality foods, and on being able to enjoy the sunshine, nature, and fresh air.
And, lately, I have been more and more concerned about the state of our planet, and about the condition we are leaving it in for the next generation. And yet, like so many of you, I've felt powerless, and I've not known how I, not an engineer, not a politician, not a leader of a Fortune 500 company, how can I make a difference and ensure that we all have a place to live, that is habitable for us 50 years from now.
So in this quest, I had the opportunity to interview, Dr. Sala who turns out is a big fan of the show, and asked him, why is this important and how can we actually make a difference. I think you're going to be very empowered by this episode - I certainly was! There are some real actions that you can take, and in this episode, you're going to learn not only why the health of our oceans is so important to our health, but also how you can take action and how you can make a difference.
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
First, let me tell you that I am very protective of my time, so it is very very rare that I stay on talking to a guest for hours, and just chat, learn, and grow. But that's exactly what I did with today's guest, who is probably one of the more interesting human beings you will meet.
You see, I asked a mutual friend of ours, Joe Polish, "who should I have on the show?" - because we as you know are in the last 15 episodes of the show. So, I asked Joe about some of the most interesting people that he knows, who I should have on these last 15 episodes, and he immediately told me that Jeff Madoff, today's guest, was available.
Now, let me tell you a bit about Jeff. He's considered a storyteller and incisive interviewer, and he's used those talents to help position major brands such as Ralph Lauren, Victoria's Secret, Radio City Music Hall, and the Harvard School for Public Health - but, he actually began his career as a fashion designer. He was chosen as one of the top 10 designers in the US, and then he switched careers - we talked about that a lot.
After switching to film and video production, he has since expanded his reach to include teaching, book and play-writing, and theatrical producing. Jeff is also an adjunct professor at Parsons School for Design, where he teaches a course called“Creativity: Making a Living with Your Ideas”, and his book is titled almost the same. In addition to all these, Jeff has been featured as a speaker at the Wharton School, NYU Steinhardt, North Carolina State, SXSW Brazil, Google Next, and many others. He's also written a play that'll be coming out in May of 2021.
Now, about this conversation. I promised Jeff that we would go wide and range all over the place, and we certainly did. We talk about creativity, about leadership, about entrepreneurship, about growth and a growth mindset, and we talk about massive career changes, as well as life satisfaction.
Honestly, this was one of the more rewarding podcasts. It was so good that, for a moment, I wished that we weren't coming to a close at 300 episodes but alas, we must all move on and all good things must come to an end.
I'm sure that you will enjoy this episode as much as I did!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today, ladies and gentlemen, I got the chance to interview a personal hero of mine - someone who I discovered probably half a decade ago, and whose work has dramatically impacted my life, my body, and the way that I feel. I'm talking, of course, about Dr. Kelly Starrett.
Dr. Kelly Starrett is a doctor of physical therapy. He is a New York Times bestselling author of Becoming a Supple Leopard, as well as various other books, such as Ready To Run. He's also widely known as one of the founding fathers of CrossFit - though I understand he's no longer affiliated with it - and he is known as one of the top movement, mobility, kinesiology, physical therapy, and personal training experts on the planet.
In fact, he trains police forces and special forces, and he talks all over the country and the world about these topics. And for good reason. Because, as you're going to see in this episode, Kel, as he told me to call him, knows more about the human body than probably anyone you will ever meet. He knows how to train it. He knows how to fix it. He knows how to teach you how to fix, maintain, and train it, and in this episode, we go wide - trust me, he did not disappoint.
Personally, I've read a lot of his work and I've heard most of his interviews. And yet, even I learned something about how we can not only reevaluate the way that we treat our bodies, the way that we maintain our bodies, but what we can expect out of our bodies, and how we can face even old age, with strength, without pain, and with range of motion.
I think this episode is really going to change the way that you look at your body and look at aging. And I hope that it is going to change the way that you act in your body, the way that you use your body. Dr. Starrett gives you a simple piece of homework here, that takes 10 minutes a day, and I promise you, if you do it, your life will change.
I really enjoyed this episode, as you can tell, and I know you are going to as well - so please enjoy!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today I was joined by Dr. Bill Sears, father of eight, author of 47 books, former associate professor at the University of Toronto, University of South Carolina, and the University of Southern California School of Medicine, as well as many more universities.
Dr. Sears has appeared on over 100 national TV shows, his contributions to family and health were featured on the cover of Time Magazine, and he currently lectures on mental wellness. I think that's the first time I've ever had a guest who has been featured on the cover of Time Magazine!
I also think that one of the more impressive things about his bio is that he has been a pediatrician for 50 years - yes, he is 80 years old, and still full of energy and vitality as you will see on the show, which, alone, gives him so much credibility in today's topic. That is the topic of brain health, something that we all should be concerned about.
As I learned, as I was shocked to learn in this episode, brain health has now outpaced heart disease as one of the leading killers, if not the leading killer, in America. I was shocked to discover that, and, in this episode, we talked about the five pillars of brain health, as discussed in Dr. Sears, latest book The Healthy Brain, published in April of 2020.
I learned a lot in this episode, and it was a great review for a lot of things that I talk about in our SuperLearner Masterclass: the importance of sleep, the importance of the right nutrition (not all that is billed as healthy nutrition is the right nutrition), and the importance of exercise.
But, I also learned additional new things that really blew my mind and I think are going to blow your mind as well. This episode has something for everyone, whether you're concerned about your parents and their brain health as they get into older age, whether you're concerned about yourself, and doing things now that are going to allow you to live a long and full life with a healthy brain, or if like me, you are expecting a child and want to do everything you can from pregnancy onward to ensure that that child has a healthy and happy brain.
