If you follow UFC and Conor McGregor, you already know him as the man who taught Conor how to move like a monkey. But you also might already know him as a world-renowned movement teacher of all disciplines. I’ve never met someone quite like Ido Portal. He is an obsessed student of movement and the body — which means he has also become an incredible teacher. Ido started studying different kinds of movement when he was a kid, got into martial arts, and from there traveled the world for years study...
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 39 min
He wanted to be a lawyer. A singer. An actor. He thought he’d never get married, let alone have kids. He just wanted his dad to be around to fill the hole in his heart left by his absence. But instead, life served John Gray a different opportunity. And he has created something extraordinary because he chose to take it. John is one of the most powerful speakers I’ve ever heard (I saw him at Oprah’s Super Soul Sessions recently). He’s also a recording artist, a pastor, an author, a husband, and a ...
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 8 min
You’ve never seen her on mainstream TV shows, movies, chart-topping singles, or billboard albums. But you probably have seen her videos on YouTube (or a clip on Facebook). Lilly Singh started making YouTube videos after battling severe depression in college. She started to re-connect with her childhood creativity and she started to get good at it. Good led to great, which led to millions of YouTube fans, huge entertainment opportunities, and one of the most recognized faces in the online enterta...
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 2 min
When Wilmer Valderrama moved to the U.S. from Venezuela as a teenager with his family, he hadn’t expected he’d need to know English in his lifetime. But when he got to Los Angeles and started getting involved in theater (as he had in Venezuela), he quickly realized not knowing English was the only thing that could stop him from being successful in this craft. So he learned quickly. Not only did he learn English quickly, he rose to the top of his acting classes, got an agent, and despite having a...
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 21 min
When I met the incredible trainer couple Chris and Heidi Powell a couple of weeks ago (you know them from the hit TV show Extreme Weight Loss), I was immediately impressed by their energy, warmth, and authenticity. But when we started talking about their story, how they met, and what they overcame before they ever became famous, I was really impressed. I know it’s easy to make up stories about how perfect the people we see on TV are — but the truth is they are human just like us. And they have p...
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 28 min
Ever wonder if there was one type of entrepreneur who is the most successful? When two Princeton University lecturers came to the Greatness Studio to talk about their new book (about personality types of entrepreneurs), I had to ask. And they told me no, there’s not one. In fact, they’ve identified 4 successful entrepreneur types, and according to their research, each is equally effective – but for different reasons. Of course I had to know more, and both John Danner and Chris Kuenne fascinated ...
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 16 min
I love bringing the brightest minds in the world onto the podcast. Especially when they are experts in an area that most people are confused by. Which is why I thought it would be useful to interview a top world expert on finance. Now before you tune out and think, “This isn’t for me,” let me be honest. I don’t love studying finance either. Charts and graphs and jargon don’t do it for me. But there was something different about Harvard Professor Mihir Desai‘s new book that stuck out to me — it e...
Oct 06, 2019•52 min
What if the most famous book in the world was also the most misunderstood? These are the kinds of questions my friend Rob Bell and I end up discussing when we get together. But recently we decided to actually record our conversation for the podcast. If you’re a longtime fan of the show, you already know Rob from his past 3 episodes. So you’ll be excited to know that for this episode, we dived deep into his newest book, all about what the Bible really is, where it came from, and how most of us ar...
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr
Andy Frisella is the co-founder of multiple successful real businesses (we’re talking lots of brick and mortar stores as well as a huge online business). He is the host of the popular MFCEO podcast (yes, it stands for what you think it stands for). He is a straight-talking, no BS entrepreneur, coach, and leader. He’s also a big guy – fit, strong, and confident. So he’s the last guy you’d expect to have lasting nerve damage in his face from being stabbed and disfigured when in his early twenties....
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 4 min
Kelly LeVeque is not only positive, glowing, and lives what she preaches when it comes to health and diet, but she is super knowledgeable about the science of how our bodies work. Within 10 minutes of the interview starting she was teaching me about exactly how and why I get hungry, what foods cause what hormones in my body to release, and so much more. I loved how nerdy she got about the science of hunger and healthy eating — but she still kept everything easy to understand. Then we got into th...
