Intellectually, we all know that true happiness is not a function of material status. Nonetheless, we all catch ourselves repeating the mantra, if I only had X, then I would be happy.

Nonsense. Not only can you be happy now, it's your birthright. Because the good life isn't about your bank account, it's about your lifestyle. And lifestyle is a choice.

This is the subject of my wellness entrepreneur friend Jason Wachob's new book, Wellth: How I Learned To Build A Life, Not A Resumé*, which hits bookstores everywhere March 1. In addition to being a beautiful personal memoir, its about how to cultivate a lifestyle where happiness is attainable, health is paramount, work is purposeful, friendships are deep and plentiful, and daily living is about abundance and joy.

But how? By redefining what it means to live successfully based upon the non-financial currency of wellbeing.

As co-founder and CEO of MindBodyGreen.com, the internet's biggest online destination for all things wellness, Jason is one of the movement's most prominent, leading voices. But Jason himself was not always well. After a successful basketball career at Columbia University, he took his competitive spirit to Wall Street. Workaholism, stress and poor lifestyle habits rewarded his bank account and lionized his caricature on the walls of the famous Palm steakhouse. But happiness, personal satisfaction and well-being eluded him.

Jason's faced-paced, sedentary lifestyle led to chronic back pain every surgeon said could not be resolved short of surgery. Against medical advice, Jason instead began to explore yoga, which miraculously resolved his persistent, painful condition. Amazed by the body's ability to heal itself when treated properly led to an interest in exploring other aspects of wellness, including diet, mindfulness and sustainability. The lights went on, sparking his innate entrepreneurial flair.

MindBodyGreen was born, and the rest is history.

I have been great friends with Jason and his wife Colleen for over six years. We have collaborated beautifully on a number of projects. And I have a sense of personal pride that we have both grown so much since our initial meeting back in 2008. He was one of my very first guests on the podcast, and today's conversation picks up where RRP 32 leaves off.

Specific topics covered include:

* Jason's personal journey with wellness

* healing through food and lifestyle

* the genesis of MBG and other content providers

* how he turned MBG into a premier lifestyle media brand with 10-15 million uniques per month

* how he balances start up CEO duties with personal wellness

* Jason's morning routine

* Jason's business & wellness mentors

* current trends in wellness

* the importance of practicing mindfulness

* misconceptions about soul mates

* why he decided to write a book

* how Wellth is accessible to all

* advice for entrepreneurs

* and why you should always think three moves ahead

I love this guy and have tremendous respect for his mission, what he has built and how he lives his life on a daily basis.

Enjoy the conversation.

Peace + Plants,

Rich