If your energy crashes after meals, your HRV is low, or you suspect low T, this episode is your blueprint.

Max Marchione—Founder/CEO of Superpower—breaks down the health “foundations” that actually move the needle: lab testing, gut & metabolic health, endocrine disruptors, HRV, and micro‑habits you can stack into a busy life. We also get into risk, culture, and modern masculinity.

What you’ll learn

• Why testing beats guessing (labs, ApoB/Lp(a), vitamin D, prediabetes)

• How gut health and metabolism drive mood, energy, and stress

• HRV 101: what it is, why high performers often have high HRV, and how to raise it

• Micro‑habits that compound (elevator meditations, 5.5/5.5 breathing, “micro‑moments”)

• Testosterone & today’s environment: behavior, toxins, and practical fixes

• Building teams & culture where fun is a performance input

• Risk math for founders: “price risk right” and move faster

Chapters (approx.)

00:00 Cold open

07:05 Teenage Max: rule‑breaking, early ventures, health struggles

09:43 DIY diagnostics: CGMs, gut tests, mercury, pushing doctors

11:31 Stress & anxiety: fix sleep, gut, hormones first

12:57 Small levers: breathing, supplements, “micro” stress management

15:08 Why lab testing changes behavior

16:26 Common 2025 patterns: vitamin D, ApoB/Lp(a), prediabetes

18:04 Why Superpower now; consumer health turning point

21:19 Focus > doing everything; killing v1 & dropping price

23:46 Risk math: “I don’t take much risk—I price it better”

25:57 Culture, failure, parenting & school conditioning

28:39 Testosterone & modern behavior

32:49 Endocrine disruptors, BPA, mold, air quality

36:39 The Superpower protocol: from data to action

37:51 Transformation story

40:12 Social health & community

43:26 Burnout: find the “why”

44:08 HRV explained; why high performers often have high HRV

47:16 Passive optimization: elevator meditations

50:09 Micro‑moments that compound

51:58 Building a healthy office; fun as a performance input

54:17 Banking vs ideal culture

57:07 What it means to be a man today

59:45 2026 goal: do 5 years in 1

Michael C Bryan grew up in the 70s and 80s, queer, flamboyant, and full of light, in a world that told him he was too much, too different, and not a “real man.”

In this raw, emotional, and often hilarious conversation, Michael shares the truth about growing up gay in a violently homophobic time, surviving sexual trauma, reclaiming his identity after being kicked out by his family, and what it really means to be a man today.

We talk about:

• How gay men internalize shame around masculinity

• The forgotten trauma of queer boyhood

• Reparenting your inner child

• Why rage can be a creative force

• And how emotional freedom is spiritual freedom

Michael also leads a powerful guided visualization at the end of the episode that left me almost in tears.

If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t belong in the “rules of manhood” you were handed, this episode will meet you exactly where you are. Full episode is now live.

Your home might be making you anxious, and you don’t even know it.

In this first-ever documentary-style episode of The Optimist, filmed in partnership with Ozarke, Jake explores how something as simple as your lighting and décor can drastically affect your mental health, focus, and recovery.

From cold, white fluorescent bulbs that trigger stress to warm, ambient light that helps your body relax, the way your space is designed might be quietly shaping how you think, feel, and perform every day.

Featuring Alex Elsaadi, founder of Ozarke, this episode goes deep into how lighting impacts mood, productivity, sleep, and even sex, plus the design choices that can completely change your energy at home.

If you’ve ever wondered why you feel drained in your own apartment or restless at work, this one’s for you.

Timestamps

00:00 — Intro: Why your environment matters more than you think

03:00 — Alex Elsaadi: From oil & gas to lighting design

06:00 — The science behind light and mood

09:00 — Warm light vs. white light: what your brain prefers

13:00 — Why bad lighting triggers anxiety

16:00 — How lighting affects productivity and creativity

20:00 — The simple home upgrades that change everything

23:00 — Why your couch, coffee table, and lamp all matter

26:00 — Smart lighting, circadian rhythm, and better sleep

30:00 — How lighting impacts recovery and athletic performance

33:00 — The psychology of lighting for sex and intimacy

38:00 — Why most men underestimate their space

44:00 — The small design details that completely shift your mindset

48:00 — The hidden connection between home design and mental health

52:00 — Final thoughts: your space is your nervous system

Most men aren’t depressed.

They’re bored, comfortable, and missionless.