I really enjoyed this episode, and I know you will too!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today we are joined by Dr. Vincent Pedre. Dr. Pedre is a functional medicine-certified doctor, and the author of the best-selling book Happy Gut.
Now, I wanted to have Dr. Pedre on the show, not because we haven't talked about gut health in the past, but because I wanted to understand the link between gut health and immunity - a very important topic during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I wanted to understand what is the connection between the microbiome, something that we've talked about with regards to mood, obesity, and overall health, and our overall immunity - which, as it turns out, is very related.
I learned a lot in this episode, and I'm sure you will as well! Enjoy!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
In this week's episode, we are once again joined by Dr. Ann Shippy, a former IBM engineer turned traditional medicine doctor, turned functional medicine doctor, turned author, and TEDx speaker. She attended the University of Texas Medical School, after leaving a career at IBM engineering for 10 years.
Today she runs a thriving medical practice in Austin, Texas, and is board certified in internal medicine and functional medicine. Now, I wanted to have Dr. Shippy back on the show because, last time, we talked more about fasting and preventing disease, but I wanted to get a better sense of, first off, what epigenetics is, and what it practically means for us. And then I wanted to go a little deeper into mold, because Dr. Shippy has actually written an entire book on mold, as well as go a little deeper on diet, too.
So, we expand on everything we talked about last time in the episode, and we also refresh and relearn. I really enjoyed this episode and I learned quite a bit, and that's a pretty good indication that you are going to enjoy this conversation as well!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Welcome to this week's episode, where we actually have a very special one for you! You've probably heard me talk about today's guest before, Dr. Juli La Rocca, as a star SuperLearner student, and then someone who also took my Branding You program, and has gone on to just become so successful and influential, do incredible things, and help people all over the place.
Her story starts as a traditional Western medicine doctor who went from a lot of struggles, trials, tribulations, depression, suicidal thoughts, and much more as you'll discover, to learning, growing, changing, evolving, and becoming a coach to very successful people.
She's an incredible woman, she's actually one of my coaches right now, and she has helped me through so many incredible breakthroughs in the last year that we've been working together. So, I thought I would bring her to all of you, because not only does she have an incredible story, and an incredible amount of wisdom to share, but she is the epitome of a SuperLearner, going from not knowing anything about the thought leader business - her words, not mine - to where she is now.
Now, the student truly has become the teacher, and she is a valued coach of mine and teaches me so much about how to live my life and how to take good care of myself. So, again, I thought why hog all her wisdom for myself. I wanted to bring her to all of you, and we had an incredible conversation as we always do about life, about what's important, about different tools that you can use to perform at your highest level, and about simplifying, which I think is a really important thing that we all need to be thinking about right now.
I heard an incredible quote the other day from a former Disney executive who said "in the rush to go back to normal, take time to consider which parts of normal are worth going back to". I think that is so profound. I think this podcast episode will help you think, and start that conversation with yourself. So it is with great pleasure that I introduce you all to Dr. Juli La Rocca.
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
I am really excited about today's episode, where we are joined by Dr. Benjamin Hardy, who has become one of my closer friends and professional contacts. If you listen to the show, or anything that I do, you've heard me quote Dr. Hardy significantly over the past few years, since his work has become a massive influence on my life and the lives of those I care about.
In this episode, we are going to talk about his new book: Personality Isn't Permanent. Throughout the episode, we talk about how much of that we think about personality is actually wrong. We learn how personality is actually formed, and how you can take an active role in designing the personality that you wish to have.
Pretty exciting stuff, and I really enjoyed the episode - I'm sure you will as well. I would also consider it a personal favor if you went and bought a copy of Personality Isn't Permanent!
Enjoy the episode!
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today we are joined by Courtney Carver. Courtney is an expert in how you can be more with less.
I know what you're thinking - "is this an episode on minimalism?" - but it is actually an episode on so, so much more. I really enjoyed this episode because we went wide on how you can simplify various different aspects of your life, why you might want to, and how to get started.
This was really relevant for me in what I'm currently going through, trying to simplify my life, simplify my business, and just optimize for a new variable, which is happiness and health, as opposed to growing and achieving more.
So I think you're really going to enjoy it. I certainly did. And if you do, let us know, send us a little tweet or hit us up on the Instagram machine.
-Jonathan Levi
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Do you know anyone that’s worked with Sir Elton John or Elon Musk, sent people down to see the wreck of the Titanic on the sea bed, or closed entire museums in Florence for a private dinner party and then had Andre Bocelli serenade them while they eat their pasta – well, you do now!
Quoted as “The Real Life Wizard of Oz" by Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine, Steve Sims is a best-selling author with "BLUEFISHING - the art of making things happen”, he is a sought-after consultant, and a speaker at a variety of networks, groups and associations as well as the Pentagon and Harvard – twice!
He also is a friend of mine from Genius Network, and I think he is one of the most interesting human beings on the planet. This episode goes really wide, really far, and we talk about how can you make anything happen.
Well, what does that mean? It means that you have things that you'd like to happen in your life, things you want to achieve, experiences you want to have, and we talk about how you can actually make them happen - with the person that has made a career for decades from making impossible things happen for people.
And I know you expect that this is going to be another one of these episodes, where we just tell you to "try hard" and "know the right people", but no - you will be really surprised by what Steve has to say. Even me, Steve caught me multiple times going about things the wrong way, and he corrected me - and I love when someone brings to my attention how I can improve myself! Enjoy!
-Jonathan Levi
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