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The Grateful Podcast with Jack Wagoner
Episode 110
Guesting Hala Taha

Help The Grateful Podcast grow: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

In this episode of The Grateful Podcast, Jack Wagoner sits down with Hala Taha, the unstoppable CEO of YAP Media and host of the Young and Profiting Podcast, to uncover how she turned grief, loss, and uncertainty into growth, abundance, and global impact.

Hala opens up about losing her father to COVID, launching YAP Media from her basement, and building one of the most successful podcast agencies in the world — all while staying grounded in gratitude.

This conversation dives deep into:
•The power of gratitude during loss
•The mindset behind massive success
•Why your personal brand is your moat in the age of AI
•The law of attraction (and GOYA: Get Off Your Ass)
•How to find mentors, build consistency, and scale impact

⏱ Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro & Hala Taha’s Background
1:30 – The Worst Year That Became the Best: Losing Her Dad in 2020
6:30 – How Gratitude and Legacy Fueled Her Ambition
9:00 – Inspiring a New Generation of Entrepreneurs
11:00 – If She Were 18 Again — Where She’d Start Today
14:50 – Does School Still Matter in the Creator Economy?
19:15 – Working for Free and Finding the Right Mentor
24:30 – Building Natural Talent into a Career
26:50 – Balancing Gratitude & Ambition (Benjamin Hardy’s Gap vs Gain)
29:00 – What Drives Hala Now — Beyond Money
32:00 – AI and Authenticity on LinkedIn
35:00 – The Future of Podcasting and Personal Brands
36:00 – Law of Attraction and Taking Action (“Law of GOYA”)
41:00 – Leaving a Legacy of Gratitude
42:20 – Where to Find Hala & Closing Reflections

🔗 Connect with Hala Taha
•🎧 Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting
•💼 YAP Media: https://yapmedia.com/
•📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yapwithhala/?hl=en
•💬 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/htaha/


📺 Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grateful-podcast-with-jack-wagoner/id1725776061
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5EsTEpQAjU4BxUrDoFyZ6b

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

#HalaTaha #GratefulPodcast #JackWagoner #PodcastInterview #Entrepreneurship #Mindset #Gratitude #Ambition #SelfImprovement #YAPMedia #CreatorEconomy #PersonalBranding #Motivation #Success

Support the show

InnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool
→ yourinnervue.com
Use code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report

☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:
→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20
Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.

🧠 More from Jack:
► Website: https://jackwagoner.co
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner

⸻
🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

Stay grateful, stay hungry.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

What if curiosity isn’t the problem — it’s your lack of focus?

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Sanfilippo, founder of PodMatch, to explore how to turn curiosity into purpose, risk into growth, and rock bottom into rebirth. From reselling golf balls at 10 to walking away from a C-suite aerospace career, Alex shares how reflection, faith, and focus shaped his journey into one of the leading voices in podcasting.

Key Discussion Points:

• Turning curiosity into creative power
• Building self-discipline in the age of distraction
• Knowing when to pivot vs. when to persist
• Facing your thoughts to find clarity
• How failure built his faith and foundation
• Why podcasting is the next frontier of media
• The mindset behind PodMatch’s million-dollar mission

🎯 If this episode resonates, share it with a friend chasing their own leap of faith.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

03:00–05:20 — The entrepreneurial spark: golf balls and curiosity

05:20–08:00 — Harnessing curiosity without distraction

08:00–10:00 — Pivoting without quitting too early

10:00–14:00 — Leaving aerospace for the unknown

14:00–18:30 — The power of solitude and self-reflection

18:30–21:20 — Standing out when everyone conforms

21:20–25:00 — Taking calculated risks and embracing failure

25:00–29:00 — Luck, skill, and the power of showing up

29:00–33:00 — Hitting rock bottom and finding faith

33:00–36:00 — Gratitude through loss and rebuilding character

36:00–40:00 — Why podcasting is booming

40:00–43:30 — Creating PodMatch: solving a real problem

43:30–46:00 — Gratitude, service, and leading with purpose

Find Alex:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsanfilippo7/?hl=en

Website: https://alexsanfilippo.com/

Podmatch: https://podmatch.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAac1FSxMFGDhu1a95NfgqUnW8t80PW3UwMyQH2e0u_Le8o2W-iWaVyKpU6BRsQ_aem_ALe_076YGG9zcAWOi60N6A

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

InnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool
→ yourinnervue.com
Use code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report

☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:
→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20
Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.

