Spread Great Ideas: The Podcast

I'm pleased to welcome my dear friend David Newell to the show. David wears many hats—writer, philosopher, consigliere, and more. He knows more about myths, the collective unconscious, and Carl Jung's works than anyone I know. And, as he put it: "The meaning and morality of One's life comes from within oneself. Healthy, strong individuals seek self-expansion by experimenting and by living dangerously."

David Newell Quotes From the Episode

"The redemption of the soul is not through the hero but through the savior, through Christ, through love, and through being of service."

- David Newell on true transformation comes not from achievement but from letting go of ego, embracing love, and serving others.

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's power."

- David Newell on love as openness and growth, while power is about control and restriction.

"All life is a stage. We're almost all walking around in a Shakespearean comedy or tragedy, whichever mood you're in that day."

- David Newell on life as theater, each role we play reflecting our inner conflicts and narratives.

Additional Resources

• David Newell's website
• David Newell on Linkedin
• David Newell on Spotify
• Trauma and the Soul by Donald Kalsched
• The Red Book by Carl Jung
• Answer to Job by Carl Jung
• The Middle Passage by James Hollis

Show Notes

• 00:00:43 – David Newell on Myths, Jung, and the Collective Unconscious
• 00:01:13 – Why Myths Matter: Consciousness, Learning, and Meaning-Making
• 00:03:53 – Inanna, Cinderella, and the Archetype of Death and Rebirth
• 00:06:00 – Modern Relevance: How Myths Guide Adults in Self-Understanding
• 00:09:39 – Chaos vs. Order: Uranus, Saturn, and Life's Defining Crises
• 00:13:35 – Myths as Moral Maps: Projection and the Power of Story Archetypes
• 00:16:23 – Synchronicity Explained: Jung's Symbolic Coincidences
• 00:20:08 – Into the Unconscious: Jung's Dreams, Madness, and the Inner Child
• 00:34:18 – Trauma and the Fragmented Soul: Developmental Wounds in Adulthood
• 00:40:50 – A Flower and a Lifetime of Shame: The Hidden Cost of Childhood Trauma
• 00:49:52 – Power vs. Love: Why Control, Not Hate, Is Love's True Opposite
• 00:56:59 – Conscious Crucifixion: Pain, Healing, and the Christ Archetype
• 01:01:13 – Christianity and the Shadow: Jung's Critique of Suffering and Integration
• 01:10:14 – Jordan Peterson's Archetypes: Masculinity, Shadow, and the Jungian Legacy
• 01:16:25 – Parenting and Myth: Letting Children Choose Their Stories

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Please welcome Bo Bink to the show. Bo is the "kraamzorg" who supported our family following the recent birth of our second child.

What's a "kraamzorg," you ask? In the Netherlands, it's part of a system called "kraamverzorgster," a unique form of in-home care provided to every new mother in the days after childbirth. Think of it as a blend of medical checkups, emotional support, breastfeeding guidance, light housekeeping, and hands-on education for new parents, all in the comfort of your home.

Bo has been a "kraamzorg" for 22 years.

We talk about the Dutch model of childbirth, which emphasizes prevention, low medical intervention, and community-based care. Statistically, it leads to some of the best outcomes in the world for both mothers and babies.

Regarding the price of all of this, the total cost of pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal care in the Netherlands is roughly 20% of the U.S. cost.

I'm glad to have Bo here to explain this unique, holistic approach to childbirth.

Bo Bink Quotes From the Episode "Planning everything gives so much away. You give everything away to the person that is going to create the plan."

- Bo Bink on the over-medicalization of childbirth.

"You're not a housekeeper, but you do keep it where needed. Yeah, I mean, especially with laundry… It's all for the greater good."

- Bo Bink on the supportive yet practical role of a kraamzorg.

"This job is more than only after-birth care… It's important that you understand what is asked of you."

- Bo Bink reflecting on the deeper emotional and societal responsibilities of a kraamzorg.

Additional Resources

• Bo Kraamzorg
• Bo Bink on LinkedIn

Show Notes

• 02:49 – Introduction to Bo Bink and the Kraamzorg Role
• 05:16 – A Day in the Life of a Kraamzorg
• 08:20 – Why Kraamzorg is Unique to the Netherlands
• 09:54 – Building Trust Through Early Connection
• 11:31 – Empowering Families Through Knowledge
• 14:08 – The Midwife-Kraamzorg Partnership
• 18:25 – When Birth Care Meets Social Support
• 23:12 – Home Birth on a Houseboat
• 27:24 – The Dutch Philosophy on Pain and Natural Birth
• 30:54 – Pain as a Biological Necessity
• 43:14 – Preventing SIDS and the Role of Education
• 57:07 – The Kraamzorg Model Saves Money and Lives

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Please welcome my friend Allen Brouwer. Allen is a father of two, an accomplished entrepreneur, a boat and nature lover, and a wicked combination of both good-looking and charming.

