I Dare You Podcast

By Darrin JohnsonBusiness Entrepreneurship Health & Fitness Mental Health Education Self-Improvement

I Dare You Podcast episodes

October 27Episode 249: Confused About Nutrition? Here’s What Actually Matters with EC Synkowski
What if eating better started with what you ADD—not everything you have to give up?
If you’re tired of conflicting nutrition advice, tracking every bite, or starting over every Monday, this conversation is for you.
My special guest, EC Synkowski, has spent her career helping people cut through nutrition confusion and build habits that last. She’s the founder of OptimizeMe Nutrition, host of The Consistency Project podcast, and author of A Good Nutrition Book: For Those Ready to Stop Following Rules and Start Thinking for Themselves.
And she brings serious science to the conversation: a bachelor’s degree in biochemical engineering, two master’s degrees—one in environmental sciences with a focus in genetics and another in Nutrition & Functional Medicine—and credentials as a Certified Nutrition Specialist® and licensed dietitian nutritionist. She also brings 20 years of coaching experience and holds the Certified CrossFit Level 4 Coach credential.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why the “best” diet means nothing if you can’t stick to it.
The three pillars of good nutrition: fruits and vegetables, protein, and total calories—without making food your full-time job.
Why your calorie app may be setting you up for frustration—and what EC recommends instead.
How to make your protein goal feel doable, even if you love carbs.
Why slow progress doesn’t mean it’s not working—and how unrealistic expectations can make you quit too soon.
How to approach viral wellness claims before buying into the next “silver bullet.”
You don’t need another reason to feel bad about what you eat. You need practical guidance that fits your real life—and gives you confidence that you can do this.
Less food fear. More confidence. Nutrition you can stick with.
Connect with EC:
www.optimizemenutrition.com
Instagram: @optimizemenutrition
TikTok: @optimizemenutrition
Youtube: @OptimizeMeNutrition
Podcast: The Consistency Project
40 min
October 20Episode 248: What If It All Goes Right? Stop Talking Yourself Out of Trying with Darrin Johnson
You’ve thought about everything that could go wrong. Have you given the other possibility the same attention?
Maybe you want to ask for a bigger opportunity, go back to school, reconnect with someone, or finally start something that matters to you. But before you’ve tried, you’ve already decided how it will turn out.
What if you’re treating a prediction like a decision?
In this solo episode of I Dare You, I’m challenging you to look at what you expect—and how that expectation might be affecting what you do next.
In this episode, we’ll explore:
How expecting rejection can change the way you ask—or keep you from asking at all.
The difference between picturing success and preparing for it.
How to reverse engineer something you want into a step you can take today.
Why thinking about who your dream could help can give you another reason to begin.
What to do when the answer is no, your schedule gets crowded, or you miss the appointment you made with yourself.
You don’t have to wait until you feel fearless. Give yourself a chance to find out.
If someone came to mind while you were reading this, send them the episode. And follow I Dare You wherever you listen.
As a special gift for I Dare You listeners, gain access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit to help you put the principles in the episode into practice.
Go to idareyoupod.com to grab your FREE toolkit. No catch.
Connect with Darrin:
Instagram: @idareyoupod
www.idareyoupod.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IDareYouPod
TikTok: @idareyoupod
19 min
October 13Episode 247: How To Be The Best Communicator In The Room with Salvatore Manzi
You have BIG IDEAS worth saying. Let’s make sure people hear it.
I am SO excited to share this conversation with you—because if you’ve ever frozen when someone asks for your opinion, rambled through a presentation, or thought, “I’m just not a good communicator,” this episode is for you.
My guest, Salvatore Manzi, is a leadership communications coach and the author of Clear and Compelling, a proven guide that gives analytical, technical, and introverted professionals the practical communication tools they were never taught. He’s spent more than twenty years helping brilliant, analytical people communicate with confidence.
So if you think confidence is something other people are born with, I want you to hear this conversation.
Salvatore gives us practical tools you can try TODAY—in your next meeting, your next presentation, or your next conversation at home.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
“You then me”: The simple shift that helps people connect with your message.
“Metaphors move minds”: How to stop overwhelming people with information and start making your ideas memorable.
The coffee-mug test: How to get clear on what you actually want to say.
Presence without performance: Why you don’t need a big personality to make a meaningful impact.
The power of the pause: How saying less can help people listen more.