🧠 More from Jack:
► Website: https://jackwagoner.co
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner

⸻
🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

Stay grateful, stay hungry.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

What if ambition isn’t the problem—it’s the reason you feel lost?

In this episode, hypnotherapist Joey Labossiere and I dive into how gratitude, awareness, and letting go can reconnect you to your purpose. Joey shares how hitting rock bottom while “having it all” forced him to rebuild from within—and how that shift unlocked real peace and abundance.

Key Discussion Points:

• When success feels empty
• Gratitude as realignment, not complacency
• Escaping the loop of self-improvement
• Healing the subconscious patterns that run us
• The difference between ambition and wholeness
• Why awareness changes everything

🎧 If this hits home, subscribe and share it with someone chasing more but needing less.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS 

03:00 – Gratitude that isn’t complacency

06:30 – Rock bottom inside “the perfect life”

09:45 – The 28-day practice that changed everything

14:25 – Why ambitious people feel so lost

17:40 – Letting go of making everything a “big deal”

20:45 – How to stop overanalyzing yourself

25:50 – Reprogramming the subconscious

28:15 – Escaping the toxic side of self-help

33:30 – Manifesting without limits

37:10 – Visualizing from feeling, not form

43:00 – Finding your gift and trusting it

46:40 – Letting passion open invisible doors

50:10 – Fear of losing what you love

55:00 – The mansion of your mind

59:30 – Meditation and meeting your true self

Find Joey:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joeylabossiere/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwxPf5zPuYZJxMhVZ1-MlkQ

Website: https://www.joeylabossiere.com/

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

InnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool
→ yourinnervue.com
Use code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report

☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:
→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20
Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.

🧠 More from Jack:
► Website: https://jackwagoner.co
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner

⸻
🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

Stay grateful, stay hungry.

Send us Fan Mail

The Grateful Podcast with Jack Wagoner
Episode 107
Guesting Tristan Gregoire

Clarity isn’t found in a plan. It’s found in the process.

In this episode of The Grateful Podcast, I sit down with 24-year-old Tristan Gregoire, founder of The Best Self Protocol. Tristan went from being a chronic overthinker, stuck in endless vision boards and anxiety, to creating clarity, confidence, and real change.

We talk about how he broke the loop of consuming endless self-help without action, why small steps compound into transformation, and how imperfect action beats the perfect plan every time. Tristan shares the paradox of success — that gratitude and ambition can co-exist — and why your life depends on the story you tell yourself.

By the end, you’ll feel clearer, calmer, and more connected to your own path.

Key Points

• From dreamer to doer in 10 years
• The 1% rule and compounding change
• Why imperfect action beats perfect plans
• Tools vs. effort: where to draw the line
• Relationships, self-love, and clarity
• The story that shapes your life

👉 Share this with someone who feels lost — it might give them the clarity they need.

Timestamps:

• 03:15–05:33 From overthinking to action
• 05:33–08:45 The 1% rule and compounding growth
• 08:45–11:02 Principles vs. habits: the foundation of self
• 11:02–13:25 Imperfect action beats the perfect plan
• 13:25–17:29 How to create clarity through introspection
• 17:29–20:45 Why failure is actually clarity
• 20:45–23:39 Technology, AI, and the quick-fix trap
• 23:39–26:31 Using tools without losing yourself
• 26:31–30:42 Why the process matters more than the outcome
• 30:42–34:04 Where it matters most to “show up” as you
• 34:04–39:25 Relationships, self-love, and the lonely chapter
• 39:25–43:40 What it means to truly love yourself
• 43:40–47:29 Life as a story, not a destination
• 47:29–54:17 The power of storytelling in identity
• 54:17–59:17 Aligning who we are, who we want to be, and who we think we are

Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

Find Tristan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamtristangregoire/?hl=en 

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

InnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool
→ yourinnervue.com
Use code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report

☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:
→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20
Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.

🧠 More from Jack:
► Website: https://jackwagoner.co
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner

⸻
🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

Stay grateful, stay hungry.

Send us Fan Mail

The Grateful Podcast with Jack Wagoner
Episode 106
Guesting David Lorimer AKA  ⁨@today.iam.grateful⁩  

Gratitude isn’t soft. It’s power.