We chat about his old company, BestSelf Co., which he co-founded. It was the only company to win both Shopify's Build-a-Business and Build-a-Bigger-Business. And his new company, WithLove, which he also co-founded, offers a deceptively simple, delicious protein and gut health powder specifically made for kids.

(Trust me, there's more to this than meets the eye.)

Thanks for coming on, Allen.

Allen Brouwer Quotes From the Episode

"Every time I tried just making money or building a business because I saw an opportunity or an arbitrage… it just never worked."

- Allen Brouwer on misaligned ventures and how to find purpose.

"If I have one practice that I do consistently… It's prayer."

- Allen Brouwer on how prayer, like meditation, anchors him daily.

"If I didn't know the impact that it had with me personally and the impact that it has had with our customers… it probably wouldn't give me the conviction to keep going."

- Allen Brouwer on how he found resilience in pursuing his purpose.

Additional Resources

• WithLove
• WithLove on YouTube
• Allen Brouwer on LinkedIn
• Allen Brouwer on Instagram

Show Notes

• 02:42 – Meet Allen Brouwer and the Story Behind WithLove
• 07:27 – When a Family Health Scare Became a Founder's Wake-Up Call
• 12:02 – The Kitchen Experiments That Turned Into a Wellness Startup
• 16:07 – The Hidden Link Between Gut Health and Childhood Behavior
• 21:05 – Why Today's Food Has 50% Less Nutrients—and What That Means
• 25:02 – WithLove's Product Development and Ingredient Philosophy
• 29:02 – Creating a Parent-Focused Supplement for Nervous System Health
• 33:13 – The Difference Between Profit-Driven and Purpose-Driven Ventures
• 37:42 – Personal Conviction: What Keeps Allen Going Through the Dips
• 42:31 – Allen's Spiritual Practices, Prayer, and Morning Flow
• 48:04 – How Allen and His Partner Ash Make Life and Business Work
• 53:10 – How to Connect with Allen and Learn More About WithLove

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Please welcome my friend Taylor Pearson to the show. Taylor is a fellow father and entrepreneur, the author of The End of Jobs, an essayist with his Interesting Times newsletter, a fellow Tennessean, one of the founders of a long-volatility and tail-risk hedge fund, and a former college football player, where he played offensive line. He's spent the last decade researching and writing about how you can better invest your time and money in an uncertain world, i.e., how to be more antifragile.

Welcome, Taylor.

Taylor Pearson Quotes From the Episode

"Reality has a surprising amount of detail."

"You don't have 100% agency over everything, but you almost might as well act as if you do. The things you don't have control over... You just have to chalk those up to trade-offs. Like you can't do this, you can't do that, fine, fair enough. Within the possibility space, 'What can you do?' And I still catch myself, not infrequently, saying that, 'Oh, I could do this actually.' "

"My basic thesis was that we're going through this transitional period where entrepreneurialism, not necessarily starting a business, but thinking more entrepreneurially about your career life, was going to become increasingly important."

Additional Resources

• Taylor Pearson
• Taylor Pearson on X
• Taylor Pearson on LinkedIn
• The End of Jobs by Taylor Pearson
• Systemantics: The Systems Bible by John Gall
• Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man by Marshall McLuhan
• The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

Show Notes

• 02:45 – Taylor on Discovering Agency While Teaching in Brazil
• 05:10 – Embracing Responsibility and Trade-Offs
• 09:24 – The Core Message Behind The End of Jobs
• 10:38 – The Rise of Internet Careers from a 2011 Perspective
• 14:30 – Golf as a Meditative Recharging Tool
• 15:20 – Why Biographies Are the Best Way to Learn History
• 18:07 – How AI and Museums Are Changing How We Learn History
• 22:00 – What College Taught Taylor About Interpreting History
• 28:51 – Taylor's Bias: Technology as the Driver of History
• 35:27 – "Reality Has a Surprising Amount of Detail"
• 36:25 – Tolstoy, War, and the Myth of the Great Man
• 47:08 – Why Systems Fail: Lessons from Systemantics
• 53:38 – Unintended Consequences: Lessons from Vietnam and Beyond
• 55:30 – How to Get in Touch With Taylor via His Interesting Times Newsletter

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Please welcome my friend Janwillem de Kwaasteniet to the show. He's the founder of Bright Horizon, which he started after visiting Medellin, Colombia. He's got a great entrepreneurial story to share.

