Take it On

Season 4 of Take it On begins with a bang, as the boys are joined by best-selling author, world-renowned speaker, and acclaimed professor of neuroscientist, Dr. Wendy Suzuki. Dr. Suzuki shares critical insights from her new book, “Good Anxiety,” detailing how daily anxiety can be leveraged to make us more focused, resilient, and less stressed (5:55). Dr. Suzuki then describes her earlier work in exercise science, sharing her life-changing discovery about the potent effects of an exercise regimen on our mental and emotional well-being (11:25). Throughout, Dr. Suzuki shares practical strategies to incorporate in your daily lives, such as box breathing (17:33) and the minimum exercise timing needed to give your brain a bubble-bath (19:30). 

Raw. Uncut. Jonah and Reid reminisce on the year behind them full of lessons learnt from Take it On and the wonderful guests who have graced the show with their presence and knowledge. The guys banter and set goals for the next year ahead. One year. Thirty-three episodes. Jonah and Reid, Taking it On. Thank you for your support!

In Take 32, the guys are joined by Blake Bauer, international best-selling author and Qi Gong meditation master, for an extremely powerful conversation on all things self-love, finding purpose, and being the best version of yourself. Blake kicks it off with a high-level outline of his essential habits for cultivating internal happiness (1:08) and describes how his adolescent behavior shaped his decision to pursue his path towards wellness, meditation, and self-acceptance (7:47). Blake explaining several techniques for building self-love and acquiring a sense of purpose, revealing the importance of reframing our definitions of success (10:10). The guys then explore Blake’s habits in greater depth, walking through ways to dedicate more time for yourself (18:37), letting go of others’ influence on your decisions (28:00), and creating a morning meditation practice (33:00). The guys wrap up as they always do, with a great game of Take it On Trivia. 

Approaching the one year anniversary of Take it On's launch, the guys are joined by registered dietitian and certified body trust provider, Aaron Flores. Aaron details his background and how he wound up providing men and women with trust in their bodies (1:40). Aaron takes us on a dive into building better relationships with food, and analyzing diet culture (7:28). Things get dicey when Au Cheval vs Inn N Out comes into the conversation, however, whichever your pick, there's nothing wrong with going in on either burger when you learn to eat intuitively. The impact on gym bro culture comes to light (38:30) and the conversation comes to a loose conclusion with some Take it On Trivia. See y'all next time!

In Take 30, the guys have their most unique, dynamic, and illuminating conversation yet, with their most unique, dynamic, and illuminating guest yet, Dr. Jay Michaelson.  Jay begins by describing his mindfulness practice and the myriad benefits he’s found in meditation (3:40). He then dives deeper into the frequent emotional responses created by common stressors, providing practical steps to develop healthier relationships with our emotions (8:00). The guys then explore particular challenges facing Gen Z and the importance of recognizing its potential for inducing trauma (28:30). To end, Take 30 concludes with some can’t miss rebranded Take it On trivia (47:20).

Take 29 features long awaited guest, Rachel Wright (psychotherapist specializing in the connection between sexual, emotional, and mental health), for one of the most insightful conversations the guys have had so far, covering a topic that most men know far too little about. Rachel describes the interactions between individuals’ mental, emotional, sexual health, and the widespread collective ignorance surrounding their connections (4:40). Rachel takes a deeper dive into the role of the brain in sexual activity, explaining how anxiety and depression impact our sex lives and orgasms (12:00). The conversation then looks at the impacts of alcohol and other drugs on sexual and emotional health, finding alternative ways for men to pursue healthier sexual and romantic relationships (19:30). Take 29 wraps up with a look at the power of dating apps, highlighting their benefits while nothing their potential for gamifying intimacy (35:40). 

Take 28 begins with a recap of Jonah and Reid’s participation at the ASK For Help Foundation’s first fundraiser, recounting their message and the event’s success. The guys then dive into their second episode of Guy Talk, focused on Acceptance. Jonah shares his experience struggling with self-acceptance during the latter part of his college years, asking Reid to impart advice on his success with embracing self-acceptance (4:00). The guys describe the myriad benefits of acceptance - empowered well-being and reductions in anxiety and depression - and share some practical tips for listeners to develop stronger acceptance with their environments and themselves (14:25). PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TO THE ASK FOR HELP FOUNDATION HERE ( https://ask-for-help.com/donate/ ).

Jonah and Reid launch their Guy Talk Series with a discussion on “getting out of your own way,” identifying self-imposed barriers to success and solutions that will transform your approach to goals, habits, and happiness. They begin by recapping their last few months, citing key wins and opportunities for growth as they approach the summer (0:40). Then, Reid and Jonah dive into the episode’s core topic, referencing Ryan Holiday’s work on individual Ego (5:55) as a common obstacle to our ambitions and the motivation behind procrastination and self-sabotage. The guys note the importance of action preceding mood, rather than the other way around (7:10), listing tactics listeners can use to get out of their heads and start doing, such as journaling, spending 10 minutes “starting,” and tackling the hardest thing in their day first. Reid and Jonah finish the conversation by addressing a listener-submitted question about how to spend their summer time in a happy and productive way (20:45).

Take it On is BACK for the summer and Jonah and Reid have an awesome lineup in store. Their first conversation focuses on addiction, joined by world-renowned author and psychiatrist, Dr. Anna Lembke. Dr. Lembke begins the conversation with a definition of addiction and explains the crucial role that dopamine plays in the process of developing addictions (2:35), drawing on insights from her best-selling book “Dopamine Nation.” Dr. Lembke details how dopamines withdrawal influences our likelihood to not only crave our addictive behavior, but do so in continually increasing amount and frequency (3:10). The conversation pivots to common addictions facing young men and how we can identify whether we’re truly addicted or just engaging in undesirable behaviors (7:40), determining appropriate strategies for reducing our dependency on these habits or addictions, like a “dopamine fast” (12:45). Dr. Lembke explains whether there are truly “addictive” personalities before concluding the conversation with a discussion of society’s growing addiction to smartphones and other digital devices, identifying interventions we can use 

Take 25 is another episode in our Guy Talk series, with Jonah bringing on two of his closest college friends - Henry Newman and Josh Berenbaum - for a candid conversation on transitioning out of college life and entering the workforce during the pandemic. Henry and Josh share their tips and tricks for optimizing your productivity, maximizing your success early in your career, and living your happiest, best life both in and out of college.