Acta Non Verba

Richard Kaufman, known as The Comeback Coach and host of the Vertical Momentum Resiliency Podcast 2.0, sits down with Marcus Aurelius Anderson to talk about what happens when the identity you built your whole life around is taken away. Richard shares how he went from being thrown out of the military for addiction to being named Soldier of the Year, and how losing his vision and his uniform in 2012 left him asking who he was without it. He opens up about the moment his six-month-old daughter pulled him back from the edge on Labor Day 2012, the lunch with Gary Vaynerchuk that launched his podcast, and the Ed Mylett lesson that everything in his life happened for him. Together they talk about why nobody is coming to save you, how success leaves clues, and why taking full responsibility for your life is where living begins.

 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

13:50: Richard shares how a lunch with Gary Vaynerchuk led to the push to start a podcast and write a book before he had any social media following at all.

18:37: Richard explains that the biggest revelation from 14 years of therapy is that nobody is coming to save you, and how Ed Mylett taught him that nothing happened to him, it all happened for him.

22:34: Richard describes how losing his military ID and his identity as Sergeant Kaufman left him asking who he was, and why so many veterans and first responders struggle after taking off the uniform.

25:53: Richard describes how a George Strait song about a father seeing his daughter for the first time came on the radio seconds before he planned to end his life, and how thinking of his own daughter saved him.

 

Richard Kaufman, known as The Comeback Coach, is a military veteran, author, speaker and host of the Vertical Momentum Resiliency Podcast 2.0, which has passed 1,400 episodes and nearly five million downloads. After being discharged in 1988 for drug and alcohol use, he fought his way back into the Pennsylvania National Guard, was named Soldier of the Year and served more than 20 years before his medical retirement in 2012. Richard has been sober since 1989 and is the author of A Hero's Journey From Darkness to Light, a book about recovery, addiction and depression, and The Podcast Blueprint, a guide to starting and sustaining a podcast. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and three kids.

 

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

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In this solo episode, Marcus Aurelius Anderson introduces his newly released book Acta Non Verba, drawing on his harrowing personal story of being paralyzed from the neck down and flatlining twice on the operating table. He reads from the book's opening section on adversity, laying out his core philosophy: that adversity is the ultimate catalyst for change, the gateway to self-awareness, and the force that strips away everything you are not to reveal who you truly are.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

1:25 — Marcus describes spending four years writing, scrapping, and rewriting the book based on his own near-death experience and recovery.

4:28 — He explains why knowledge that is acquired but never put into practice is no different from ignorance, and why reading alone can never equal mastery.

5:22 — Marcus reframes a familiar idea: "Necessity is not the mother of invention. Adversity is," arguing that adversity strips away pretense to reveal your true self.

7:15 — He connects adversity directly to self-awareness, calling it the gateway through which every great philosophy in history has been built.

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

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George Bryant sits down with Marcus Aurelius Anderson for a conversation about what happens when you survive a childhood no child should survive, serve 13 years in the Marine Corps, build a seven-figure business, and then realize none of it filled the void. George shares his story of growing up in Massachusetts surrounded by addiction and abuse, nearly losing his legs in Somalia, attempting to take his own life, and eventually finding God in a Costa Rican jungle through a shaman who refused to give him plant medicine. They talk about the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, the danger of distracting yourself from your own feelings, and how the person you are most qualified to help is the person you used to be. This is a raw, honest conversation about doing the work you have been avoiding and learning to sit with yourself.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• 3:13: George opens the conversation by sharing that his mother is on hospice and explains the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation.
• 14:53: George reveals he was named honor graduate out of 1,300 Marines after spending 13 weeks believing he was a complete failure.
• 42:03: A shaman in Costa Rica refused to give George plant medicine and instead asked him one question about the purpose of his life that changed everything.
• 1:16:30: George breaks down his triage nurse approach to emotional regulation and how to know when to push through versus when to pause and process.

George Bryant is a Marine Corps veteran, New York Times bestselling author, and host of The Mind of George Show podcast. He built a seven-figure food blog brand called Civilized Caveman, wrote a cookbook that spent 22 weeks on the bestseller list, and launched an app that Apple named the number one health app of 2015. After losing everything and rebuilding from scratch, George developed his Relationships Beat Algorithms model and now helps companies scale through customer journey consulting, email marketing, and leadership coaching. He has appeared on close to 10,000 podcasts as a guest and lives in Montana with his family.

