Podcast Notes Playlist: Latest Episodes

Adam Moskowitz is the King of Cheese—but his path to the throne was anything but straight. In this delicious episode of Infinite Loops, Adam shares his wild journey from a failed rap career and a battle with addiction to becoming one of the most influential figures in cheese and the host of A Cheese Course.

Whether you are a foodie, a creator battling gatekeepers, or just someone who loves a good comeback story, this episode will remind you to bet on yourself—and maybe eat some better cheese while you're at it.

I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, "Hmm, that's interesting!", check out our Substack.

Show Notes:

• The "Cheese Quake" origin story and the failed rap career

• Why "Creamy" is a texture, not a flavor

• The Artisan Cheese Illuminati

• Creating a documentary when gatekeepers said "No"

• The "Olive Garden" insult that fueled a fire

• Is the "Banana on the Wall" actually art?

• Cognitive diversity and why echo chambers kill creativity

• The "Time Horizon is Infinite" philosophy

• Leaders Lead & Lead with Love

Books & Ideas Mentioned:

• My Dinner with Andre (Movie)

• Candide by Voltaire (Dr. Pangloss)

• Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

• Claude Shannon (Information Theory)

• Mind Pump Fit Tip: 10 amazing and weird ways probiotics benefit you. (2:14)

• Silicon Valley espionage. (18:45)

• Uncomfortable experiences training clients. (28:37)

• Iron sharpens iron. (33:51)

• Prioritizing your relationship above your kids, and the importance of establishing family values/foundations. (40:28)

• Fostering good bacteria growth with the Green Juice from Organifi. (50:41)

• Must-haves when building your house. (52:33)

• #ListenerLive question #1 – No matter what I do, I cannot gain muscle or weight. Please help. (1:00:57)

• #ListenerLive question #2 – I'm looking for advice on what program to do after completing Anabolic Advanced? (1:10:28)

• #ListenerLive question #3 – My current life routine only allows me to go to the gym 1 day per week, and maybe some weeks I will be able to squeeze in a second until March. Is there a program that you would recommend I follow during this time span? (1:18:48)

• #ListenerLive question #4 – I'm having a hard time gauging my results from Muscle Mommy. I was wondering if that is just how the program is written, as most women fear "getting bulky," or if my additional activity is hindering my progress? (1:33:00)

Related Links/Products Mentioned

• Ask a question to Mind Pump, live! Email: [email protected]
• Visit Seed for an exclusive offer for Mind Pump listeners! **Promo code 25MINDPUMP at checkout for 25% off your first month's supply of Seed's DS-01® Daily Synbiotic**
• Visit Organifi for the exclusive offer for Mind Pump listeners! **Promo code MINDPUMP at checkout for 20% off**
• November Black Friday Deals (Nov. 1-15th): Sitewide 60% off. That includes every single MAPS program, bundle, MOD, and guide. Enter the raffle now to win HUGE prizes: Bundles give you 10 entries, MAPS program gives you 3 entries, MODs or guides give you 1 entry. For programs go HERE. Enter the code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout. 
• Mind Pump Store
• Probiotic consumption relieved human stress and anxiety symptoms possibly via modulating the neuroactive potential of the gut microbiota
• Probiotics for Eczema: A Science-Backed Guide for Skin Health
• How Probiotics Can Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat
• How Silicon Valley Became a Den of Spies - POLITICO
• Sal Di Stefano's Journey in Faith & Fitness – Mind Pump TV
• Mind Pump #1665: How Gyms Survived Shutdowns With Jason Khalipa
• Mind Pump #2290: Becoming a Better Man With Jason Khalipa
• Mind Pump #2225: How to be a Great Parent & Raise Successful Children With Adam Lane Smith
• Get a free Sample Pack of LMNT's most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase! As always, LMNT offers no-questions-asked refunds on all orders. The 8-count LMNT Sample Pack doubles down on our most popular flavors: Citrus Salt, Raspberry Salt, Watermelon Salt, and Orange Salt (2 stick packs of each flavor): Visit DrinkLMNT.com/MindPump
• Mind Pump #2684: Do ONLY These 8 Lifts to Achieve an Amazing Body
• Muscle Mommy Movement
• Mind Pump Podcast – YouTube
• Mind Pump Free Resources

