The Rich Roll Podcast

The pandemic presents an opportune time to get re-acquainted with Zach Bush, MD.

A triple board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine, endocrinology and hospice care, today's guest is an internationally recognized educator, speaker and authority on all facets of well-being.

Focused on the relationship between the microbiome, disease and food production systems, Zach is the founder of Seraphic Group, an organization devoted to developing root-cause solutions for human and ecological health in the sectors of big farming, big pharma, and Western Medicine at large

He is also the founder of Farmers Footprint, a non-profit coalition of farmers, educators, doctors, scientists, and business leaders aiming to expose the deleterious human and environmental impacts of chemical farming and pesticide reliance -- while simultaneously offering a path forward through regenerative agricultural practices to rebuild living biodiversity and ultimately reverse climate change.

To me, Zach is a master healer. A man I call friend. And a critical voice in the conversation we need to have in this unprecedented moment of global calamity.

Without minimizing the profound severity of our current situation, I cannot overstate the unique opportunity we are being gifted.

Like an addict’s moment of clarity, the pandemic presents a singular occasion to break the chains of denial that imprison us. A moment to objectively examine that which no longer serves us. The behaviors that repeatedly lead us astray. An economic system that demands constant growth at the cost of the collective good. A political system that preys on fear to divide. A conglomerated food apparatus that foments disease. A pharmaceutical complex that relies upon that disease to create dependency. And and ultimately a collective obsession with ego, power, money, and material consumption that is rapidly eroding our biosphere, degrading our integrity -- and separating us from others, ourselves and our innate divinity.

I aspire that we emerge from this planetary wake up call not as victims, but empowered -- armed with greater clarity to reimagine and actualize a better, more sustainable, purposeful, intentional and fulfilling life experience for ourselves, our loved ones, future generations and frankly the world at large.

I can think of few people better equipped to traverse this terrain than Zach, alongside me for his fourth appearance on the show.

Well worth your undivided attention, today he shares his unique perspective on the coronavirus epidemic in a conversation that goes behind what is happening. How to best navigate it. And what the pandemic signifies for humanity and the future of planetary ecology.

Audio Note: This podcast was recorded remotely. My first since the earliest days of the podcast, I admit a severe allergy to this dynamic. Being physically present with my guest is crucial to providing an optimal listening experience. However, sequestration demands I adapt. So this is my fairly reluctant attempt to do just that. Therefore, please excuse the audio quality, a somewhat eroded version of what you’ve come to expect. Sub-par bandwidth and latency issues impeded our ability to converse as naturally as I would have preferred -- more staccato back and forth than my hallmark organic flow.

Zach has a knack for landing our podcasts with unmatched profundity. And today he delivers a master class in thinking both deeply and broadly about this unique situation we are collectively experiencing.

I love this man. I’m grateful for his wisdom. And I’m proud to share it with you today.

May you find it equal parts instructive, enlightening and moving -- especially the end.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Today’s guest wants to give you the tools to get started, overcome creative blocks, and get your work into the hands of the people you most want to help. His name is Seth Godin.

He's the author of more than 19 international bestsellers, an entrepreneur, a speaker, and a climate activist. Through his work, Seth seeks to turn people’s lights on, inspire them to action, and teach them how to level up. And in today’s conversation we discuss creativity, writing, understanding the distinction between marketing and advertising, the pitfalls of modern education, and his most recent book, The Carbon Almanac, a one-stop-shop on everything we know about global climate change.

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Peace + Plants,

Rich

People ask me all day long for the secret ingredient to success and a comfortable way through personal transformation.

My enduring answer: there is none.

I believe in the individual potential for positive transformation. I’m also a self-help skeptic who greets most #lifehacks with profound hesitancy. There is a line between snake oil and efficacy—and that line is crossed more often than not. So if you struggle with self-confidence, making life changes, finding your purpose, or if the general vernacular that encircles self-improvement—words like motivation, inspiration, and passion—leave you more deflated than empowered, I feel you.

Today’s guest, the queen of grounded, science-backed personal development is here today to help us sort things out.

Meet the singular, multi-talented hyphenate Mel Robbins.

