The Prymal Podcast

Gary Fox, host of The Entrepreneur Experiment, more than 500 episodes interviewing successful founders, explains why some entrepreneurs quit while others succeed, and why the answer is simpler than most people expect.

Learn why founders run out of enthusiasm before they run out of money, whether grit can be learned, and how to tell if you're being gritty or naive.

Gary also shares how COVID wiped out his property business, how to ask busy people for advice, and what recording over 500 episodes taught him about outlasting others.

00:00 Founders Run Out Of Enthusiasm First

00:41 "It Was Me That Was Going To Fail"

01:45 Two Buckets, Energy Credits And Systems

04:57 Survivorship And The Chaos Of Year One

08:00 What Separates Founders Who Make It?

10:32 Can Grit Be Learned?

15:24 Naive Or Gritty: Persist Or Pivot?

21:52 Passion, Delegation, The Messy Middle

24:48 What He'd Do Differently In Property

29:47 Ask Someone One To Three Steps Ahead

34:24 Finding Mentors: Just Get Coffee

36:26 Why It's Never Been Easier To Stand Out

41:03 Bias To Action And Low-Energy Days

43:52 Knowing What You Don't Want

48:40 How To Filter Business Advice

51:59 Body, Brain And Bandwidth

55:54 The Founder Formula

1:01:32 Money, Happiness, The Messy Middle

1:06:51 Getting Past The PR Version Of A Guest

1:08:30 How He Picks Guests

1:11:49 The One Lesson From 500 Episodes

1:13:40 The Decade Anchor And Comparison

1:15:49 Growth Hacks Vs Business Goals

1:18:43 The Podcasting Work Nobody Sees

1:20:20 What Clipping Did And Didn't Do

1:24:56 COVID, Cabins And Buying A Forest

1:29:30 How COVID Nearly Killed The Podcast

1:31:42 Learning About Yourself Through Others

1:34:15 What Founders Should Focus On Next

1:38:39 Platforming Irish Founders

Why does life feel like it's flying by, and where do the years actually go? We dig into why time seems to speed up: body clocks, dopamine and the brain's "frame rate", and how our constant scrolling is literally stealing time while distorting our perceptions. The importance of presence to feel more of your life, and how little it feels we're actually 'here' for.

We discuss why "I can't switch off" is often running from a feeling and why slowing down feels boring before it feels better, and we don't agree on whether just noticing is enough.

Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00 Why Life Feels Like It's Flying By

02:56 Age, Body Clocks And How We Sense Time

06:22 Why You Don't Remember What You Scrolled

09:53 Dopamine And The Brain's "Frame Rate"

12:54 Why Last Week Is A Blur

16:50 Why Time Disappears In This Studio

17:52 Switching Off, Or Escaping A Feeling?

21:20 Needing Intensity To Feel Present

24:38 Modern Life And The Loss Of Boredom

28:27 From Optimising Time To Slowing Down

32:57 Living Against Your Natural Rhythms

35:05 The Trap Of Over-Optimising

39:50 Why So Few People Are Actually Present

44:48 Pulled By The Feed, Pushed By Feelings

48:33 What Might Slow Life Down

51:57 Your Phone And Getting Minutes Back

54:15 Organising Your Day Around Being Human

57:51 Death, Turning 40 And Being Here For It

59:36 The Grief Of Becoming Present

1:04:43 All We Have Is Right Now

Dr Michelle Hone, PhD, a female health and fertility nutritionist, and Dr Sarah Kelly, PhD in clinical exercise physiology, are the co-founders of Herology.

They explain what's normal in a menstrual cycle and what isn't, why painful, exhausting periods get dismissed as part of life, and why lifestyle comes before supplements. They also cover athletes who lose their period, how women were left out of research, and how to read a supplement label, along with some insights into their own incredible journey building Herology.

Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

00:00 Why Female Health Is Still Misunderstood

01:00 A PhD Who Didn't Know Pelvic Floor Therapy Existed

03:14 What Women Are Told To Accept

05:22 Refusing To Compromise On The Formula

09:12 Your Bloods Are Normal, But You Don't Feel Fine

11:31 Why Periods Are Still Treated As Shameful

14:58 Common Isn't Normal

16:09 Women Aren't Small Men: Why Research Left Women Out

20:24 Breastfeeding, Kids and Talking Openly About Periods

24:18 What Men Need To Understand About The Cycle

28:28 From First Period To Menopause: The Common Struggles

30:37 A Symptom-Free Cycle Isn't The Goal

31:51 Lifestyle First, Supplements Last

33:58 Athletes Who Lose Their Period

35:49 Your Cycle As A Vital Sign

41:18 Pixie Dusting: How Supplements Cut Corners

49:14 What Preventive Health Actually Means

55:58 How Two Scientists Built Herology

58:44 Health and Family Before Business

1:03:51 Balance Is Made In Everyday Decisions

1:05:14 Why People Only Change After A Crisis

1:12:22 The Hardest Part Of Running A Product Business

1:17:07 Good Feedback Spreads, Bad Feedback Spreads Like Wildfire

1:20:00 Read The Back Of The Pack

1:23:39 Trust Your Gut, Build A Bias For Action

1:27:21 Why Networking Is Overhyped

1:30:15 Closing Thoughts

Fatherhood, masculinity and what it actually takes to be a good man and a good person, with powerlifting coach Ian Grant and Alter Fuel founder Conor O'Keeffe.

Three fathers discuss the boundaries we set that our kids never see, what to tell your partner versus what to carry alone, what makes a good person and a good man, agency versus victimhood, why systems beat willpower and much more.

Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:01 Introductions

00:03:42 The Real Question: What Makes A Good Life

00:09:19 Standards, Mirrors and Raising Likeable Kids

00:19:26 The Walled Garden: Freedom Inside A Boundary You Don't See

00:23:30 Teaching A Skill Once, Then Stepping Back

00:51:23 Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants

00:57:38 What Dan's Parents Got Right, and Overdid

01:01:12 Ian On His Absent Father and His Mother's Flip

01:08:11 Kids Mimic What You Do, Not What You Say

01:17:22 Masculinity In Service Of Something Bigger Than Yourself

01:30:30 Would You Tell Your Wife If You Had Cancer?

01:34:42 Victim Or Responsible: The Social Media Question

01:39:25 Drink Responsibly, Scroll Responsibly

01:46:31 Should Kids Be Banned From Social Media

02:06:47 The Privilege Of A Hard Start

02:09:07 What You Tell Your Partner, and What You Carry Alone

02:17:17 The Cease and Desist Letter and the Miscarriage

02:27:29 Leave Your Runners By The Bed

02:30:17 The Way You Talk To Yourself

02:36:18 Closing Reflection and Where To Find Them

Everyone wants peace of mind.

But modern life seems to pull us further away from it.

Notifications. Distractions. Stress. Pressure. Feeling more overwhelmed, anxious and emotionally exhausted than ever.

Buddhist meditation teacher Kadam Adam Starr returns to explore why so many people struggle to slow down, why external success rarely creates lasting happiness, and why caring for your inner life has become one of the most important skills in the modern world.

This conversation explores the hidden imbalance between our external achievements and our internal wellbeing, offering a practical framework for cultivating greater peace, resilience and meaning without stepping away from everyday life.

• Why modern life leaves so many people feeling overwhelmed
• The hidden cost of constantly chasing external success
• Why your inner life deserves as much attention as your career
• Small daily practices that restore balance
• Why happiness isn’t found by doing more
• How to create more peace without escaping modern life
• Why meditation complements, not replaces, ordinary life
• The balance between ambition, achievement and inner wellbeing

Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:08 Why Peace Feels So Far Away

06:12 Why We're All So Overwhelmed

10:47 The Inner Life We Keep Ignoring

16:34 Your External Life vs Your Inner Life

20:13 The Challenge of Being Human Today

25:58 Why Success Doesn't Create Peace

31:20 The Problem With Constant Productivity

36:48 Building Better Mental Habits

42:14 Modern Life Is Moving Too Fast

47:40 Why We're Chasing the Wrong Things

01:03:12 Restoring Balance Without Leaving Society

01:09:54 Small Practices That Change Everything

01:16:33 Why This Matters More Than Ever

01:22:40 Final Reflections

Success can look perfect from the outside while being driven almost entirely by fear.