We go over how he started his first company, what it's like being a long-term adventurer, and yes, why I jokingly call him an underwear model. Honestly, to me, he's the Dutch version of Tim Ferriss. Except, unlike Tim, Janwillem speaks five languages, so there's that.

We'll be jamming on lifestyle design, aligning business with your values, and what it really takes to build cross-border businesses across places like the Caribbean, Latin America, and the EU. And, of course, we'll explore the most important question of all: Why do you do what you do?

Janwillem, great to have you. Let's get cracking.

Janwillem de Kwaasteniet Quotes From the Episode "Wealth is about creating a healthy body, a healthy mind, and healthy relationships, love, spending time with your family, with your friends, and yeah and also money and work."

"I prefer to make less money with a factory where you have a good relationship with, than to make a shitload of money with a company that I don't like."

"With too much data, it fogs up your intuition."

Additional Resources

• Janwillem de Kwaasteniet on Instagram
• Janwillem de Kwaasteniet on LinkedIn
• Bright Horizon

Show Notes

• 00:33 - Introduction and Entrepreneurial Backstory
• 03:18 - Launching a Business in Colombian Textiles
• 09:17 - Building and Scaling Bright Horizon
• 15:06 - Sustainable Product Experiments and Lessons Learned
• 18:58 - Lifestyle Design and the Freedom of Entrepreneurship
• 23:55 - Tim Ferriss, Mindset Shifts, and Redefining Success
• 28:00 - Purpose-Driven Business and Community Impact
• 30:20 - Daily Routine, Fitness, and Mental Practices
• 37:14 - Love for Latin America and Language Immersion
• 43:17 - Early Travel, Work Ethic, and First Ventures
• 49:35 - Language, Culture, and Learning Through Immersion
• 57:36 - Mentorship, Personal Growth, and Relationships

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Please welcome my friend Julio Froment Castellvi to the show. Julio is the "brains and brawn" behind Picking Nuggets, one of my favorite YouTube channels that is just about to crack 150k subs. And "The Little Almanack", a weekly newsletter where he shares timeless ideas (from influential doers) with handmade infographics to 16,000 plus subscribers.

His three defining values are curiosity, truth, and freedom. Please welcome Julio to the show!

Julio Froment Castellvi Quotes From the Episode "I see myself as a professional opportunist and always sort of guided through my curiosity, through my genuine curiosity."

- Julio Froment Castellvi

"You can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards."

- Julio Froment Castellvi

"I also don't like to be in a box, right? Because I feel like it could constrain my growth or where my curiosity wants to take me."

- Julio Froment Castellvi

Additional Resources

• Picking Nuggets YouTube Channel
• The Little Almanack - Julio's monthly newsletter!
• Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel, by Sam Zell
• Julio Froment Castellvi's personal website
• Julio Froment Castellvi on X
• Julio Froment Castellvi on LinkedIn
• Jim Rohn's "How to Have Your Best Year Ever!"

Show Notes

• 0:00 - Introduction to Julio Froment Castellvi
• 1:04 - How Julio Got Started with Curation
• 4:45 - Navigating Copyright and Learning Fair Use
• 6:53 - The Checklist for Fair Use Compliance
• 10:29 - Naval's Philosophy on Content Sharing
• 13:05 - The Rule of Substantiality
• 17:20 - Choosing a Nontraditional Career Path
• 20:02 - "Professional Opportunist" Philosophy
• 25:10 - Execution Over Planning
• 26:22 - The Role of Luck and Connecting Dots
• 30:34 - Choosing English for Access to the Best Ideas
• 33:33 - Crafting Contrarian, Timeless Content for YouTube
• 35:49 - The Lindy Effect and Content Longevity
• 39:44 - The Curation Workflow: Readwise and Python
• 44:00 - Podcast Listening as a Walking Ritual
• 45:20 - Doing It All Himself for the Sake of Quality
• 48:01 - Content as Craft, Not Just Business

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Please welcome my friend Shawn Wells to the show. He's known as "The Most Trusted Voice in Supplements" after formulating over 1000+ supplements and having patented 40 unique compounds. He's also known for the catchphrase "Caffeine is Dead," which we'll get into, especially as it relates to his energy drink company, Update.

When Shawn and I met in 2018, he was living outside of Dallas, TX and in a marriage he wasn't happy with. Nowadays, he's moved on, literally and metaphorically, to a much happier relationship and to "Dripping" (Dripping Springs) outside of Austin, TX.

We're going to jam on Big Pharma, supplements, psychedelics, what it means to be a formulator, habit trackers (Oura Ring vs. Ultrahuman), biohacking, his book The Energy Formula, and what an average day looks like for Shawn.

