Nick Walker joins Michael Chernow for a raw conversation about discipline, childhood trauma, ultra running, therapy, and the pursuit of hard things. Nick opens up about training for the Leadville 100, why he intentionally puts himself through suffering, and what running has taught him about who he really is. The conversation turns deeply personal as Nick discusses trauma therapy, EMDR, growing up around instability, and why he remembers so little of his childhood. He also shares his earliest memory of his parents screaming and how childhood experiences still influence his habits, environment, and need for control today. This is a conversation about healing, mental toughness, delayed gratification, authenticity, and discovering what has been underneath the surface all along.

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#NickWalker #MichaelChernow #ChildhoodTrauma #MentalHealth #selfimprovement

What actually makes content go viral, and why does so much content fail? Zachary Cummings joins Michael Chernow to break down viral content strategy, podcast growth, social media marketing, and the years of testing that helped grow The Journey Podcast to millions of followers across platforms. Zach shares how posting four times a day for months led to his first viral breakthrough, why understanding human emotion matters more than chasing the algorithm, and how his work with Michael generated millions of views in just months. They also discuss podcasting, entrepreneurship, content creation, personal branding, self-doubt, discipline, and what it takes to build one of the biggest platforms in the world. Whether you're a podcaster, content creator, entrepreneur, or trying to grow on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook, this conversation breaks down what actually makes people stop scrolling and pay attention.

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Gabe Snow joins Michael Chernow for one of the most raw and vulnerable conversations we’ve had on the podcast. Gabe opens up about childhood trauma, grief, addiction, steroid abuse, losing himself behind a seemingly glamorous lifestyle, and the moment he realized he needed to change. He shares how years of anabolic steroid use contributed to a shocking heart diagnosis, including discovering that his LAD artery was 40% blocked at just 34 years old. They also dive into body image, self-worth, nervous system regulation, breathwork, and what it actually takes to rebuild your life after years of running from yourself. Michael opens up about his own experiences with health, trauma, recovery, and a recent MDMA-assisted journey. This is a conversation about facing the parts of yourself you’d rather avoid and finding your way back to who you really are.
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Brent Richard joins Michael Chernow to break down the habits, discipline, and sacrifices that completely changed his life. From waking up at 4AM and discovering the massive productivity advantage of owning the early morning hours, to building an audience of more than 200,000 people and creating Early Dad, Brent explains why consistency beats motivation every time.They also dive into what it actually means to be a present father, why chasing money can come at the expense of your family, and how our phones are stealing moments we’ll never get back. Michael and Brent discuss the pressure men carry, finding purpose through fatherhood, building discipline, and why sometimes you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and simply do the work.Later, the conversation turns to a topic they know may be controversial: traditional family roles, being the provider, stay-at-home motherhood, and why they believe there’s nothing wrong with a family choosing that dynamic if both partners genuinely want it.If you want more time, more discipline, better health, and a better relationship with your family, this episode is for you.Subscribe to The Michael Chernow Podcast for new episodes every week.

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#MichaelChernow #BrentRichard #EarlyDad #Fatherhood #Discipline #Productivity #MorningRoutine

In this episode of The Michael Chernow Podcast, Michael sits down with Alexander Stein for an unfiltered conversation about disordered eating, body dysmorphia, fitness obsession, and the struggles men rarely talk about. Alex shares how his relationship with food began changing at just eight years old and eventually became decades of restriction, over-exercising, coffee, and one meal a day. At his lowest point, he was 6'2" and 140 pounds, yet still struggled to recognize how unhealthy he had become. Michael also opens up about developing his own unhealthy relationship with food and fitness after getting sober, leading to a larger conversation about the incredibly thin line between discipline and obsession. They examine modern fitness culture, intermittent fasting, body-image pressure, social media, and why behaviors that look “healthy” from the outside can sometimes be driven by fear and control. Alex explains the moment hearing Nikki Glaser speak openly about her own struggles finally made him feel understood, why being told he didn't technically qualify as anorexic became a dangerous challenge in his mind, and what ultimately helped him rebuild his relationship with food. This is a conversation for anyone who has ever wondered: Am I actually healthy—or am I obsessed?