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 4 min
I am stoked to bring my man Aubrey Marcus back on The School of Greatness. Aubrey is one of the smartest business leaders I know, as well as a huge inspiration to me for fitness, mindset, and excellence. Since he was in LA writing his book, we decided to record a podcast about something Aubrey knows A LOT about. He has studied the champion’s mindset extensively and has incredible insight into what makes a champion from talking to his friends, who are world-class athletes. This time around, Aubre...
Oct 05, 2019•1 hr 8 min
Yes, we are talking about relationships again on The School of Greatness. Partly because I love learning as much as possible about how to create and maintain healthy, amazing relationships (and I need a lot of coaching in my love life). But partly because I heard today’s guest speak at Summit at Sea in November and I knew I had to have her on the podcast. Esther Perel is a world-renowned relationship therapist, bestselling author, and sought-after speaker who has focused her career on exploring ...
Oct 04, 2019•1 hr 21 min
If I were to ask you what one characteristic makes the biggest difference in how you deal with and get through hard things, what would you answer? Maybe strength or faith or perspective? Would you have thought of resilience? I wouldn’t have, until I talked to today’s guest on The School of Greatness, the incredible Eric Greitens. Eric’s list of accolades is long, but among some of them are that he is a Navy SEAL, a PhD, a Rhodes scholar, an author, and a hopeful for Missouri governor. His newest...
Oct 03, 2019•1 hr 3 min
The words “peaceful” and “warrior” don’t usually go together. In fact, they seem to be opposites. But if you’ve read the international bestselling book or seen the movie Way of the Peaceful Warrior, you know there’s something powerful about this idea. Dan Millman is the author of this (and 16 other books) and an incredibly wise teacher. He was an early guest on the podcast, back in Episode 193, and I was excited to have him back on since he just released a new book. When I watched the movie base...
Oct 03, 2019•1 hr 10 min
Most of us have strong feelings about habits. We love the ones that help us be better and we hate the ones that hold us back. But have you ever thought about how habits affect our happiness? Today’s guest on The School of Greatness has thought a lot about this. Gretchen Rubin is a hugely successful author and blogger (and former attorney) who researches the best ways to create happy, healthy lifestyles. In her newest book, she studies how to use your personality strengths and weaknesses to mindf...
Oct 03, 2019•51 min
Ok. This is big. And it’s not just for parents. I got so much out of this interview and I’m not a parent yet. In fact, I believe in this message so much, I want EVERYONE to hear it, whether they are a parent, a child, or an adult child (that covers all of us). Dr. Shefali Tsabary is one of the world’s leading experts in parenting. As a clinical psychologist, she is well educated in this topic. But that isn’t what’s made her a multiple NYT bestselling author or a favorite of Oprah. Dr. Shefali ha...
Oct 03, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Before you decide that you don’t believe in this kind of stuff, listen up. I met today’s guest, Nick Ortner, years ago in NYC during a mastermind. I have watched his career, success, and the impact he’s making (teaching people how to heal themselves from all kinds of issues) over the years since then. And I know he’s the real deal. But I was especially excited to sit down with him on the podcast to hear about the science behind the method he uses — and he explained it all. If you’ve never heard ...
Oct 03, 2019•1 hr 10 min
Coach Chris Lee is a longtime podcast favorite (this is his 12th episode on the show!) and there’s no mistake about why. Not only has he had a massive impact on my life as my coach, from the first time I took his workshop through today, but he has generously shared his wisdom with us on the show for years. There’s a reason I keep bringing him back on. Chris knows the human psyche and heart really well. He understands why we do what we do and how to elevate our whole lives to the next level. That...
Oct 03, 2019•59 min
As you’ve heard me say often, I wholeheartedly believe in the power of good coaching. In fact, it’s one of the most powerful tools I’ve invested in during my athletic and business careers. So whenever I get the chance to talk to high-level coaches, I jump at it. Recently I got to talk to one of the very best. He coaches not only elite level athletes, but also top CEOs, performers, celebrities, musicians, and more. Dr. Michael Gervais has worked on some of the most ground-breaking projects in the...
Oct 03, 2019•1 hr 28 min
I’d seen Brendon Burchard‘s videos all over Facebook, heard his name in big circles, and seen his bestselling books at the top of the charts. But for whatever reason, I felt like there might be something fake about him. So I never bothered to find out. Until we spoke at the same event and I met him in person. And I realized there was more to the story. When he came by the studio to record a conversation about his newest book, we got to really connect. And I was amazed. Brendon is an incredibly s...