In this episode, I sit down again with David Lorimer, the man behind the Today I Am Grateful movement followed by over 400,000 people. Online, David is known for posting daily videos on what he is grateful for and is at the forefront of the gratitude moment. However, this isn’t just a list of nice things. We dive into how gratitude can literally save your life, how to find it when everything falls apart, and why society has made it “against the rules” to enjoy where you are.

David shares his lowest point, when he couldn’t even name one thing to be grateful for—until a flash of blue from a bird changed everything. From there we explore toxic positivity, why success never feels enough, and how gratitude flips pain into growth.

This one left me buzzing. I promise you’ll never look at gratitude the same way again.

Key Discussion Points
•Losing yourself and finding gratitude
•The bluebird that started it all
•Why success always moves the goalpost
•Toxic positivity vs. real healing
•Turning anger and sadness into gratitude

👉 If this episode helped you, share it with someone who needs it.

Chapters:
00:00 The Power of Gratitude
11:55 Levels of Gratitude
21:55 Finding Joy in the Ordinary
30:02 The Interdependence of Life
33:39 The Journey of Gratitude
38:51 Navigating Difficult Days
43:08 Building a Positive Community
46:54 Creating Local Change
54:10 The Balance of Emotions
01:00:18 Gratitude as a Tool for Change
01:06:27 Introduction and Gratitude
01:06:57 Podcast Structure and Future Episodes


Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

Find David:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/today.iam.grateful/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@today.iam.grateful
YouTube:  @today.iam.grateful  

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

InnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool
→ yourinnervue.com
Use code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report

☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:
→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20
Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.

🧠 More from Jack:
► Website: https://jackwagoner.co
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner

⸻
🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

Stay grateful, stay hungry.

Send us Fan Mail

Most people travel across the world chasing postcards and Instagram photos. But the kids at Buckingham Palace weren’t watching the guards — they were chasing pigeons.

In this solo episode, I break down why the little things might actually be the biggest sources of joy. From Yuval Noah Harari’s idea of “shared realities” to why our culture conditions us to love the Eiffel Tower more than our backyard, I explore:
 • Why chasing happiness often leaves us disappointed
 • How our expectations dilute joy
 • Why children might be the real teachers of happiness
 • What travel habits reveal about our deeper psychology
 • How to find joy in ordinary places (yes, even pigeons)

If you’ve ever wondered why that big trip didn’t feel as magical as you expected, this episode is for you.

👉 If this resonates, share it with someone who’s been chasing the wrong thing. Let’s grow the Grateful community together.

Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support


📺 Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grateful-podcast-with-jack-wagoner/id1725776061
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5EsTEpQAjU4BxUrDoFyZ6b

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

InnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool
→ yourinnervue.com
Use code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report

☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:
→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20
Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.

🧠 More from Jack:
► Website: https://jackwagoner.co
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner

⸻
🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

Stay grateful, stay hungry.

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever achieved something you thought would make you happy… only to feel a hollow kind of disappointment instead? In this solo episode, I dig into new Harvard research on how mind-wandering and overthinking steal joy, and why chasing big goals doesn’t necessarily bring peace. We’ll explore personal stories, psychological traps, and small shifts that actually move the needle — not just on success, but on contentment.

Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

Key Takeaways:
 • Happiness isn’t a finish line you cross with a goal — often, the chasing steals the joy.
 • Your mind wandering to what could be is a huge thief of contentment.
 • Metrics (followers, achievements) can feel empty unless anchored in meaning.
 • Tiny rituals + gratitude + noticing small wins help you feel grounded now, not later.

Resources & References:
 • Harvard study on mind wandering & well-being (Author, Year)
 • Article in Emotion (2024) on evaluative overthinking


📺 Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grateful-podcast-with-jack-wagoner/id1725776061
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5EsTEpQAjU4BxUrDoFyZ6b

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

InnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool
→ yourinnervue.com
Use code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report

☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:
→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20
Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.

🧠 More from Jack:
► Website: https://jackwagoner.co
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner

⸻
🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

Stay grateful, stay hungry.

Send us Fan Mail

In 1978, researchers compared two groups you’d never expect: lottery winners and accident victims who had become paraplegic. The results shocked the world.

Within a year, both groups had returned to nearly the same level of happiness as before.

This is the science of hedonic adaptation — our brain’s tendency to normalize no matter what happens. Winning millions. Losing everything. We always come back to baseline.

But here’s the hopeful part: your baseline isn’t fixed. You can raise it.

