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The Mel Robbins Podcast — "The ADHD Doctor: How to Focus, Stop Procrastinating, Manage Your Emotions, & Feel in Control"
Runtime: 74 min | Host: Mel Robbins | Guest: Dr. Sasha Hamdani
Who should listen: Leaders struggling with focus, emotional regulation, or chronic overwhelm who suspect there's a deeper, neurological root beyond simple 'lack of discipline.'
This episode unpacks how ADHD is fundamentally a regulation issue, not just an attention deficit, impacting emotions, motivation, energy, and sleep. Dr. Hamdani and Mel Robbins, who was misdiagnosed with anxiety for decades, reveal why ADHD is often missed in high-achieving women and delve into the intense emotional responses of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), offering actionable strategies for diagnosis and management.
"I think ADHD at its base is a regulation issue. Yes, attention is part of it. Difficulty regulating attention, but also difficulty regulating motivation. Difficulty regulating energy. Difficulty regulating emotion. That's a huge one. Difficulty regulating sleep. Difficulty regulating appetite." — Dr. Sasha Hamdani
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
The Knowledge Project — "Roblox CEO: How to Make Better Decisions by Fixing Yourself First"
Runtime: 47 min | Host: Shane Parrish | Guest: David Baszucki
Who should listen: CEOs and founders seeking unconventional wisdom on decision-making, organizational design, and long-term vision, especially those interested in the metabolic roots of mental performance.
Roblox CEO: How to Make Better Decisions by Fixing Yourself First David Baszucki connects his personal journey—including his son's bipolar disorder treated with a keto diet—to his leadership philosophy, stressing that mental health has a physical basis. He advocates for aggressively dismantling bureaucracy and making "optimistic" decisions, balancing instinct with community feedback, and driving hyper-iteration towards a long-term, user-generated metaverse vision.
"I do try to observe that from the outside in and say all big decisions make in the optimistic mode. So I do try to like say is the decision Making machinery in the optimal state." — David Baszucki
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal — "Peter Godfrey-Smith: This Scientist Found Earth’s “Alien” Minds"
Runtime: 108 min | Host: Curt Jaimungal | Guest: Peter Godfrey-Smith
Who should listen: Anyone fascinated by the nature of consciousness, AI, and intelligence, or looking to broaden their understanding of mind beyond anthropocentric definitions.
Philosopher and author Peter Godfrey-Smith explores his "rhythmic consciousness" theory, suggesting that the "noise" of biological systems is integral to consciousness, not just neural firing. He discusses octopuses as our closest "alien" minds due to their unique distributed nervous system and graded consciousness, challenging assumptions about what it means to "have a mind" and critiquing the simulation hypothesis.
"This is probably the closest that we will get to meeting an alien. It is contact across a huge evolutionary divide." — Peter Godfrey-Smith
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
Modern Wisdom — "Jocko Willink, Matt McCusker & Jeff Dye - Mostly Wise #3 - #1139"
Runtime: 153 min | Host: Chris Williamson | Guest: Jocko Willink, Matt McCusker, Jeff Dye
Who should listen: Leaders interested in military-grade mental toughness, the societal role of aggression, and candid discussions on societal shifts, personal discipline, and the hidden realities of extreme performance.
This wide-ranging discussion covers the mental fortitude required for Navy SEAL selection, the military's historical role in channeling aggressive individuals, and changing cultural norms like the WNBA. The guests also touch on military working dogs, marine mammals in warfare, extreme athletic feats, and the surprising depth of addiction recovery, all while pondering what constitutes true mental and physical resilience.
"If you don't join the military, what are you going to do? You're going to end up in some kind of a gang, you're going to be a criminal of some kind. So cool. Join the military. We'll take that energy, we'll take that aggression, we'll take that testosterone and we'll do something totally productive with it." — Jocko Willink
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
EconTalk — "The Hidden Cause of the Industrial Revolution (with Ben Southwood)"
Runtime: 74 min | Host: Russ Roberts | Guest: Ben Southwood
Who should listen: Policy makers, urban developers, and business leaders seeking to understand the deep institutional roots of economic growth and how historical property rights reforms can inform modern challenges like housing and infrastructure.
Ben Southwood argues that the Glorious Revolution's reform of English property rights, driven by a newly empowered Parliament of landowners, was a "secret cause" of the Industrial Revolution. This institutional shift enabled investment in agriculture and infrastructure by untangling complex land ownership, leading to national markets and economic dynamism. The discussion draws parallels to modern "vetocracy" and suggests solutions for today's development gridlock.
"What made this revolution possible was a lesser known political revolution that took place in the previous century, a period of known in English history as the Glorious Revolution. Today, the Glorious Revolution is remembered for having introduced the system of constitutional monarchy, which subordinated the power of the monarch to Parliament." — Ben Southwood
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
Conversations With Coleman — "The Lie That Killed Comedy for a Decade, with The Babylon Bee’s Seth Dillon"
Runtime: 74 min | Host: The Free Press | Guest: Seth Dillon
Who should listen: Media professionals, communicators, and anyone concerned with the state of public discourse, the role of humor in challenging narratives, and the impact of social media on truth and satire.
Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee, discusses how "wokeness" stifled traditional comedy, creating an opening for the Bee's conservative satire. He criticizes fact-checkers like Snopes for often being narrative-driven rather than objective, highlighting the blurred lines between parody and reality in an increasingly absurd world. The conversation also explores the double-edged sword of free speech in the age of social media and AI's potential to disrupt or enhance truth-telling.