A special gift for you: Send Salvatore Manzi a direct message on LinkedIn with “DARE” and he’ll send you his HIP framework for impromptu speaking
I can’t wait for you to hear this one. Your voice matters. I dare you to use it.
Connect with Salvatore
www.SalvatoreManzi.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/salvatorejmanzi
[email protected]
36 min
October 06 Episode 246: Doubt Is the Devil: Trust the Dream You’re Afraid to Pursue with Andrea Chalupa
Andrea Chalupa is a Brooklyn-based journalist, author, and filmmaker who believes deeply in the power of unreasonable women.
She is the author of A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire.(Out November 10, 2026 - preorder!)
As the host and producer of the acclaimed podcast Gaslit Nation - a Webby Award Honoree - Andrea is a powerful advocate for civic action, confronting authoritarianism, corruption, and injustice head-on.
Andrea also wrote and produced the award-winning journalistic thriller Mr. Jones, directed by Agnieszka Holland and starring James Norton, Peter Sarsgaard, and Vanessa Kirby. The film tells the story of the courageous journalist who exposed Stalin’s genocidal famine in Ukraine.
She is a frequent speaker on resisting extremism and safeguarding democracy, and her books, films, podcasts, and insights have been featured on MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and elsewhere.
Connect with Andrea:
Podcast: Gaslit Nation
Website: AndreaChalupa.com
Instagram: @gaslitnation
29 min
September 29 Episode 245: You Already Know What to Do: Making Big Decisions Without Perfect Certainty with Doug Wekenman
You’re not stuck because you don’t know what to do. You’re stuck because you’re terrified of getting it wrong. You keep waiting for certainty. A sign. A crystal-clear answer from God. But what if clarity comes after you move?
Today, my special guest is Doug Wekenman, author of What Does God Have Planned for Me Next?: Experience All of It. Miss None of It.
Doug is the Teaching Pastor at Red Rocks Church and leads the Austin location alongside his wife and best friends. Passionate about making faith come alive for people, Doug writes and teaches about trusting God and taking the next step in life with confidence, including What Does God Have Planned for Me Next?
After 15 years of helping people navigate career changes, relationships, spiritual uncertainty, and major life decisions, Doug knows what keeps us frozen—and what helps us finally move forward.
This conversation will challenge how you think about God’s plan, the pressure to make the “perfect” choice, and the fear that one wrong move could ruin your future.
If you’re overthinking a decision or waiting for permission to act, you need this episode.
As a special gift for I Dare You listeners, gain access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit to help you put the principles in the episode into practice.
Go to idareyoupod.com to grab your FREE toolkit. No catch.
Connect with Doug:
Website: dougwekenman.com; redrocksaustin.com
Instagram: instagram.com/dougwekenman
Facebook: facebook.com/wekenman
YouTube: Youtube.com/@RedRocksAustin
Podcast: The Afterthoughts Podcast
47 min
September 22Episode 244: Stop Waiting for January: Your 100-Day Head Start with Darrin Johnson
Happy New Year! Yes — right now. January is so overrated.
In this solo episode of I Dare You, I’m challenging you to stop waiting for January 1 to start building the life you say you want.
Because January doesn’t create your results. January reveals them.
In this episode, I share why fall is better than the new year to reset, refocus, and get moving. While everyone else is waiting for a clean calendar, a fresh planner, or a burst of New Year motivation, you can use the final stretch of the year as your head start.
This is delayed gratification in action: doing the work now so the results show up later.
I’ll walk you through my simple 100-Day Head Start Framework so you can enter January with momentum, confidence, and proof.
You’ll learn how to:
Use the fresh start effect without waiting for the new year
Pick your proof so you know exactly what you’re building
Plan your reps so your goal becomes a system, not a wish
Prove it to yourself through small promises kept over time
Stay consistent when life interrupts — because it will