In this episode, I break down:
 • The famous “lottery vs. paraplegic” study on baseline happiness.
 • Why we imagine extremes in the future (arrival fallacy).
 • Four science-backed ways to elevate your baseline happiness: gratitude, relationships, purposeful work, and meditation.
 • How to frame the future realistically so you’re no longer disappointed by extremes.

🎧 Whether you’re chasing big goals or recovering from setbacks, this episode will show you how to live at a higher baseline.

👉 If you find value in this, please leave a review — it helps the show grow and reach more people who need this message.

Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

📺 Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grateful-podcast-with-jack-wagoner/id1725776061
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5EsTEpQAjU4BxUrDoFyZ6b

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

InnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool
→ yourinnervue.com
Use code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report

☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:
→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20
Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.

🧠 More from Jack:
► Website: https://jackwagoner.co
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner

⸻
🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

Stay grateful, stay hungry.

Send us Fan Mail

Chad Sonkin lost everything — and somehow came out laughing. This conversation is alive with energy, truth, and the kind of wisdom you only earn through failure. It’s not about grinding harder, it’s about betting on yourself when no one else will, finding joy while you shovel the hard stuff, and adjusting your sail when the wind shifts.

Key Discussion Points:
• Betting on yourself when no one else will
• Turning collapse into a breakthrough
• Laughing in the middle of pain
• The danger of dreaming too small
• Why fun is your secret weapon
• Gratitude × ambition: the real formula
• Playing life as the infinite game

If this episode sparked something in you, share it with someone chasing big dreams — or drop a review to let me know what hit home.

The Grateful Podcast with Jack Wagoner
Episode 101

Chapters:
00:00 The Power of Inner Belief
06:53 Embracing Failure as a Path to Growth
13:59 Adjusting Your Sails: Navigating Life's Challenges
21:46 The Pursuit of Purpose and Presence
30:10 Finding Harmony Between Gratitude and Ambition
39:06 The Infinite Game: Long-Term Success
54:54 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Dreams


Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

InnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool
→ yourinnervue.com
Use code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report

☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:
→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20
Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.

🧠 More from Jack:
► Website: https://jackwagoner.co
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner

⸻
🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

Stay grateful, stay hungry.

Send us Fan Mail

Hitting 100 episodes feels wild. I started The Grateful Podcast as a 16-year-old kid in France with nothing but curiosity and a mic. Today I’m looking back at the biggest lessons from this journey—the ones that reshaped how I think, how I live, and what I want to build going forward.

Key Discussion Points
• Gratitude rewires your brain for joy
• Do the hard thing, not busywork
• Beliefs put ceilings on our potential
• Non-attachment means embracing all of life
• Anxiety is an engine light, not the problem
• Fame and money don’t equal fulfillment
• Balancing gratitude with ambition daily

This is a thank-you episode—for every single person who has tuned in, shared an episode, or just reminded me why I keep going. I’m nowhere near done.

00:00–03:24 Why 100 episodes matters
03:24–06:49 Gratitude rewires your brain -   ⁨ @today.iam.grateful | 33
06:49–10:21 Stop polishing the pedestal -  @JonathanGoodmanCoach   | 41
10:21–13:28 Beliefs that cap your ceiling -  @Jbirdfit   | 53
13:28–17:19 Non-attachment, eyes-open practice -  @susan-piver | 65
17:19–20:30 Anxiety is a check engine light -  @RuggedCounseling   | 91
20:30–23:06 Fame and money won’t fill you -  @DavidMeltzer   | 99
23:06–27:30 Gratitude and ambition, one path

Tune in, reflect with me, and if this show has meant something to you, share it with someone who could use a little gratitude today.

Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2302168/support

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7rwtc5s_KcTZMHSJng-FQ

Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏

⸻

🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]

💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.

⸻

🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

Support the show

InnerVue — a complete self-awareness tool
→ yourinnervue.com
Use code GRATEFUL20 to receive 20% off a Tier 1 InnerVue, along with a complimentary coach-led debrief of your report

☕ Magic Mind — My daily performance shot:
→ https://magicmind.com/wagoner20
Use code WAGONER20 for 20% off a package or 48% off a subscription.

🧠 More from Jack:
► Website: https://jackwagoner.co
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
► 1:1 Coaching: [email protected]
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jack_Wagoner

⸻
🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking.  My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

Stay grateful, stay hungry.