Thank you for joining me Shawn!

Shawn Wells Quotes From the Episode "Investing in my health, my brain, my creativity, and my network is more important than any dollars and cents I have in a bank."

- Shawn Wells on prioritizing personal well-being, creativity, and meaningful relationships holds greater value than accumulating financial wealth.

"At some point, AI is going to 1,000,000X us, and it won't be able to be contained… It will be an inorganic evolution, but an evolution nonetheless."

- Shawn Wells on AI's rapid progression and its potential to redefine humanity.

"You have to learn how to have wearables be a tool but not dictate your day. It's similar to weighing yourself, someone can become obsessive, and it can be an unhealthy habit."

- Shawn on how to properly use fitness trackers and avoid psychological dependency.

Additional Resources

• Shawn Wells | The Most Trusted Name in Supplements
• Zone Halo
• Update Energy Drink
• Shawn Wells on Instagram
• Shawn Wells on Linkedin
• Shawn Wells on YouTube
• Shawn Wells on Facebook
• Shawn Wells on X
• Shawn Wells on TikTok
• Ingredientologist on Pinterest

Show Notes

• 0:00 – Introduction to Shawn Wells and His Background
• 5:12 – The Impact of Nutrition on Mental and Physical Health
• 12:45 – Shawn's Journey with Biohacking and Self-Experimentation
• 18:30 – The Connection Between Mental Health and Physical Vitality
• 24:55 – Psychedelics and Their Role in Neuroplasticity and Personal Transformation
• 31:20 – Financial Wealth Versus Health and Personal Fulfillment
• 35:18 – The Power of Investing in Creativity and Relationships
• 42:10 – The Future of AI and Its Influence on Human Evolution
• 50:22 – Hormonal Health and the Importance of Vitamin D
• 56:48 – The Role of Wearables and Biofeedback in Self-Awareness
• 1:02:15 – Building Resilience Through Self-Compassion
• 1:08:30 – Final Thoughts and Actionable Takeaways

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Please welcome my thoughtful and thought-provoking friend, Schalk Dormehl. Schalk is an aspiring polymath and a fellow lover of liberty and action-based philosophy.

We jam on the past, present, and future political landscape of South Africa, personal sovereignty (one of my favorites), and civic responsibility in today's world. Lastly, we touch on entrepreneurship, crypto, and AI in the context of South Africa and on the global stage.

Schalk Dormehl Quotes From the Episode "Like you own yourself, you own the things that you make, you own the things that you trade the things you make with. Other people are not allowed to just randomly harm you, and you aren't allowed to just randomly harm other people."

- Schalk Dormehl on personal sovereignty and individual rights.

"The ANC has been an exceptionally negligent and poor steward of South Africa. The results have been massive amounts of unemployment and essentially the type of scenery that one would imagine when you read Atlas Shrugged."

- Schalk Dormehl on how the ANC's mismanagement of South Africa is comparable to the dystopian society in Atlas Shrugged.

"And the irony is if you look at the African countries, the corrupt countries that had communism did better than the non-corrupt countries that had communism. You can buy your way out of ridiculous rules in one system, but you can't buy your way out of the rules in another system."

- Schalk Dormehl on corruption and communism.

Additional Resources

• Free Market Foundation
• Sakeliga
• The History of Southern Africa: Every Year - YouTube
• Schalk Dormehl on X
• Schalk Dormehl on LinkedIn
• SwiftCom
• Jozi vs Jozi on X
• Hügo Krüger on YouTube

Show Notes

• 00:32 - Kicking Off with Schalk Dormehl
• 01:40 - The ANC's Grip on South Africa: Politics Since 1995
• 03:44 - Johannesburg's Fall from Glory: Economic Decline and De-Industrialization
• 04:38 - Blame Game Politics: How the ANC Uses Scapegoating to Stay in Power
• 06:02 - Race, Policy, and Power: South Africa's Complex Political Landscape
• 10:54 - Land Seizures and Economic Fallout: The Truth About Expropriation Without Compensation
• 19:01 - Elon Musk vs. South African Bureaucracy: How BEE Laws Have Impacted Starlink
• 24:02 - The Death of Civic Responsibility: Why South Africa and Many Other Countries Struggle with Accountability
• 31:21 - When Communities Take Charge: Grassroots Resistance Against Riots
• 32:36 - The Mystery of the Power Grid: How South Africa's Electricity Crisis Stabilized
• 49:21 - The Brain Drain: The Cost of Losing Skilled Professionals
• 1:08:12 - A Silver Lining for South Africa? How Government Fractures Could Lead to Change

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Please welcome John Wang to the show. John is a leadership coach to the Asian American community, a corporate speaker, and host and writer of the Big Asian Energy podcast and upcoming book of the same title.