Oct 03, 2019•1 hr 18 min
I have always been fascinated by the power of the mind and people who have learned to master it. Especially when it comes to using your mind to read other people. So every time I’ve seen a magician or performer who specializes in this, I get so excited. And when I had the chance to meet one of the best mentalists in the world, Oz Pearlman, I was extra excited. If you watched the show America’s Got Talent a few seasons back, you’ll recognize Oz as the incredible mentalist who nearly won the seaso...
Oct 03, 2019•1 hr 32 min
In fact, very few people have the guts to put the F word in the title of their NYT bestselling book (it’s been on the list for 9 months straight). But that’s one reason Mark Manson has become such a popular writer, both in the blogging and the book publishing world. He has spent years studying self-help, traveling the world, living in different cultures, and learning from his own life experiences about what actually makes us happy and successful. And what he has learned runs counter to what a lo...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 15 min
I’ve talked to lots of incredible, renowned doctors and health experts about the optimal diet and foods to eat. I’ve tried all kinds of nutrition strategies. I’ve cut out gluten, dairy, and sugar from my diet. So you can imagine how surprised I was when I sat down with another world-renowned heart surgeon and doctor, Dr. Steven Gundry, last week and he told me foods that were poisonous to all humans. Peanuts, cashews, raw beans, chia seeds? As Dr. Gundry explained, however, exactly how the bacte...
Oct 02, 2019•50 min
He wasn’t discovered as a teen prodigy. In fact, when he told his mother he wanted to be a big music star, she told him he’d stop shining for her the day he did. But J Balvin knew what he wanted and he started working at it early on. He moved to the U.S. to learn English as an exchange student in high school. He went back to the U.S. after he graduated to work his way into the music business — and the only job he could get was painting walls and roofing houses. So he swallowed his pride, went ba...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 1 min
One of my favorite women in the world is back on the show today for her third episode. She is the queen of self-help, spirituality, and wisdom. So I got really excited when I saw that her newest book is an uncensored truth-telling about that world — what most people won’t admit to. Danielle LaPorte is one of the few people who can take on the myths surrounding the world of self-development and expose the truth . . . while still inspiring you to keep going in your own path. And that’s just one re...
Oct 02, 2019•54 min
If you’ve been following me or The School of Greatness for long, you know I’m a big fan of salsa dancing. In fact, I was obsessed with learning how to get good at it in college and spent A LOT of time practicing. I still love going out and dancing when I can in LA. So when I got the opportunity to interview Julianne Hough, award-winning dancing queen of Dancing with the Stars (and now a judge on the show!) I couldn’t pass it up. And not just because I wanted to hear her story of how she has crea...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 2 min
Yes, one of the MOST requested guests on the show (since I launched it), has been this incredible woman. She has one of the most watched TED talks of all time. She is a three-time #1 NYT bestselling author (and soon to be four). She has changed the face of emotional intelligence, relationships, and self-acceptance for millions of people. But her area of expertise is one that not many people are willing to talk about — shame and vulnerability. I’m talking about the one and only Brené Brown. Brené...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 2 min
Have you ever asked yourself why you feel so stressed all the time? It’s pretty common these days to just assume a stress-filled life is the norm, especially if you’re an entrepreneur. Today’s guest on The School of Greatness has known stress above and beyond the norm. Amanda Enayati had to flee from her home country of Iran when she was a kid (without her parents), lived in the West Village in NYC during 9/11, worked as an attorney for years and then got late-stage breast cancer (while raising ...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr
He's one of the top dating coaches in the world. He’s also one of the best on stage speakers I’ve ever seen. He’s also a good friend and previous podcast guest. Yes, I’m talking about the incredibly handsome and intelligent Matthew Hussey. If you’re a longtime podcast fan, you remember him from Episode 189. He’s got incredible insight into love, dating, communication, and human behavior. Which is just one reason he’s a celebrity dating coach, an incredibly successful entrepreneur, and a brillian...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 2 min
I freaking love the Olympics and everything about them. I love the insane training the athletes put themselves through. I love the power of putting all that training to the test in the moment of truth. I love seeing how people from around the world come together to celebrate what is possible in human performance. So whenever I get to meet an Olympian, I’m really excited. And meeting one like Apolo Ohno was no disappointment. If you watched the winter Olympics at all in the past 15 years, you kno...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 17 min