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

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In this episode of Acta Non Verba, Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with Leigh Martinuzzi, host of The Hidden Why Podcast and a multi-award-winning real estate entrepreneur from Australia's Sunshine Coast. They explore how a suicidal brother led Leigh to podcasts, how a radical move to Japan reshaped his understanding of freedom, and how the loss of his father forced him to slow down and realign his life. The conversation covers the power of listening, the discipline of patience, and why internal values matter more than external accolades.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• 3:11: How a brother's darkest moment introduced Leigh to the world of podcasts and planted the seed for his own show.
• 18:48: The moment of elation jogging through a Japanese country town that gave Leigh a profound sense of freedom and clarity about what matters.
• 36:30: How losing his father forced Leigh to slow down, reassess his workaholic tendencies, and reprioritize health, family, and self.
• 1:01:25: Leigh explains what "The Hidden Why" means and why connecting to internal values beats chasing external motivators.

Leigh Martinuzzi (he/him) is a personal development expert, author, speaker, and the host of The Hidden Why Podcast, one of Australia's leading mindset podcasts with over 1,100 episodes featuring thought leaders from around the world.

Based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Leigh is also a multi-award-winning real estate entrepreneur and director of Martinuzzi Property Group, ranked the number one agent in Palmwoods for four consecutive years. His career spans senior management roles at ALDI Stores and Masters Home Improvement, two years teaching English in Japan, and a real estate practice built on doing things his own way.

Leigh is the author of The Ultimate Life Map, Delegate to Freedom, and Four Pillars of Success. His mission is to help people live more meaningful, purposeful lives by understanding themselves and turning awareness into practical action.

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

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Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with bestselling author, high-performance coach, and podcast host Chad Hyams for a wide-ranging conversation about living with authenticity and taking massive action. Chad shares unforgettable stories from his time behind the scenes of the world's largest production show in Las Vegas, his TEDx experience, the philosophy behind his Question Ladder, and how a drunken bet in Cabo turned him into a marathoner. They explore love languages, physical totems of success, and why cooperation will always outperform competition.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• 2:10: Chad recalls a dragon that forgot to breathe fire during the world's largest production show in Las Vegas.
• 7:17: Chad blanks on stage during his TEDx talk after making eye contact with his daughter in the audience.
• 25:30: Chad breaks down the Question Ladder and reveals which of the six question words is the most powerful.
• 34:50: A drunken bet in Cabo forces Chad to train for a marathon with zero running experience.

Chad Hyams is a bestselling author, high-performance coach, and host of the Win, Make, Give and Achieve Your Apex podcast. He is a dedicated husband, father, and cycling enthusiast who helps leaders kill the drift, master their routines, and take massive definitive action to reach their ultimate peak and fulfillment.

Chad is a TEDx speaker, a certified Spartan coach, and a former entertainment professional who worked behind the scenes on the world's largest production show in Las Vegas. He has authored two books: the children's book Ketchup Can't Hurt and the self-help business book Achieve Your Apex.

You can connect with him at chadhyams.com or by texting the word Chad to 59559.

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

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Marcus Aurelius Anderson breaks down the philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli, focusing on fortuna versus virtue, using excerpts from his upcoming book, Acta Non Verba: Transforming Adversity into Victory (out 10/13/2026). He explores how Machiavelli's concepts of luck and personal will apply to leadership, adversity, and resilience today, closing with reflective "Acta Non Verba" questions for listeners.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• 1:31 – Marcus explains Machiavelli's core idea that fortuna (luck) and virtue (bravery, power, will) are the two forces that determine a prince's fate.
• 3:51 – A key quote from The Prince, Ch. 25: fortune controls only half of our actions; the rest is up to us.
• 5:54 – Machiavelli's warning that no principality is secure without its own army, since mercenaries can't be trusted in battle.
• 8:07 – Marcus reframes adversity as a gift from fortuna, meant to test princes (and us) on the path to greatness.

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

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What could your mind do with just a few moments of silence? This week Robert Greene explores the liberation that comes from practicing enlightenment through silence, and how recognition of death tragedy help him manage adversity in his daily life. Listen in as we discuss why manipulation is part of our makeup, why recognizing our failings makes us better people, and how a near-encounter with death changed his perception of adversity.

 

Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, and The 50th Law. His highly anticipated fifth book, Mastery, examines the lives of great historical figures such as Charles Darwin, Mozart, Paul Graham and Henry Ford and distills the traits and universal ingredients that made them masters. In addition to having a strong following within the business world and a deep following in Washington, DC, Greene’s books are hailed by everyone from war historians to the biggest musicians in the industry (including Jay-Z and 50 Cent).