People Mentioned

• Peter Attia, M.D. (@peterattiamd) Instagram

• Jason Khalipa (@jasonkhalipa) Instagram

• Corinne Schmiedhauser (@mindpumpcorinne) Instagram

Leslie Manookian, MBA, M.L.C. Hom, is the president and founder of the Health Freedom Defense Fund and a former Wall Street executive. Her finance career took her from New York to London with Goldman Sachs before she became Director at Alliance Capital, overseeing European Growth Portfolio Management and Research.

Leslie is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker. In 2011, she wrote and produced The Greater Good, a critically acclaimed film exploring the vaccine debate and sparking wider conversation about medical choice and personal liberty.

Motivated by years of watching Americans' constitutionally protected rights erode, Leslie founded HFDF to defend medical and health freedoms nationwide. She believes bodily autonomy is a fundamental human right and works tirelessly to advance and protect it through public awareness and legal action.

In this episode, Dr. Tro and Leslie talk about…

• (00:00) Intro
• (02:05) Why she left Wall Street to advocate for medical freedom
• (10:40) Deaths in clinical trials for pharmaceuticals
• (14:45) Industry trade groups that are a huge part of the chronic disease epidemic
• (19:40) How more of the public can be woken up to the realities of the corruption taking place in the medical and pharmaceutical industries
• (32:21) The work of the Weston A. Price Foundation
• (39:55) The responsibilities of doctors and patients
• (45:51) Leslie's recent work with the Health Freedom Defense Fund fighting for peoples' rights
• (01:01:04) The Greater Good

For more information, please see the links below. Thank you for listening!

Links:

Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.lowcarbmd.com/

Leslie Manookian:

• Health Freedom Defense Fund: https://healthfreedomdefense.org/
• Nutrition and Physical Degeneration (book): https://www.amazon.com/Nutrition-Physical-Degeneration-Weston-Price/dp/0916764206
• The Weston A. Price Foundation: https://www.westonaprice.org/#gsc.tab=0
• Green Med Info: https://greenmedinfo.com/

Dr. Brian Lenzkes: 

• Website: https://arizonametabolichealth.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLenzkes?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

Dr. Tro Kalayjian: 

• Website: https://www.doctortro.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoctorTro
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/doctortro/

Toward Health App

Join a growing community of individuals who are improving their metabolic health; together. 

Get started at your own pace with a self-guided curriculum developed by Dr. Tro and his care team, community chat, weekly meetings, courses, challenges, message boards and more. 

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/doctor-tro/id1588693888 

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.disciplemedia.doctortro&hl=en_US&gl=US

Learn more: https://doctortro.com/community/ 

View the Show Notes Page for This Episode

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Antonio Bianco is a world-renowned physician-scientist and expert in thyroid physiology and metabolism. In this episode, Antonio explores the complex biology of thyroid hormone production, conversion, and regulation—highlighting how deiodinase enzymes modulate hormone activity at the tissue level and why that matters for interpreting lab results. He discusses the shortcomings of relying solely on TSH as a marker of thyroid function, the ongoing debate around combination therapy with T3 and T4 versus standard T4 treatment, and how genetics, tissue sensitivity, and individual variability influence thyroid hormone metabolism. The conversation also examines how hypothyroidism affects energy, mood, cognition, and longevity; why some patients remain symptomatic despite "normal" labs; and how future research could reshape treatment paradigms.

