Rusty Rueff started his career as a radio personality out of Kentucky following the footsteps of his father. Today he is an angel investor, philanthropist, executive board member, tech guru, and former National Co-Chair of Technology under the Obama Administration.

In this episode, we discuss how to optimize your life for creative freedom, why having ethics is important in leadership, and why metaphors are highly underrated.

YouTube Link:

https://youtu.be/oyaMpQY1h_8

Guest Links:

Rusty Rueff - @rustyrueff

https://rustyrueff.com/

Books:

Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business

The Faith Code: A Future-Proof Framework for a Life of Meaning and Impact

Nick Jonsson hit rock bottom in 2018. His life balanced on the precipice of two contrasting worlds.

By day, he was the embodiment of a successful business man. By night, he experienced crushing loneliness and depression that he turned to  alcohol to remedy.

After a divorce and an existential crisis, Nick did something that he never considered: He asked for help.

5 sober years later,  Nick is an author, professional speaker, and iron man competitor who travels across the globe teaching others how to cope with loneliness and deflate their egos.

In this episode, we discuss how to cope with addiction, how we can train ourselves to become more vulnerable, and why it's a sign of strength to ask for help.

Guest Links:

Nick Jonsson

https://www.nickjonsson.com/

Executive Loneliness

Massimo Pigliucci probably has more doctorate degrees than your favorite sports team has championships.  After writing 16 books on Stoicism and Moral Philosophy, Pigliucci is considered one of the most prominent voices in Philosophy today. 

His book "How to Be a Stoic" was my gateway drug into Stoicism, a philosophy that would change my life, and today we take a deep dive into its waters.

In today’s conversation we discuss what Stoicism is, why it’s important that we attempt to update the ideas for a modern audience, and why there’s no such thing as bad weather. 

Guest Links:

Massimo Pigliucci

https://massimopigliucci.org/

"A Quest for Character"

"How to Be a Stoic"

Maui Fire Relief Donations:

Maui Strong

Maui Humane Society

Maui Foodbank

Several years ago Kevin Kelly spent his 68th birthday coming up with 68 pieces of advice he wanted to impart to his children. After posting them online, the article circulated until it became a viral hit after being referenced and shared across the internet.

This week Kevin Kelly returns to the podcast to discuss his new book: Excellent Advice for Living which is a pocket-sized text with 450 pieces of advice designed to impart wisdom and to help improve the life of whoever picks it up.

In this episode we discuss how to make learning fun, the function of a mentor, why media literacy is essential, and excellent advice for living a more fulfilling life.

Guest Links:

Kevin Kelly - @kevin2kelly

Website: https://kk.org

Book: Excellent Advice for Living

68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice

Select Reading:

30 Things I wish I Learned Before I Turned 30

By day Richard Thompson works a lawyer for one of the world's most premier entertainment law firms; by night he reads. 

As a boy raised by a librarian father, the love for reading was in Richard's genetic code. After graduating from Stanford Law School, Richard sought out a life that would allow him to help others make art whilst allowing him to indulge in his favorite medium of all: Books. 

After spending the last several decades reading hundreds of books a year, Richard joins the podcast to discuss how reading provides new perspectives, which philosophers are worth paying attention to, and how he's learned to determine what's important and what isn't in life as he looks towards retirement. 

Ultra-endurance athletes, Lori Hoechlin and Barbara Sullivan, join to discuss their experience competing in Iron Man, triathlons, and most recently "the world's toughest bicycle race."

The Race Across America consists of a 3000+ non-stop bike ride from California to Maryland. In 2022, Lori and Barbara were part of a crew known as Team Skipper in which they raced across the nation in adventure that was captured on an upcoming documentary THIRTY ON. 

In this episode we discuss mental resilience, the spiritual war between the mental and physical self, and the power of finding a passion in life.

Guest Links:

Lori Hoechlin: @trigirl1415

Barbara Sullivan: @barbsull14

Thirty On Documentary:

www.thirtyondoc.com


 

On the season finale of Don't Panic! We're All Going to Die we are joined by absolutely no one. After hosting 19 guests who are smarter than I am, today we scale it back. In this episode I open up about my experience with anxiety & depression, provide an introduction to the Mt. Rushmore of Stoicism, and share some tips on how to love yourself. 

Table of Contents:

2:48 - My Origin Story
18:47 - Intro to Stoicism
34:57 - How to Make the Past the "Passed"
42:42 - What's Bothering Me? & Tips for Life in General

Contact:

Johnny - @heresjohnnynava (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Medium, etc.)

Bryan Tsiliacos's 29th birthday was a milestone that greeted him with a crisis revolving around his career, family, and future prospects. In an effort to remedy the anxiety associated with turning 30, he decided to make a list of what he was thankful for and was overcome with gratitude for others who had helped shape his course. 

This exercise sparked an idea to complete 30 acts of kindness before his 30th birthday. Bryan went BIG for his first act. What followed was a storm of interest from media outlets, magazines, corporations, talk show hosts, and individuals who clamored to assist Bryan in his completing his goal. 

In this episode, Bryan and I discuss the importance of kindness & community, how generosity can benefit you, and some of the pitfalls regarding hustle culture and waiting to be a philanthropist. 

Guests Links:

Bryan Tsiliacos
Instagram: @30actsby30
GoFundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/30-acts-by-30

Related Articles:

People Magazine:
https://people.com/human-interest/meet-the-kindest-people-in-america-good-samaritans-2022/

NBC Bay Area Story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKhriT1wYLo&t=92s

What is Happiness made of? What misconceptions do we have about it? And is there any way for us to make ourselves "happier?"

These are the questions at the center of Will Schoder's 3 part documentary series on happiness. In part 2 of my conversation with Will, we discuss happiness as an emotional state, the components of tranquility, and what ideas Americans have about it that may be straight-up wrong.

Check out the full conversation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3h9i6EagdU


Guest Links:

Will Schoder
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WillSchoder

"The Happier Series" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f0ilA4tjJ0&list=PLqWJ5SmDyFKWsQiZZd49g21QnEWdP9BNw

Will Schoder is only interested in working on "Evergreen Topics." The stated goal being that anyone could stumble upon his work in 10, 20, or even 100 years, and the topic would still be relevant. 

For the last few years, his time has been spent addressing one of the most important questions of all: "What is Happiness?"

In Part I of our conversation we discuss what makes irony lame, how to navigate an existential crisis, and why "Re-enchantment is so important."

Guest Links:

Will Schoder
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WillSchoder