He's the founder of Mastery Academy and has coached Asian American clients from Google, Apple, AmEx, Goldman Sachs, and other Fortune 500 companies.

He's also a celeb on TikTok, making videos that have reached over 25 million views, and a TEDx presenter.

John's done some pretty cool (dare I say, intense) personal development, including training to walk on airplane wings mid-flight in an aerobatics performance to become a more confident speaker.

We talk about the bamboo ceiling, culture vs. race, high-context vs. low-context communication, how to overcome imposter syndrome, and so much more. I hope you enjoy!

John Wang Quotes From the Episode

"Imposter syndrome just means that you're challenging yourself, which you should be."​

- John Wang on redefining imposter syndrome as a natural part of personal growth.

"If there's no risk, there's no stakes, we're not going to learn."

- John Wang on the importance of risk-taking in learning.

"The best work you can do is working on yourselves. Because a child will learn more from watching what you do than what you tell them to do."

- John Wang on the most effective way to help a student learn.

Additional Resources

• John Wang on Facebook
• John Wang on Instagram
• John Wang on YouTube
• John Wang on TikTok
• Big Asian Energy

Show Notes

• 0:00 – Meet John Wang: The Leadership Coach Empowering Asian Professionals
• 3:47 – From Taiwan to Canada: John's Immigrant Experience
• 5:22 – The Bamboo Ceiling: Why Asian Americans Struggle in Leadership
• 9:27 – Culture vs. Race: Which One Holds You Back More?
• 13:40 – High-Context vs. Low-Context Communication: Why It Matters
• 19:27 – Filial Piety and Social Hierarchy: The Asian Cultural Mindset
• 24:49 – Finding the Balance: Assertiveness Without Losing Cultural Respect
• 30:05 – Mastery Academy: John's Mission to Equip Future Leaders
• 35:06 – Imposter Syndrome: Why So Many Asian Professionals Feel Like Frauds
• 45:08 – The Confidence Myth: Why Competence Alone Won't Get You Ahead
• 49:20 – Own Your Achievements: Stop Downplaying Your Success

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Please welcome my adventurous and curious friend, Gareth Hermann. Gareth is an entrepreneur, an "ops nut" like I am, an expat, a fellow lover of travel and "steel ponies," and an aspiring overseas real estate mogul. Most recently, he built and sold a seven-figure digital marketing agency pioneering impact marketing. Nowadays, he splits his time between Nosara, Costa Rica, and Boulder, Colorado. Today we'll be learning what it takes to build a geodome village in Costa Rica and jamming on his new simplified version of EOS that is easy to implement and actually creates results.

Gareth Hermann Quotes From the Episode "I believe that we have over-indexed on the paradigm of individualism, and we're actually craving and needing more connection and more community."

- Gareth Hermann on the growing need for connection and community.

"Transcend and include, which means don't reject the previous stage of consciousness, take the benefits of it, include it, and then continue to evolve on top of that."

- Gareth Hermann on why you shouldn't completely reject past stages of development.

"Everyone wants to do good work. Everyone wants to be on a team that's winning. Everyone wants to be making progress towards goals."

- Gareth Hermann on motivation, teamwork, and the human desire for progress in both business and personal development.

Additional Resources

• New Paradigm Village
• Gareth Hermann on LinkedIn
• Gareth Hermann on Instagram
• Gareth Hermann's Official Website
• Force TwentyTwo

Show Notes

• 00:00 - Meet Gareth Hermann and His Journey in Business
• 00:28 - Why Gareth is Building a Geodome Village in Costa Rica
• 01:42 - The Need for Community: Shifting from Individualism to Communalism
• 05:08 - Gareth's Childhood in a Rural Portuguese Community and Its Impact
• 10:39 - The Challenges of Building a New Village and Integrating Education
• 14:03 - What is Integral Theory, and How Does It Apply to Business and Life?
• 19:57 - Leadership and Meeting Teams Where They Are on the Spiral Dynamics Model
• 23:08 - The Emotional Toll of Running a Business and Why Leadership is Hard
• 30:37 - Coaching CEOs: EOS and How to Build Self-Managing Teams
• 42:31 - Helping Employees See Their Role in Achieving Company Goals
• 46:46 - Affordability and Challenges in Building a Sustainable Community
• 49:28 - Why This Model is a Middle Ground Between Traditional and Modern Living
• 50:56 - Addendum: Ethical Cult Building
• 58:46 - How to Get Involved with New Paradigm Village and CEO Coaching

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.