We discuss:

• How the thyroid produces, stores, and activates hormones like T4 and T3 to finely regulate thyroid activity [2:45];
• How fasting alters thyroid hormones to conserve energy [12:45];
• Action of the deiodinases: how D1, D2, and D3 enzymes control the activation and inactivation of thyroid hormones [19:15];
• The normal function of thyroid hormone and the roles of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and deiodinases in maintaining hormonal balance [23:30];
• Why understanding thyroid physiology is essential for proper diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism [33:45];
• Testing for thyroid hormones: understanding free vs. total levels, the limitations of current T3 assays, best practices, and more [36:00];
• Genetic and sex-based variability in thyroid hormone regulation and their limited clinical significance [43:45];
• Hyperthyroidism: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options [46:00];
• Hypothyroidism: diagnosis and autoimmune causes of hypothyroidism [56:30];
• More on hypothyroidism: diagnostic biomarkers, antibody patterns, and non-autoimmune presentations [1:05:00];
• Thyroid hormone replacement therapy [1:15:15];
• More on thyroid replacement strategies: exploring the evidence gaps, mortality signals, effects on lipids, and more [1:28:00];
• Hypothyroidism basics: causes, antibody implications (including pregnancy), and how to make the diagnosis before choosing therapy [1:35:15];
• Thyroid medication: compounded controlled-release T3, brand name versus generic, and what Antonio prescribes to newly diagnosed hypothyroid patients [1:42:45];
• Redefining treatment success: why normalizing TSH isn't always enough for patients with hypothyroidism [1:54:45];
• Case studies: analysis of two unusual cases of thyroid disease [1:57:00];
• Dangers of supplementing with high levels of iodine, and female-specific risk of thyroid disease [2:05:45];
• Case study of a patient who presents with elevated TSH but no symptoms [2:09:30];
• How future research could reshape treatment, and Antonio's new book called "Rethinking Hypothyroidism" [2:13:15]; and
• More.

Connect With Peter on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

Emmett Shear, founder of Twitch and former OpenAI interim CEO, challenges the fundamental assumptions driving AGI development. In this conversation with Erik Torenberg and Séb Krier, Shear argues that the entire "control and steering" paradigm for AI alignment is fatally flawed. Instead, he proposes "organic alignment" - teaching AI systems to genuinely care about humans the way we naturally do. The discussion explores why treating AGI as a tool rather than a potential being could be catastrophic, how current chatbots act as "narcissistic mirrors," and why the only sustainable path forward is creating AI that can say no to harmful requests. Shear shares his technical approach through multi-agent simulations at his new company Softmax, and offers a surprisingly hopeful vision of humans and AI as collaborative teammates - if we can get the alignment right.

Resources:

Follow Emmett on X: https://x.com/eshear

Follow Séb on X: https://x.com/sebkrier

Follow Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Stay Updated: 

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!

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Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Today, I'm joined by Jared Pobre, founder & CEO of Caldera + Lab.

Launched in 2019, Caldera + Lab is revamping men's medicine cabinets with proprietary premium skincare formulas specifically engineered for guys.

In this episode, we discuss building a biotech-driven men's personal care brand.

We also cover:

• Targeting the longevity-minded male consumer

• Prioritizing proprietary R&D over repurposed formulas

• Developing distribution strategies and hospitality partnerships

Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast
Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe
Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Caldera + Lab's Website: www.calderalab.com 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/CalderaLab/page/2A608586-7E58-411C-8057-FFD688968227

-

The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities.

Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/ 

Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/ 

Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/ 

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:08) Jared's background and Caldera + Lab overview

(01:33) The evolution of men's skincare since 2016

(03:02) Formulation differences: women's vs. men's skincare

(04:32) Custom formulations vs. menu-based co-manufacturing

(06:24) Pioneering proprietary ingredients for men

(08:00) Building the brand with bootstrapped resources

(10:30) Clinical studies and efficacy testing

(13:00) Customer acquisition and finding product-market fit

(15:30) DTC and Amazon as core distribution channels

(17:45) Storytelling and messaging strategy

(21:53) Balancing scientific credibility with consumer messaging

(23:12) Targeting the longevity-minded male consumer

(25:11) Retail expansion strategy and Series A funding

(26:15) Country clubs, luxury hotels, and hospitality partnerships

(27:26) Product roadmap

(28:49) Conclusion