The SuperHuman Academy Podcast

As someone who specializes in accelerated learning, I'm really excited about this week's guest, Peter C. Brown. After retiring from management consulting, he has published a number of books on money making ventures for nonprofits, jumping the job track, and most recently, a book entitled "Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning." In fact, his book and mine are consistently battling it out for the top spot on Amazon's list of best books about learning, so you know, i just had to reach out to him and compare notes on how the strategies for successful long-term learning versus those for accelerated learning compare.

Our guest today is Carl Paoli, a movement expert, elite gymnast, a trainer, and an all around superhuman. In his home country of Spain, he competed for over 15 years, rising through the ranks as a gymnast, while exploring a range of other sports from snowboarding to water skiing and martial arts. In 2004, he left what he thought would be a career in Marine Biology to return to the world of movement and fitness, and his meteoric rise to prominence has been something to marvel at...

Today, he is one of the most respected CrossFit trainers in the world, working with greats like Kelly Starrett and our former guest, Diane Fu. However, whereas Diane brings a unique power-lifting aspect to the world of CrossFit, he brings a vast knowledge of gymnastics and kinesiology. In addition to training at SF CrossFit and running his own program called Naka Athletics, he has recently published a book with called FreeStyle, which teaches us how to maximize our Sport and Life performance with just four basic movements.

This conversation is really going to blow you away. I went into the conversation expecting to geek out on kinesiology and physical performance, and honestly, Carl offered that and much, much more. We talk about family. We talk about the mindset of success. We talk about prioritizing the things that matter in life. Carl is an amazing guy who has so much wisdom to offer both in and out of the gym, and I know he's going to inspire you to be as superhuman as he is.

My guest today is published author, behavioral investigator, and fellow Udemy instructor Vanessa Van Edwards. She is a professional people watcher—speaking, researching and cracking the code of interesting human behavior for audiences around the world. Her groundbreaking workshops and courses teach individuals how to succeed in relationships and in life by understanding the hidden dynamics of people. Besides being a Huffington Post columnist and Penguin author, She has been featured on NPR, the Wall Street Journal, the Today Show and USA Today. She has even written for CNN, Fast Company and Forbes.

Cool fact - she was actually trained by Dr. Paul Ekman, who is the real-life version of the main character in the popular show "Lie To Me."

You'll notice that we dive pretty deep and geek out on body language and charisma really fast. What can I say? Vanessa is, after all, an expert in communication and getting people to open up. The end result is an interview jam-packed with usable tips and inspiring anecdotes that will get you sitting up straight and paying more attention to the image you are presenting! I know you're going to enjoy it.

My guest for this episode is Luis Congdon, an expert in helping people form strong and lasting relationships. In this episode, we learn some very personal stories from Luis, who explains how he pulled himself up from a very difficult upbringing and a broken home in drug-torn Medellin, Colombia, and spent years training himself and contributing to the nation's largest ever study on what makes human relationships work. Through his website and podcast, Lasting Love Connection, and through his popular retreats and seminars, Luis has helped thousands of couples reach better communication and understanding. He was gracious enough to share with us his deeply moving story, his thoughts on why a strong, healthy relationship is an essential part of becoming superhuman, as well as tons of really impactful and practical tips for achieving that type of relationship.

My guest today is one of the most notable and respected names in the CrossFit world, and an accomplished Olympic weightlifting specialist. If you've ever visited a CrossFit gym anywhere in the world and seen a chart on the wall demonstrating the ideal Olympic lifting movements and positions, you might already been familiar with her. She has been in the fitness industry all of her professional life, and has trained and worked early on with the great Kelly Starrett at SF CrossFit, long before either of them were what they are today. More recently she has competed nationally as an Olympic lifter, and is the head coach at FuBarbell. On another note, she's just a crazy-strong lady who breaks barriers and personal records like it's her business - and actually, it kind of is!

For those who are interested in optimizing health or getting more out of their workouts, this interview will offer a lot of value. It's also a really lively conversation, and has tons of entertainment value!

Our interview with Chad Foreman, Chad Foreman, a former Tibetan Buddhist monk from Australia. After spending 6 years in a monastery studying from the most respected gurus in the world, Chad began spreading the seeds of their wisdom. Since 2004, he has amassed a following of 1.5 Million people for his organization, The Way of Meditation, and continues to touch lives and inspire through workshops and one-on-one training. Whether or not you currently have a meditation practice, this episode will offer you a lot of tips and inspiration to start or improve it. Chad is a truly inspiring and thoughtful speaker, and I am confident you'll enjoy listening to him as much as I enjoyed interviewing him.

A lively interview with Ms. Jennifer Cassetta, a clinical nutritionist, personal trainer and 3rd degree black belt in Hapkido with a passion to empower women to be strong, safe and sexy. But gentlemen, don't tune out just yet!

Jennifer created the popular Stilettos and Self Defense DVD series, has recently published a book, and has been featured on The Today Show, The Doctors, E! and many more. She teaches empowerment, safety and self defense workshops around the country while she continues her nutrition and corporate wellness practice in Los Angeles.

As you will quickly notice, Jennifer and I really had fun chatting, and we go on a lot of interesting but kind of unrelated tangents. Whether you're a male or a female, this episode will offer you a lot of value and maybe remind you of some important mindset adjustments you should be keeping in mind. We talk about all kinds of different ways to defend your mind, your heart, and your body from would-be attackers, ranging from being conscious of what types of things and people you expose yourself to all the way to grass-fed beef. Furthermore, for the men in the audience, Jennifer's wisdom will definitely offer you some great insights and ideas that you can share with the women in your life to help them stay happy, healthy, and safe. I think you'll have a lot of fun listening to it, and I hope you take a lot away from it, as well.

This week's guest is quite possibly one of the toughest, fiercest women on the planet - seriously. Her name is Adi Rotem, and she holds no less than 2 WORLD championship titles in Thai boxing, from both the WAKO and WFCA organizations. As if that weren't enough, Adi holds a third degree black belt and seven consecutive Israeli national championship titles in mixed martial arts. She also served in the Israeli Defense Forces as a Krav Maga instructor, and has more recently competed in a reality TV show in the Enfusion style of martial arts. Basically, if it is a form of martial arts, Adi has either trained in it or won a title in it. When you hear Adi speak and tell her story, you'll immediately understand just how deep her determination goes. It's a very inspiring story that will help you understand just how much determination it takes to earn the title "World Champion."

If you take away just one thing from this interview, it should be this: Hard work and determination outweigh natural talent any day of the week.

Our guest this week is Ryan Ford, an internationally-recognized expert and coach in a lesser-known and fascinating sport called "parkour." If you have never seen a video of Parkour, it's a sport where people in urban environments climb, jump, flip, twist, and generally maneuver through their environment like Batman or Spiderman. Besides performing world-wide for dozens of respected organizations and competitions, Ryan is also an accomplished entrepreneur, with a network of his own gyms and online businesses. His success - and superhuman feats - have lead to media attention from such media giants as the New Yorker, TIME, and ESPN.

Whether or not you have a burning desire to jump off of rooftops, this interview will offer you a lot of awesome takeaways, ranging from fitness advice, tips on how to avoid injuries, ideas on how to turn your passion into an entrepreneurial career, and a better understanding of how one should approach obstacles - both physical and mental. I know you're going to enjoy it!