Chris Griffin built one of the biggest podcasts in Australia and was nearly canceled for speaking his mind. Instead of backing down, he doubled down. In this brutally honest conversation, we talk about pain, purpose, authenticity, cancel culture, and the epidemic of weak men.

This episode isn’t for the easily offended.

It’s for anyone who’s tired of excuses and ready to take radical ownership of their life.

⏱️

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 – Building the biggest podcast in Australia

03:00 – Why the podcast industry is outdated

05:00 – The truth about fame, money, and losing brand deals

10:00 – Jake explains The Optimist and why modern masculinity is broken

13:00 – Discipline, ownership, and mental toughness

14:00 – The making of Chris Griffin: from small-town kid to global creator

17:00 – The “curious educator” and how he found his purpose

22:00 – Why blaming your parents keeps you stuck

25:00 – Escaping victimhood and staying present

28:00 – The problem with entitlement and soft culture

31:00 – Getting canceled, owning your truth, and finding freedom

33:00 – Why nothing is ever personal

34:00 – Purpose, power, and The Alchemist

36:00 – You don’t find your purpose — you evolve toward it

37:00 – How to find your thing: authenticity over noise

41:00 – Matthew McConaughey and the art of being yourself

43:00 – Confidence, ego, and learning to be unfazed by chaos

46:00 – Missionless men and the cost of comfort

50:00 – The truth about pain, purpose, and personal accountability

54:00 – What men and women actually want from each other

01:03:00 – The rise of weak men and the confusion of modern masculinity

01:07:00 – How to rebuild strength, purpose, and meaning

01:20:00 – What it really means to be a man today

This episode is a mirror.

If you’ve been coasting, if you feel stuck, if you’re wondering where your fire went — watch this.

Chris Griffin doesn’t hold back.

And maybe that’s exactly what we need right now.

🎧 Subscribe to The Optimist for more real conversations about modern masculinity, mental health, and meaning.

Ben Forest spent 25 years in the Air Force, rose to Lieutenant Colonel, and hit rock bottom.

On Veterans Day, he walked into a hospital and told the nurse, “I want to die.”

That moment changed everything.

He quit his job. He left the military. And in one heroic dose of psilocybin, he found something he never thought he’d feel again…peace.

In this conversation, Ben and I dive deep into psychedelics, masculinity, healing, and the emotional constipation that keeps so many men stuck.

This isn’t a drug story. It’s a story about awakening, and what happens when men finally face themselves.

00:00 – The day Ben almost ended his life

07:00 – The “American Dream” that became a nightmare

10:45 – Walking into the psych ward: the moment everything changed

14:00 – The first psilocybin ceremony that rewired his life

18:45 – What it feels like to release generations of pain

22:00 – From military commander to spiritual seeker

27:30 – Why psychedelics are so hard to describe

32:15 – DMT, ego death, and seeing “God” for the first time

40:00 – Why psychedelics help men feel again

43:00 – Shame, masculinity, and the epidemic of emotional constipation

46:15 – The courage to say “I’m sad”

49:00 – The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek

51:00 – Psychedelics as a rite of passage for men

57:00 – The rise of “grandfather energy” and secure masculinity

01:00:00 – The crisis of modern manhood

01:07:00 – What rites of passage and adversity teach men

01:15:00 – How men can heal men

01:22:00 – What it truly means to be a man

This episode is a mirror.

For men who’ve shut down. For men who’ve lost their fire.

And for anyone ready to turn their pain into purpose.

🎧 Listen now. Subscribe to The Optimist.

Because healing isn’t soft. It’s dangerous.

Episode Timestamps:

Alvaro Nuñez has done what most people would call impossible:- 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days.

- A 6-day ultra in the Sahara Desert with a 35-pound vest.

- A 3,000-mile bike race across America.

- Ironman and Ultraman World Championships.

But beneath the superhuman résumé is a much deeper story: one of heartbreak, vulnerability, mental health battles, and the raw conversations he had with himself in total darkness.

In this episode of The Optimist, we talk about:- Why doing “impossible” things can’t just be about validation.

- How to channel pain, anger, and heartbreak into fuel.

- The Japanese concept of Misogi and why one impossible challenge a year can change your life.

- What it means to be a man today and why listening might be the hardest challenge of all.