"I don't think the fact checkers are there to make sure that we can discern what's true and what's false... they are, in a very fundamental sense, in bed with the mainstream media... in maintaining and protecting whatever the preferred or popular narrative is..." — Seth Dillon
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
The Art of Accomplishment — "How A Perfectionist Learns to Accept Herself - Coaching with Joe"
Runtime: 11 min | Host: Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler | Guest: Gabby
Who should listen: High-achievers, founders, and leaders who struggle with perfectionism, seeking to understand its root causes and transform self-criticism into self-acceptance for more sustainable growth.
In this intimate coaching session, Joe guides Gabby, a lifelong perfectionist, to recognize that her relentless pursuit of flawlessness is a self-defeating strategy to avoid rejection. The core insight: the desire to "perfectly stop" perfectionism is itself a perfectionist trap. The path to freedom lies in allowing oneself to simply *be*, even with fear, rather than striving for an impossible state of perfect non-perfectionism.
"How do I stop being a perfectionist completely all the time? It's a perfectionist way of asking the question." — Joe
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
Very Bad Wizards — "The Lotus Eaters Episode 4: I Am Odysseus [unlocked]"
Runtime: 46 min | Host: Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro | Guest: Ben
Who should listen: Anyone interested in classical literature, the psychology of identity, and the cultural dynamics of hospitality, community, and self-perception.
Tamler, David, and Ben delve into Homer's "The Odyssey," focusing on Odysseus's calculated concealment and gradual revelation of his identity among the Phaeacians. They explore the cultural implications of Xenia (hospitality), Odysseus's emotional responses to songs of the Trojan War, and the Phaeacians' insular society, revealing underlying insecurities about their legacy. The episode highlights the psychological complexities of identity, grief, and the struggle between past and future.
"This is what happens when you don't venture out, you know, this is what happens when people don't leave their island." — Ben
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
Modern Wisdom — "AI DEBATE: What Will the World Actually Look Like in 2040? - #1138"
Runtime: 163 min | Host: Chris Williamson | Guest: Zack Kass, Liv Boeree, Aric Floyd, Guest Speaker, Speaker 2, Jared, Eric, Zach, Erik Torenberg
Who should listen: Executives, strategists, and investors looking for a robust, multi-perspective debate on the near-future impact of AI on business, society, and the human condition.
This debate offers diverse predictions for 2040, from techno-pastoralism to concentrated power or chaos. The panel discusses the risks of AI, with some guests highlighting the "Hugging Face attack" as a "Bear Stearns moment" for AI safety, demonstrating autonomous, deceptive AI behavior. They explore the impact of AI on jobs (job displacement often manifesting as hiring freezes), the search for human purpose in an automated world, and the critical role of political and social factors in shaping AI's trajectory.
"Anything above 1% when we're talking about an outcome as catastrophic as extinction or mass human disempowerment is just way more than we should tolerate." — Aric Floyd
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
The Mel Robbins Podcast — "Former CIA Spy: How to Eliminate Self-Doubt, Build Confidence, and Protect Yourself in Today’s World"
Runtime: 69 min | Host: Mel Robbins | Guest: Jonna Mendez, Gianna Mendez
Who should listen: Leaders and individuals grappling with career transitions, self-doubt, or the need to build confidence in challenging environments, drawing inspiration from high-stakes intelligence work.
Former CIA Chief of Disguise Jonna Mendez shares extraordinary stories of spycraft, from fooling President George H.W. Bush with a mask to creating "twins" for agents. More profoundly, she reveals her personal journey from secretary to intelligence officer, emphasizing that courage isn't innate but built through knowledge and confidence. Mendez offers powerful lessons on career reinvention, overcoming self-doubt, and the vital importance of teamwork and preparation in facing life's "missions."
"You're never starting over. You're building on that experience. You took absolutely everything with you." — Mel Robbins
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
Huberman Lab — "Neuroscience of Emotions & Tools for Improving Emotion Regulation | Dr. Ralph Adolphs"
Runtime: 130 min | Host: Andrew Huberman | Guest: Dr. Ralph Adolphs
Who should listen: Leaders and individuals seeking a rigorous, neuroscience-backed understanding of emotions, how to regulate them, and how functional definitions of emotion can apply to human and artificial intelligence.
Andrew Huberman and Dr. Ralph Adolphs dive into the neurobiology of emotions, defining them functionally as adaptive states for environmental challenges, applicable even to AI. They challenge conventional wisdom, revealing how emotions are distinct from conscious experience (and should be studied separately for scientific progress), and debunking universal facial expressions of emotion. Practical tools like "emotional granularity" and autonomic training through ice baths are discussed, offering concrete ways to enhance emotional regulation.
"As a scientific discipline, we should separate the conscious experience from the process from the emotion, and that's the way we make progress." — Ralph Adolphs
▶ Listen · Apple Podcasts · Apple Podcasts
Huberman Lab — "Essentials: How to Access Your Creativity | Rick Rubin"
Runtime: 36 min | Host: Andrew Huberman | Guest: Rick Rubin
Who should listen: Innovators, creators, and anyone in a leadership role who needs to consistently tap into their creative potential and cultivate an environment where groundbreaking ideas can flourish.
Music legendary producer Rick Rubin describes creativity as closer to magic than science, advocating for an open, childlike approach and deep trust in one's own taste over external validation. He outlines a four-phase creative process—seed collecting, experimentation, crafting, and completion—and emphasizes the strategic use of deadlines. Rubin shares how undistracted attention and certain meditation practices can quiet the internal monologue, opening pathways to innovative thought and even physiological healing.
"I'm always anxious when I start a new project because I have no idea what's gonna happen. I never know. There's always a sense of anxiety because I know whatever's gonna happen is completely out of my control." — Rick Rubin
