Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

A couple months back I was in Austin doing some promo for The First Rule of Mastery and had the opportunity to be a guest on Ryan Holiday’s incredible podcast, The Daily Stoic.

It’s always such a joy to connect and flow with Ryan – we had a fantastic conversation that I wanted to share here today. 

This time around was especially fun… not only was the conversation great, but we also got to record it in Ryan’s epic bookstore, The Painted Porch.

If you’re in or near Austin… you have to check it out. It is awesome. And you might even find a couple signed copies of The First Rule of Mastery lying around ;)

Please enjoy this conversation with me and the ever-insightful Ryan Holiday on The Daily Stoic.

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Today’s guest needs no introduction – but I’m thrilled to do it anyway. Rich Roll is a world-renowned ultra-endurance athlete, plant-based fitness advocate, bestselling author, host of the hugely popular Rich Roll Podcast, husband, father.... and the list goes on.

He's also a good friend – this is Rich’s fourth time on the podcast. His episodes are often our most popular, and there’s a good reason for that. Rich’s humility and frank discussion of his sobriety and recovery – as well as his courage and commitment to exploring his limits – are an inspiration to me, and so many others.

In today’s conversation, we dive deeper into what it means to be present in every moment, the rewards of service and giving back, the distinctions between greatness and mastery, and the everyday search for moments of awe.

Then, you’ll want to stay tuned to the back half of our conversation, as we’re doing something a little different. We sourced your questions for Rich and I to wrestle with, and we had an absolute blast diving into those – they’re provocative, insightful, and surprising.

I think you’ll find that this conversation with Rich is – as always – compelling, inspirational, and full of hard-earned wisdom.

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Many of us who are seeking optimal health, performance, and wellness take a variety of supplements. And I think it’s only natural to find ourselves questioning— what's really in these supplements? How do we know if those ingredients are actually doing anything for our bodies and minds?

Our guest today, Katerina (Kat) Schneider had the same questions – and she took action to get to the truth. What she discovered led her to develop a new standard in the world of vitamins and supplements.

Kat is the visionary founder and CEO of Ritual – a company dedicated to re-envisioning transparency, traceability, and quality standards in the vitamin and supplement industry.

And, Kat's personal story is as remarkable as her products. In our conversation, we delve into the founding story of Ritual, and discuss the philosophy that underpins their mission – a deep-rooted belief in transparency, quality, the power of science, and the foundational belief that “everyone has the right to know exactly what they're putting into their bodies and why.”

It’s this philosophy – and these beliefs – that make me so excited to be partnered with a company like Ritual (and… a founder like Kat).

With our partnership, Ritual is offering a huge discount for Finding Mastery listeners - click HERE get 40% off your first month of Ritual. I mean... Awesome.

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Welcome to Volume 15 of Finding Mastery’s Ask Me Anything (AMA) series. In this latest installment, O'Neil Cespedes and I explore the intricate dance between our physical and mental states, especially during times of challenge and change.

Key topics covered this week include:

• The profound connection between our physical and mental health.
• Strategies for maintaining an optimistic mindset during setbacks.
• The role of psychological agility in viewing challenges as opportunities for growth.
• The changing definition of ‘manhood’.
• Best practices for coaches and teammates in supporting athletes through injury.
• The transformative power of humor in relieving tension in high-stress situations.
• Embracing mistakes and overcoming the fear of failure for personal growth and resilience.

As always, we are grateful for your questions and insights that continue to drive these meaningful conversations. Your engagement is what makes this series so rich and impactful.

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Imagine standing on the edge of a cliff, facing an inch-wide line of webbing that stretches across a vast expanse. It’s tensioned between two secure anchor points but it’s a dynamic surface that will bounce, sway, and stretch when you step out on it. This line isn't just a piece of equipment; it's a gateway to mastering fear and discovering your true potential.

This is the world of highlining, and Faith Dickey stands at its forefront – embodying resilience and mental fortitude.

Since 2008, Faith has been redefining what's possible in highlining, a sport that demands extreme focus and courage. She's not only one of the few women excelling in this field but also a record-setter and a barrier-breaker. From free soloing a highline 3,000 feet off the ground to crossing a 100-meter highline and walking a highline in high heels, Faith's achievements are a testament to her extraordinary capabilities.

But Faith's impact extends beyond her highlining feats. She's an advocate for women in extreme sports and has created the first US business offering highline experiences, making this exhilarating sport accessible to more people.

Whether you're facing your own metaphorical highline or seeking to manage fear more effectively, Faith's journey offers invaluable lessons in courage, commitment, and the power of the human spirit.

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Hey everybody, Mike here… we’re doing something a little different today…

If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you probably recognize the name Dan Harris – he’s a friend, journalist, fellow podcaster, and was actually one of our earliest guests on Finding Mastery back in 2016. 

We had some fantastic conversations together and I was lucky enough to be an early guest on his incredible show – Ten Percent Happier – 

I’ve been a big fan and follower of his show ever since. And today… we are stoked to share one of their episodes with you on our feed!

On Ten Percent Happier, Dan is on a quest to help others achieve peace and happiness. Every week, he talks to top scientists, meditation teachers, and even the occasional celebrity in wide ranging conversations that explore topics like productivity, anxiety, enlightenment, psychedelics and relationships.

This episode of Ten Percent Happier is with the one-and-only, actor and comedian Bill Hader—who you may know from Saturday Night Live, countless roles in comedy films, and from starring in the Emmy award-winning Netflix series Barry. 

It’s an awesome episode, I think you’re really going to enjoy it… 

So with that, be sure to go check out Ten Percent Happier wherever you get your podcasts and enjoy this episode featuring Bill Hader!