We explore ambition, uncertainty and the hidden cost of constantly pursuing the next achievement. Brian reflects on building a highly successful business, why scale eventually pulled him away from the work and life he genuinely valued, and how becoming a father changed his definition of success.

You’ll learn:

• How fear can disguise itself as ambition
• Why external success may still leave you disconnected
• The difference between living safely and living honestly
• How parenthood can fundamentally change your priorities
• Why constant work prevents difficult emotions from catching up
• How to create more space, presence and meaning in everyday life

Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:00 The Final Episode in the Old Studio

00:02:06 Bias Towards Action vs Having Nowhere to Be

00:03:52 When Opposite Behaviours Come From the Same Fear

00:05:53 Making Decisions Without Complete Certainty

00:09:18 Why Fear Stops People From Starting

00:13:29 Building a Successful Business You No Longer Want

00:16:46 How Becoming a Parent Changes Success

00:18:21 When Your Success Is Built Around Fear

00:22:57 How Do You Know What You Truly Want?

00:25:41 The False Promise of Certainty

00:28:41 Why Designing Your Own Life Can Feel Wrong

00:30:13 Productivity, Structure and Emotional Avoidance

00:32:11 Learning to Live Through Uncertainty

00:34:10 The Deathbed Test for Success

00:37:18 Using Work to Avoid Difficult Emotions

00:40:25 Why Life and Parenthood Feel Like They’re Flying By

00:42:12 Creating Space Between Emotion and Reaction

00:42:53 Moving Into the New Prymal Studio

00:44:22 Fear, Purpose and the Questions Without Answers

00:45:51 The Importance of People in Your Corner

Kadam Adam Starr is a Kadampa Buddhist Meditation teacher with nearly 3 decades of experience studying and practicing.

Most of us spend our lives trying to change our thoughts.

Very few of us ever stop to ask what thoughts actually are.

This conversation explores one of the biggest questions in psychology, meditation and human consciousness: what is the mind?

Adam explains the relationship between Buddhist psychology and modern Western psychology, why we become trapped inside our thoughts and emotions, and how learning to experience awareness directly can fundamentally change the way we relate to anxiety, anger, stress and suffering.

This episode explores how understanding the nature of the mind creates more space, compassion and freedom in everyday life.

You’ll learn:

• Why you are not your thoughts or emotions
• The difference between understanding the mind and experiencing it
• How meditation changes your relationship with anxiety and anger
• Why outrage is becoming our default emotional state
• The connection between neuroscience, psychology and Buddhist wisdom
• Practical ways to cultivate greater peace of mind

Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:14 Buddhist Psychology and Western Psychology

01:53 What Is the Mind?

10:05 A Guided Exercise to Experience Your Mind

14:50 Thoughts Are Clouds, Your Mind Is the Sky

17:46 Why You Are Not Your Thoughts

29:33 Understanding the Mind vs Experiencing It

35:53 How Awareness Changes Your Relationship With Anger

42:26 Does a Buddhist Still Get Angry?

44:12 Can Anger Ever Be Healthy?

48:39 How Social Media Trains Us to Be Angry

52:46 Looking at Your Phone More Than Your Mind

57:18 Is the Mind Different From the Brain?

1:04:34 Why You Shouldn’t Identify With Your Brain

1:10:42 Creating the Conditions for Peace of Mind

1:17:44 The Different Pieces of Mental Health

1:19:20 Tara Kadampa Meditation Centre

Brian O’Loughlin is a coach, podcaster, entrepreneur and regular guest on The Prymal Podcast. His work explores psychology, behaviour change and the deeper ideas that shape how people live.

This conversation explores several principles that have recently stood out as powerful ways of understanding human behaviour and personal growth.