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CHAPTERS:0:00 Intro & Trigger Warning4:33 What Does Disordered Eating Actually Look Like?7:02 Dieting at Just 8 Years Old12:12 The Fear of Ever Getting Fat16:28 6'2" and 140 Pounds — How Bad It Got19:00 Michael’s Own Battle With Food After Sobriety23:13 20 Years of Food Rules & Body Dysmorphia27:27 Coffee, One Meal a Day & Extreme Restriction30:26 Healthy or Obsessed? The Dark Side of Fitness Culture34:50 Childhood, Control & Where It All Started40:07 Over-Exercising, Restriction & Trying to Get Help44:08 The Nikki Glaser Moment That Changed Everything46:50 “I’ll Get There” — When Recovery Became a Challenge53:27 Marriage, Relapse & Reaching a Breaking Point58:18 Rebuilding His Life & Relationship With Food1:08:23 What to Do If You’re Struggling1:12:11 The Eating Disorder Men Hide Behind “Fitness”1:14:43 Alex’s Final Message

#MichaelChernow #AlexanderStein #MensMentalHealth #DisorderedEating #BodyDysmorphia #EatingDisorderRecovery ##IntermittentFasting #TheMichaelChernowPodcast

In this Monday Moments episode, Michael Chernow reflects on five years of building Kreatures of Habit and the lessons he has learned from 16 years of entrepreneurship.

Michael opens up about the highs and lows of running a business, the stress of raising money, the resilience it takes to keep going, and the abnormal optimism required to build something that actually lasts. He also shares a powerful moment from his 22-year sobriety anniversary run, where he found gratitude, grace, and a deeper reminder that he simply will not quit.

This episode is a message for anyone sitting on an idea, dream, risk, or major life decision. Whether it is starting a business, changing careers, getting healthy, leaving the wrong relationship, or finally betting on yourself, Michael’s message is simple: take the swing.

Do not wait until the end of your life wondering what could have happened if you had just gone for it.

The other side of fear is freedom.

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Michael Chernow shares the raw story of how childhood trauma led him into addiction at just 12 years old and eventually brought him within inches of losing his life. After surviving a heroin overdose, Michael returned to using only hours later because he still didn’t know how to stop. Everything changed when one phone call connected him with the mentor who gave him the structure, discipline, faith, and support required to rebuild his life. Now 21 years sober, Michael explains why asking for help is a sign of strength, how fitness became part of his recovery, and why getting back up is the only thing you need to do perfectly. He also opens up about fatherhood, meeting his wife nine months into sobriety, learning to love himself, and becoming the mentor he once desperately needed. This is a powerful conversation about addiction, redemption, faith, discipline, love, and the possibility of completely changing your life.

I felt it was time to have this conversation

After being told at just 13 years old that she likely wouldn’t survive her teenage years, Ashleigh Di Lello refused to accept the future doctors predicted for her. Years later, after a failed hip surgery left her unable to walk and living with debilitating chronic pain, she reached another breaking point that changed the direction of her life.In this episode, Ashleigh explains how she began studying neuroscience, nervous-system regulation and the connection between physical, mental and emotional pain. She and Michael discuss faith, neuroplasticity, trauma, survival mode, self-compassion and why the brain repeatedly returns to familiar patterns—even when those patterns are destructive.Ashleigh also breaks down the practical process she uses to help people process emotional pain, calm the brain’s fear networks and create healthier neural pathways. Michael shares his own experiences with addiction, childhood trauma, his son’s rare genetic diagnosis and the role his relationship with God has played throughout his recovery.This conversation is about refusing to let pain, fear or a diagnosis become your permanent identity. It is a powerful reminder that healing requires faith, responsibility, daily action and the willingness to move directly through what hurts.

Michael Chernow and Mattiy Christofferson sit down inside an RV after six exhausting days on the road launching the Kreatures of Habit Daily Bar at Sprouts stores across the West Coast.In this raw, off-the-cuff conversation, they break down the reality of building a company, the pressure founders feel when comparing themselves to massive brands, and why obsession is often required to succeed. They also discuss delegation, maintaining momentum, creating your own luck, and learning to accept that nobody will execute your vision exactly like you.Michael opens up about nearly sacrificing his marriage for business, the dream he is still working toward, and why success is meaningless if it costs you the people you love. This episode is a reminder that the biggest failure is not losing—it is reaching the end of your life knowing you never tried.Follow the journey as Kreatures of Habit and Ops Run travel across the country connecting with runners, run clubs, and local communities.