From Ten Percent Happier:

The star of SNL and Barry discusses how he channels his anxiety into his work. Plus, an imitation of Joseph Goldstein.

Bill Hader has made the transition from being a master of stand-out characters and impressions on eight seasons of Saturday Night Life to becoming a true multi-hyphenate by creating, directing, writing, producing and starring as a burned-out assassin trying to break into Hollywood as an actor in HBO’s award-winning and critically lauded dark comedy, Barry.‍

In this episode we talk about:

• How Bill deals with anxiety
• His panic attack on live television
• His love of directing and the importance of having the right collaborators

Sign up for Dan Harris’ weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

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What does leadership look like in the middle of a war zone—one of the most dynamic, agile, and consequential environments on the planet? General Stanley McChrystal knows intimately what it’s like – and is committed to teaching his hard-earned leadership insights to others. 

Heading up the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), he led the U.S. military’s most elite special ops teams against Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and from there was commissioned to command the war on terror in Afghanistan.

That mission in itself is treacherous… and General McChrystal also crashed head-on with a political controversy – one that led to the end of his military career but opened the door to teaching leadership at Yale university, authoring multiple bestsellers, founding the McChrystal Group (his well-known management consulting company) and even being portrayed by none other than Brad Pitt in the movie War Machine.

What General McChrystal teaches isn’t about battlefield maps and tactics, it’s about building a team that’s informed, committed and focused. And even when the mission isn’t immediately successful, it’s about teaching the importance of risk, failure, and ultimately marching forward.

It's a fascinating discussion, rich with gems and insights. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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Imagine this... you're a NASA Astronaut. You're on a spacewalk, floating in the vastness of outer space, and suddenly... you go blind.

What do you do?

You might recognize today’s guest, Chris Hadfield, from his viral video on the International Space Station, where he performed David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' – a performance that garnered over 35 million views worldwide.

But Chris is so much more than a musical talent in orbit. He's not only a retired NASA astronaut but also a skilled engineer, a former combat pilot, and a New York Times bestselling author of both fiction and non-fiction works.

One of his standout books, 'An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth,' is a must-read for every high performer. In it, he shares an unconventional philosophy: 'Prepare for the worst—and enjoy every moment of it.' It's a mindset I find incredibly powerful, and I think you will, too.

In our conversation, we dive into Chris’s rich experiences, including a harrowing story where he was struck blind while clinging to an orbiting spacecraft. I think you’ll love his practical approach to maintaining calm in what must have been one of the most high-stakes situations imaginable.

We also explore how he uses competence as a tool to master fear, his strategies for problem-solving and teamwork, and his step-by-step approach to making even the most daring dreams a reality. His stories are a masterclass in thriving across diverse environments – in space, business, sports, and family life.

This episode is one I'm sure I'll revisit multiple times, and I'm pretty confident you'll feel the same.

I can’t wait to share with you Chris's insights, which offer a practical and inspiring roadmap to achieving peak performance, deep fulfillment, and a purpose-driven life.

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Get exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/

Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter 

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In a world increasingly obsessed with self-image and social validation, how do we truly understand the role of self-esteem in our lives? Is it merely a reflection of our ego? What purpose does it serve?

These questions form the core of our conversation with Dr. Mark Leary, a former professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, who retired after 39 years of teaching, publishing 14 books and 250+ scholarly articles and chapters on topics such as social motivation, emotion, and self-relevant thought.

Mark is also a disruptor – and that’s not usually a word we associate with professors of psychology and neuroscience. But in this case it’s appropriate because Mark’s sociometer theory didn't just make waves; it created a whole new ocean in the field of psychology. This was a groundbreaking idea that redefined self-esteem. It's a perspective that turned heads and opened minds in a way that challenged academics and practitioners alike.

In this episode, we peel back the layers on how to reshape your self-esteem into a dynamic tool for personal and professional growth, strategies to shift from external validation to a more authentic, self-grounded approach, navigating social anxiety with ease to enhance your everyday performance, the keys to unlocking effective leadership by tuning into the fundamental needs of your team, and so much more...

Whether you're leading a team, competing in sports, studying for your future, or simply navigating the complexities of daily interactions, there's a wealth of insights waiting for you in this conversation.

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Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery

Get exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/

Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter 

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Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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Today’s podcast is a really special one, as we have on CNN’s 2023 Hero of the Year, Dr. Kwane Stewart, a.k.a. “The Street Vet.” Kwane is a veterinarian who provides free veterinary care for the animals society often forgets—the pets of people living without homes.

In this heartfelt conversation, Kwane demonstrates the courage it takes to explore the messy edges of emotion, and he opens up about how honoring his feelings propelled him to take life-changing actions. Kwane’s story isn’t just about animal care; it's a profound narrative on finding purpose, losing sight of it, then finding it again… on a sidewalk outside a Seven-Eleven.

His current endeavor, as co-founder of Project Street Vet, is capturing hearts and minds around the world. This initiative provides free veterinary care to pets of the unhoused. In essence, he’s creating a movement of care and compassion. 

In this episode, Kwane walks us through his transformative journey, sharing moving stories of hope, sacrifice, and the human-animal bond. Our conversation also touches on the heavy emotional toll of working in animal shelters, and how Kwane navigated his own mental health challenges. His journey is a testament to the resilience found in living a life of purpose.

You don’t have to be an animal lover to find Dr. Kwane Stewart's story a compelling exploration of compassion, resilience, and the impact one person can make.

You’re invited to learn more about Project Street Vet.

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Get exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/

Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter 

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Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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