A former lawyer turned CNN legal analyst, turned mega-bestselling author and talk show host, Mel is a powerhouse and one of the most widely booked public speakers in the world. Her work includes the global phenomenon The 5 Second Rule, four #1 bestselling audiobooks, the #1 podcast on Audible, and her videos have over a billion cumulative views, including her TEDx Talk How to stop screwing yourself over—which has racked up over 27 million views alone.

The official occasion for this conversation is Mel’s brand new book, The High Five Habit—a must-read primer on how to make believing in yourself a habit so that you operate more empowered and with greater confidence.

However, this conversation is about so much more, packed with practical, life-altering, science and experience-based wisdom you (and myself included) need to hear.

Nobody loves making a real difference in people’s lives more than Mel. Her energy is infectious. Her authenticity and earnestness is palpable. Everyone at the studio fell in love with her—and I know you will too.

To read more click here. You can also watch listen to our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

My hope is that Mel’s message will do for you what it has for me—remind you to celebrate the small wins, cultivate that bias for action, and get out of your own damn way of creating the life of your dreams.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

We are living in a time of upgraded technology and downgraded humans.

Our collective ability to resist distraction and sustain attention is in decline.

Although will power plays a role, this problem is not entirely our fault—it’s the by-product of powerful forces incident to modern life.

Disconnection from nature. Disrupted sleep. Toxic environments. Predatory tech.

What exactly does a focus-less future augur? And what can be done to reclaim our ability to truly concentrate?

Back for his second appearance on the show, our steward for these existential questions is journalist & multiple New York Times bestselling author Johann Hari, who, when confronted with his own deteriorating attention span, dove deep into the individual and systemic solutions to this dispiriting collective trend.

Johann has written for the LA Times, Le Monde, and many other outlets, has two of the most-watched TED Talks, and has been profiled in essentially every prominent media outlet. His books include Chasing The Scream and Lost Connections,, which explores the roots of addiction, and was the subject of our first exchange back on episode #416. But today, he’s here to share big lessons from his latest book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention, which is a provoking journey into the forces robbing us of our attention and a look at how we might begin to reclaim our minds, and our lives.

Today’s conversation focuses on the problematic impact of big tech, smartphone addiction and surveillance capitalism on our well-being and that of our children.

We discuss the specific factors contributing to attention decline–from reduced sleep, environmental pollution, and something called the switch/cost effect, to chronic stress, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and disconnection from others and the natural world.

Beyond the many problems, we, of course, also address solutions—both systemic and individualistic—such that we may recapture our focus and be the best version of ourselves.

Johann is quite the entertaining storyteller, with humor that makes hard truths go down a little easier.

To read more, click here. You can also watch it all go down on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This is a hopeful conversation about how to build a life of greater joy, enhanced personal fulfillment, and focus. My wish is that it serves and enlightens.

Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Why is creativity vital? What is the nature of culture? And why is pursuing happiness futile?

Today we tackle this terrain and so much more in today’s rendition of ‘Roll On,’ wherein myself and my undefeated podcast co-pilot Adam Skolnick ‘get back’ to our original old school format.

Aside from serving as my magnanimous sidecar hype-beast, Adam Skolnick is an activist and veteran journalist best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me, co-author. Adam writes about adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently using the ‘new dad’ excuse to avoid working on his novel.

Today’s discussion includes the following topics:

• Remembering British photojournalist Tom Stoddart & Australian swimmer Jason Plummer;
• The ascent of Norwegian triathlon dominance;
• The Kyle Rittenhouse and Ahmaud Arbery verdicts;
• Oscar Pistorius’ prison transfer & restorative justice;
• Lawsuits involving Tyson Foods and Impossible Foods;
• Toby Morse’s new children’s book ‘One Life One Chance’; and
• ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ & ‘The Velvet Underground; documentaries

As always, we close things out by taking a few listener questions. Today we answer:

• How do optimize your caloric intake for recovery when intermittent fasting?
• Is happiness something that can realistically be achieved?
• How do you draw a line between people-pleasing and living a life of service?

Thank you to Al from Washington D.C., Kendall from Boulder, Colorado, and Abby from Colorado for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

To read more click here. You can also watch it all go down on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Enjoy the show!

Peace + Plants,

Rich