 

Greene attended U.C. Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

 

You can see a full collection of Greene’s work here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001IGV3IS/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=33a4f706-a8ef-4d25-8162-c1f038681070

 

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

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Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with Adam J. Johnson, a 13 year Army veteran, combat medic, drill sergeant, and discipline coach, for a raw conversation about identity, addiction, and discipline. Adam traces his path from a directionless ex athlete who gained weight up to 275 lbs, to a personal trainer struggling after the 2008 recession, to a 28 year old Army enlistee who became a decorated NCO and senior drill sergeant. He opens up candidly about years of secretly battling alcohol addiction while excelling professionally, the identity crisis that fueled it, and how he built consistent systems to finally break the cycle. The conversation covers his new book, Redefined: The Discipline, and its companion 90 day journal, both built around his five code RTD system for turning self-honesty into lasting discipline.

Episode Highlights:

• 3:29 — Adam recounts gaining 120 lbs after his football career ended, and the wake-up call that pushed him into fitness and nutrition.
• 15:04 — He shares his biggest life lesson in adversity: failing SFAS (Special Forces selection) after two years of dedicated training.
• 18:01 — A candid account of secretly battling alcoholism while performing as a squared-away platoon sergeant, living what he calls a double life.
• 34:57 — Adam explains the RTD system, showing how identity, consistency, and self-trust form the real foundation of discipline.

Adam J. Johnson spent over 13 years in the U.S. Army as a combat medic and drill sergeant, training thousands of soldiers to meet standards they didn't believe they could reach. A former college football hopeful and personal trainer, Adam overcame a personal battle with alcohol addiction to become a keynote speaker and discipline coach. He is the author of Redefined: The Discipline and creator of the RTD (Redefined: The Discipline) system, a five code framework built on identity, consistency, and self-trust. Adam offers keynote speaking, coaching, and free resources including a discipline reset guide and diagnostic tool at adamjjohnson.com.

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

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Marine veteran Akshay Nanavati joins Marcus Aurelius Anderson to discuss how he turned PTSD, addiction, and a suicide attempt into a life defined by extreme self-mastery. He survived 17 days in total darkness and dragged a 420-pound sled 500 miles solo across Antarctica, losing fingers to frostbite along the way. They discuss method acting as a tool for identity construction, the value of choosing your suffering on purpose, the "apex moment" that defines who you become, and why stillness may be the most important discipline of all.

Episode Highlights:

1:30 — Akshay describes surviving 100 days alone in polar regions and dragging a 420-pound sled 500 miles solo across Antarctica, calling it "the boldest Antarctic expedition of modern time."

15:08 — Every part of our identity is a construct rather than an inherent truth, which means we get to create ourselves instead of simply finding ourselves.

35:26 — Every worthy mission needs two whys: a selfish curiosity that drives you inward, and a duty to bring what you learn back to others.

40:39 — In his darkest moment dragging a stuck sled through Antarctic snow, a single quote turned his despair into what he calls his "apex moment," the instant of transcendence that defines who you become.

Akshay Nanavati is a Marine combat veteran who overcame PTSD, addiction, and a near-suicide to become one of the most extreme human-performance explorers alive today. He has run multiple ultra-marathons, spent 17 days in complete darkness, survived 100 days alone in polar regions, and completed a 500-mile, 60-day solo trek across Antarctica dragging a 420-pound sled. He combines lived experience with neuroscience, psychology, and spirituality in his book Fearvana, which was endorsed and forwarded by the Dalai Lama. He is an international keynote speaker and mental performance coach who helps leaders and teams break through limits and perform at their peak. His next book, The Work Is the Win, releases in spring 2026.

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

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In this episode of Acta Non Verba, Marcus Aurelius Anderson talks with Stefanos Sifandos, an author and transformational advisor. They discuss closing the gap between outer success and inner freedom. Stefanos shares his own journey through childhood bullying, addiction, and self-worth struggles. He explains how self-forgiveness, radical honesty, and genuine relational connection create lasting transformation. The conversation also covers fatherhood, marriage, control, resilience, and living in one's truth.

Episode Highlights:

• 0:55 Marcus introduces Stefanos Sifandos and his 25 years working with Olympians, CEOs, and top performers.
• 10:06 Stefanos explains that self-forgiveness comes from being met with compassion and non-judgment.
• 22:12 They discuss truth-telling as a remedy for disconnection in relationships.
• 38:06 Stefanos opens up about the profound love he feels as a father.

Stefanos Sifandos is an author and transformational advisor. He has spent 25 years working with Olympians, world champions, CEOs, and leaders at the top of their fields. His work focuses on closing the gap between outer success and inner freedom. He uses behavioral science, trauma resolution, and spiritual truth to guide his clients. His new book, Tuned In and Turned On, is available now at tunedinandturnedonbook.com.

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.