This episode isn’t about making another resolution.
It’s about becoming the kind of person who keeps promises to yourself when no one is watching.
So here’s the dare: start now, stack the reps, and walk into January with proof.
Happy New Year. Hit play, and let’s go.
As a special gift for I Dare You listeners, gain access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit to help you put the principles in the episode into practice.
Go to idareyoupod.com to grab your FREE toolkit. No catch.
Connect with Darrin Johnson:
www.idareyoupod.com
Instagram: @idareyoupod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IDareYouPod
TikTok: @idareyoupod
24 min
September 15Episode 243: AI Is Making You Busier, Not Better—Here’s the Fix with Roy Schwartz
If your calendar is packed, your inbox is overflowing, and you still end every day feeling behind, you need this episode.
I’m thrilled to welcome Roy Schwartz, co-founder of Axios and Axios HQ, former Chief Revenue Officer at Politico, executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning Axios on HBO, and co-author of the bestseller Smart Brevity.
His new book, Simplify: Do 50 Percent More with 50 Percent Less, offers a practical framework for overcoming “toxic complexity” and focusing on what matters most.
AI promised to make work easier. Instead, it has created more meetings, content, decisions, and noise competing for our attention.The problem isn’t that we can’t do enough. It’s that we’re trying to do too much.
The people who thrive in the AI era won’t be those who adopt the most tools. They’ll know what to eliminate—and what truly deserves their attention.
You’ll learn:
Why complexity keeps you overwhelmed
How to eliminate unnecessary meetings and commitments
Why Roy recommends “meeting bankruptcy”
How ego keeps your calendar full
How to use AI as your “chief simplicity officer”
Why your strengths matter more than ever
Press play—then choose one thing to confront, one thing to delete, and one thing to amplify.
As a special gift for I Dare You listeners, gain access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit to help you put the principles in the episode into practice.
Go to idareyoupod.com to grab your FREE toolkit. No catch.
Connect with Roy:
Instagram:@axios
LinknedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/royschwartz/
45 min
September 08Episode 242: The 5 PM Trap: Why Healthy Eating Falls Apart—and How to Fix It with Cassy Joy Garcia
What if your 5:00 p.m. food spiral isn’t a discipline problem?
What if you’re simply asking the most exhausted version of yourself to make one more decision?
In this episode of I Dare You, my special guest is Cassy Joy Garcia, New York Times bestselling author of The Protein Meal Prep Plan, Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed & Fit—and the creative force behind the popular wellness platform Fed & Fit.
Since launching Fed & Fit in 2011, Cassy has become a holistic nutrition consultant and built a trusted online resource supported by a team of writers, researchers, and editors. Her practical approach was born from a deeply personal realization: despite her expertise, she was struggling to get healthy, homemade dinners on the table—just like her readers.
What helped her move forward wasn’t perfection, restriction, or another punishing plan. It was learning to play offense with her health through small, sustainable decisions.
Now, her newest book, The Protein Meal Prep Plan, brings that philosophy to life with 30 weekly plans and 180 family-friendly recipes, each designed to deliver at least 35 grams of protein per serving. It’s a realistic system for preparing nutritious food before exhaustion and decision fatigue take over.
In this conversation, you’ll learn:
Why you may need more protein than you think
How to avoid the end-of-day takeout spiral
Why protein and fiber work better together
How one prep session can create three completely different dinners
Why strength training isn’t reserved for “gym people”
How to make healthy choices easier before life gets chaotic
The small morning habit that can become the first domino in transforming your health
But this episode is about far more than food.
It’s about your energy. Your future. And deciding that your family, your leadership, your dreams, and your life deserve a well-fueled version of you.
If you’ve been telling yourself, “I’ll take care of myself when life calms down,” press play.
As a special gift for I Dare You listeners, gain access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit to help you put the principles in the episode into practice.
Go to idareyoupod.com to grab your FREE toolkit. No catch.
Connect with Cassy Joy Garcia:
www.fedandfit.com
Instagram: @fedandfit
Youtube: @fedandFit
TikTok: @fedandfit
47 min
September 01Episode 241: The Longevity Lie: Why Healthspan & Bio-Optimization Aren’t Enough with Darrin Johnson
Stop living your life on a dimmer switch. In this episode of I Dare You, I’m calling out the trap that catches so many of us in midlife: having a full calendar, but feeling completely flat inside.
While the wellness world obsesses over lifespan (how long you live) and healthspan (how long your body works), I share why the missing metric we’re all starving for is SOULSPAN—the years you refuse to disappear.
You didn’t come this far to become the CEO of Maintenance.
In this episode, we get into:
The Dimmer Switch Trap: Why midlife numbness is a slow dial-down, not a blown fuse
The Waiting Room Syndrome: Breaking the lie of waiting for life to "slow down"
The 4 Markers of Soulspan: Vitality, Courage, Belonging, and Anticipation
The 12-Word Text: The exact zero-friction script to revive a drifting friendship today
The 30-Second Calendar Dare: Putting proof of aliveness back on your schedule

And as a special gift for I Dare You listeners, get access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit to help you put the principles in the episode into practice.
Go to idareyoupod.com to grab your FREE toolkit. No catch.
Connect with Darrin Johnson:
www.idareyoupod.com
Instagram: @idareyoupod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IDareYouPod
TikTok: @idareyoupod
23 min
August 25Episode 240: Why 97% of Feedback Fails (And How Superteams Actually Work) with Dr. Ron Friedman
Stop letting broken workplace rules hijack your day. In this episode of I Dare You, I’m joined by award-winning psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Ron Friedman to tear down the myths keeping you and your team stuck in survival mode.
Backed by the largest study of high-performing teams ever conducted in his new bestselling book, Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams, Dr. Friedman breaks down the exact, research-backed moves you need right now to take back control of your time, build fierce peer accountability, and unlock your real potential.
In this episode, we get into:
The Anatomy of a Superteam
The Toxic Meeting Trap (and Attention Residue)
The Uncomfortable Question Every Real Leader Asks
Why 97% of Traditional Feedback Fails
The Secret Cognitive Power of Movement
Ron’s Simple, High-Impact I Dare You Experiment Challenge

About Dr. Ron Friedman:
Ron Friedman, PhD, is an award-winning psychologist, founder of Superteams, Inc., and bestselling author of The Best Place to Work, Decoding Greatness, and Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams. An expert on human motivation and peak performance, Dr. Friedman has served on the faculties of the University of Rochester, Nazareth College, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. He contributes regularly to Harvard Business Review—where his article “How to Build a Superteam That Keeps Getting Better” was a recent cover story—and his work has also been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Bloomberg, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Ron Friedman & Get the Book:
Website: ronfriedmanphd.com
Workshops & Keynotes: superteamsinc.com
Book: Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams (includes free masterclass and discussion guide)
Follow Ron: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, and YouTube (@ronfriedmanphd) | X (@ronfriedman)
42 min

About I Dare You Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to the I Dare You Podcast, a candid conversation with today's top entrepreneurs and business leaders about leading with more joy and purpose and living a meaningful life. This podcast is all about helping you break through and get after the life you desire. You'll be encouraged to live just outside your comfort zone and take the courageous next steps to become the person - and leader - you were meant to be.