Topics include:

• The difference between pain and suffering  

• Finite vs infinite games and how people approach life  

• Why psychological failure feels harder than physical failure  

• The beliefs that quietly shape behaviour  

• Awareness as the starting point for change  

• Humans living in environments we weren’t built for  

• The modern misunderstanding of Stoicism  

• Self-actualisation vs self-transcendence  

• Why meaning is closely tied to human connection

Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:15 Why Certain Ideas Stick With Us

00:05:10 Psychological vs Physical Failure

00:08:25 Pain vs Suffering

00:11:55 Why Humans Avoid Discomfort

00:15:40 Finite Games vs Infinite Games

00:21:05 Playing the Wrong Game in Life

00:26:10 How Beliefs Shape Behaviour

00:30:05 Awareness Before Change

00:34:40 Humans Living in the Wrong Environment

00:39:20 Stoicism and Modern Misinterpretations

00:43:30 Escaping Emotion Through Distraction

00:47:45 Self-Actualisation vs Self-Transcendence

00:51:30 Meaning Through Human Connection

00:55:10 Trust, Peace and the Nervous System

Kellie Fennell is a coach, business owner, speaker, parent, and podcast host who has achieved huge success helping others transform their minds and bodies - while quietly burning herself out in the process.

You’ll learn about:

• The productivity trap and performance-based identity

• Why behaviour change fails without belief change

• Pain vs suffering

• External metrics vs internal metrics

• Burnout at the height of success

• Internal locus of control

• The role of expectation in happiness

• How to create space instead of constant consumption

• Why healing isn’t becoming someone new - it’s remembering who you are

The discussion moves beyond fitness into identity, unlearning inherited beliefs, and giving yourself permission to change.

Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Pain vs Suffering

00:03:45 – Burnout at the Height of Success

00:08:10 – Performance Identity and Self-Worth

00:12:30 – Why Money Doesn’t Fix Misalignment

00:16:00 – The Productivity Trap

00:20:45 – External Metrics vs Internal Metrics

00:27:40 – The 5 Regrets of the Dying

00:37:00 – “You Have 6 Months Left” Thought Experiment

00:45:45 – Psychological Safety and Play

00:52:30 – Facing 18 Years of Avoided Grief

01:06:20 – Healing Isn’t Becoming Someone New

01:11:19 – You Can’t Sustain Behaviour Without Belief Change

01:16:19 – Stop Consuming, Create Space

01:18:51 – Accepting Emotion Instead of Escaping It

01:21:36 – The Lamb in the Oven: Unlearning Inherited Beliefs

01:23:55 – The Elephant Rope: Breaking Self-Limiting Beliefs

01:25:44 – Redefining the Mountain

01:32:17 – Giving Yourself Permission to Change

01:35:35 – The Power of Retreat and Space

Truth is messy, and most people confuse belief with fact. That’s why online discourse feels like everyone is fighting for “objective reality” when we’re all operating from different conditioning, experiences, and algorithms.

This episode explores the difference between subjective truth and objective truth, why “my truth” can become a defence mechanism, and how to stop outsourcing responsibility for how you feel.

Covering ego, fear, victimhood, echo chambers, and why the real work isn’t “finding truth” - it’s letting go of distortion so you can respond with more calm, clarity, and compassion.

If you’ve ever felt reactive, cynical, or exhausted by culture wars and certainty, this one will help you see what’s actually going on under the surface.

Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

00:00:00 Intro - calm year, why “truth” matters

00:00:34 Truth vs perception - why everyone thinks their view is objective

00:06:03 Death as “objective truth” and why meaning is still subjective

00:07:28 The real win - becoming less reactive to other people’s beliefs

00:12:26 The eulogy exercise - denial of death and “cope”

00:14:33 “My truth” - honest expression vs unchallengeable shield

00:20:32 Buddhism, psychedelics, and the “golden nugget” under conditioning

00:22:23 “My expression of the truth” - a better way to speak

00:25:11 Responsibility vs victimhood - owning what you express

00:26:21 The tell - “live this way so I feel safe”

00:28:46 Echo chambers and algorithm-shaped reality

00:31:16 Love, validation, and codependency as truth substitutes

00:36:08 Why most people agree on most things - nuance dies online

00:39:36 Fatherhood as a rite of passage for truth and accountability

00:46:48 “Tell the truth” - why truth is the adventure

00:48:24 Integration - notice the trigger, take responsibility, choose response