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Alvaro’s insane list of endurance feats

05:40 – What Alvaro is really struggling with right now

10:25 – Social media, validation, and emptiness

16:40 – Finding your purpose: an engineer’s guide to your “why”

23:55 – Silent retreats, darkness caves, and the hardest conversations with yourself

32:10 – Vulnerability, fear, and turning lessons into action

39:45 – The Japanese concept of Misogi: one impossible challenge a year

49:20 – Race Across America: fighting for his father, not quitting, and finding a deeper why

1:05:10 – Using heartbreak and betrayal as fuel

1:17:30 – Why doing hard things matters for men and mental health

1:28:15 – The Sahara Desert race: carrying the weight of depression—literally

1:43:10 – Breaking big goals into small steps when everything feels impossible

1:52:20 – The role of community and surrounding yourself with high achievers

2:00:00 – What it means to be a man today: provide, protect, and communicate

2:09:50 – The most powerful story Alvaro has never shared—saving a friend from suicide

2:20:15 – Call to action: Who in your life needs you to really listen?

We live in a toxic world. Processed food, industrial chemicals, polluted air and water, stress, blue light, pharmaceuticals…the list goes on. Our bodies were never designed to handle this constant chemical assault.

And yet, when we hear the word detox, most men dismiss it as a “feminine” wellness trend; juice cleanses, lemon water, and supplements that sound more like lifestyle accessories than survival tools.In this episode of The Optimist, I sit down with Meghan Swidler, holistic health and detox coach, to break down:

- Why detox has been branded as feminine, and why that’s dangerous.

- How toxins are silently clogging your system and destroying performance.

- Why *real detox* isn’t about deprivation, but liberation.

- Practical, science-backed steps you can take right now to reclaim your energy, focus, and vitality.

If you’re a high-performing man who’s been ignoring detox, this conversation may hit you harder than you expect. Because the truth is: you can’t out-train, out-supplement, or out-hustle a toxic body.

👉 Subscribe to The Optimist for more unfiltered conversations on masculinity, performance, and mental health.

We have a crisis on our hands.

Most men walking around today look like men. They have jobs, relationships, and responsibilities…

But emotionally they’re still operating as little boys. And it’s killing their ability to lead, to love, and to hold a safe frame in relationships.

In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Jake sits down with men’s coach Ryan Moresby to break down:

• Why modern men never went through the essential rites of passage that turn boys into men

• How this lack of initiation shows up in relationships, careers, and personal integrity

• The subtle ways men outsource their emotional stability to women (without even realizing it)

• The dangerous ripple effects this has on families, children, and the future of our communities

• How to start doing “the work” to reclaim your mature, grounded masculine energy

This is not a soft conversation. This is a wake-up call.

If you’ve been coasting, hiding, or avoiding your own growth, this one is going to sting.

But if you want to build the kind of life, relationship, and legacy you can be proud of… it starts here.

Listen now. Then do something about it.

Ben Sharf is a Division 1 athlete turned founder, creator, and podcast host. But behind his calm confidence is a story of deep insecurity, fear of failure, and the relentless pressure to always do more.

In this raw conversation, we dive into:

• The injury that derailed his hockey career and changed his identity

• How one phone call almost made him quit the sport forever

• Why high-achieving men are often the most insecure

• Social media, self-worth, and chasing validation in public

• Why success still doesn’t feel like success

• His evolving relationship with therapy, presence, and masculinity

This episode is for the guy who feels like he should be happy, but can’t quite figure out why he still feels behind.

You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through life. You’re not alone.

If you’ve ever seen someone intriguing at a coffee shop, networking event, or gym, but felt paralyzed about approaching them, this episode is for you.

Jake sits down with psychologist and charisma expert Beggie Olafs to crack open the hidden playbook on confidently connecting with anyone, anywhere. They dive into the psychology behind why rejection terrifies us, how simple interactions can dramatically reshape your life, and tactical scripts you can start using immediately to engage with strangers in everyday scenarios.

From mastering the gym approach (without being creepy) to breaking the ice at bars, grocery stores, or coffee shops, Beggie reveals practical, proven methods to overcome anxiety and build genuine connections.

What if every stranger was a potential new friend, partner, or business collaborator? After listening, you’ll never see an interaction with a stranger the same way again.

Listen in to learn:

• Why fear of rejection is rooted deeply in human evolution—and how to hack it.

• Simple, actionable conversation starters for everyday situations.

• How your energy can magnetically draw people to you.

• Why remembering names and telling compelling stories makes you unforgettable.

Turn fear into excitement. Strangers are just connections you haven’t made yet.