Former Navy SEAL and leadership strategist Chris Fussell reveals how elite teams operate under pressure—and how those principles can be applied far beyond the battlefield. Drawing from years of operational experience and his work with General Stanley McChrystal, Fussell explains how systems thinking, decentralized decision-making, and shared consciousness can transform organizations in fast-changing environments. He discusses mindset lessons from SEAL training, the psychology of high-stakes lead...
Nov 05, 2025•56 min
Former CIA field operative Andrew Bustamante pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to recruit spies, run intelligence operations, and navigate a life built on secrecy, loyalty, and manipulation. In this riveting and wide-ranging conversation, Bustamante shares stories from his military training at the Air Force Academy, his time at “The Farm” — the CIA’s elite training facility — and his years of fieldwork turning foreign agents into assets.He explains how spycraft isn't about glamour o...
Nov 05, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Carlos Adell shares his unconventional path from growing up in a small Spanish town with limited resources to running a six-figure drug dealing business while simultaneously working as a DJ and industrial engineer. After nearly dying from a heart attack at 29 while working in corporate, Adell discovered that he had been living other people’s dreams—adopting identities shaped by whoever surrounded him. He reveals the powerful principle that drove both his descent and his redemption: you become wh...
Nov 04, 2025•53 min
Alison Shcraeger, economist and author of An Economist Walks Into a Brothel, explains how risk really works and why most people misunderstand it. From studying sex workers in Nevada to analyzing probability theory, Alison reveals that humans are not naturally wired to process probabilities—but we can learn. She introduces the concept of natural frequencies over percentages, showing how translating 55 percent into 55 out of 100 helps people make better decisions. This conversation explores why pr...
Oct 31, 2025•46 min
This is a test episode to verify that our Acast sync system works correctly. We will upload this episode with a far-future publish date, then update the midroll timestamp to confirm that the PATCH endpoint successfully syncs changes from our local index to Acast without re-uploading the audio file. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 30, 2025•52 min
Akshay Nanavati is not your typical adventurer — he’s a former Marine, a survivor of war-induced PTSD, and a seeker of what he calls the “crucible of suffering.” In this deeply introspective and intensely raw conversation, Akshay explores how pain, guilt, and darkness became vehicles for transcendence in his life. From confronting suicidal despair and alcoholism to dragging sleds across frozen wastelands in Antarctica, Akshay shares why he deliberately ventures into physical and psychological ex...
Oct 29, 2025•50 min
New York Times columnist and bestselling author **David Brooks** joins Srini Rao to unpack what it really means to know and see another person — and how our ability to connect deeply has deteriorated in a world dominated by distraction, paradigmatic thinking, and judgment. Drawing from his latest book *How to Know a Person*, Brooks explores emotional architecture, the danger of moral detachment, the layers of trauma and transformation, and the developmental life tasks that shape our identities.T...
Oct 21, 2025•57 min
Damon Centola, sociologist and author of *Change: How to Make Big Things Happen*, dismantles the myth of the influencer and introduces a radically different model of how ideas and behaviors actually spread. In this thought-provoking conversation, Centola explains why change doesn’t come from social media stars with massive followings—but from dense clusters in the network periphery. He explores how weak ties, wide bridges, and network dynamics shape everything from viral movements like Black Liv...
Oct 20, 2025•57 min
Jennifer Wallace is a journalist, researcher, and mother of three who set out to answer one of the most pressing questions in modern parenting: *Why do our kids feel like they're never enough — and what can we do about it?* Drawing on insights from her book *Never Enough* and years of reporting, Wallace explains how achievement culture, status anxiety, and social comparison are undermining children's mental health, resilience, and self-worth.In this illuminating and deeply personal conversation,...
Oct 19, 2025•52 min
In this powerful and perspective-shifting episode, Harvard Business School professor and author **Laura Huang** shares a deeply human and practical roadmap for transforming disadvantage into advantage. Drawing from her book *Edge*, she breaks down the four-part EDGE framework—Enrich, Delight, Guide, and Effort—showing how each of us can flip bias, reshape perceptions, and build momentum on our own terms.Laura opens up about her experience as the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, her non-linear p...
Oct 18, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Emily Fletcher, founder of Ziva Meditation and a former Broadway performer, shares how her journey from the stage to spiritual leadership reshaped her understanding of success, fulfillment, and mental resilience. In this candid and practical conversation, Emily explains the science behind stress, its impact on performance, and how meditation can transform not just your state, but your long-term traits. She breaks down the Ziva Technique — a blend of mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting — and...
Oct 17, 2025•47 min
Courtney Harding, founder of Friends with Holograms and a leading voice in spatial computing, joins Srini to discuss the real-world applications and philosophical implications of immersive technologies like VR and AR. Drawing from her background in music journalism, activism, and public policy, she unpacks how virtual experiences are reshaping education, work, and socialization — especially for marginalized communities. Courtney challenges the common fear narratives around tech, advocating inste...
Oct 06, 2025•50 min
In this mind-expanding conversation, psychiatrist and author Daniel Lieberman unpacks the role of dopamine — the brain's molecule of motivation — and how it shapes nearly every aspect of our lives, from love and ambition to addiction and impulsive behavior. Drawing from his bestselling book *The Molecule of More*, Lieberman explains why we’re wired to crave what's out of reach and why that craving often leads to restlessness, dissatisfaction, or destructive decisions. He contrasts dopamine’s fut...
Oct 02, 2025•52 min
In this powerful third appearance, bestselling author and decision strategist Annie Duke dismantles the myth that grit is always good — and makes the case for why strategic quitting is essential for success. Drawing from cognitive science, personal experience, and examples like Muhammad Ali, Dave Chappelle, and Stuart Butterfield (Slack), Duke illustrates how our obsession with persistence blinds us to opportunity costs, sunk cost fallacies, and identity traps.From failed startups to toxic jobs ...
Sep 30, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Psychologist Anders Ericsson, the originator of the concept of deliberate practice, shares the foundational principles behind how experts are made—not born. Drawing on decades of empirical research, he explains how world-class performance emerges through structured effort, targeted feedback, and the development of mental models over time.Ericsson challenges myths around innate talent and demystifies the so-called 10,000-hour rule, emphasizing that quality and focus matter far more than raw repet...
Sep 29, 2025•46 min
In this episode, Salim Ismail — founding executive director of Singularity University and author of *Exponential Organizations* — maps out what it takes to adapt, lead, and build in a world defined by accelerating change.He unpacks the frameworks behind exponential growth, the future of learning, and the architecture of modern organizations. But this isn’t just about scale — it’s about the inner transformation required to lead in chaotic environments. Salim discusses his own evolution, the impor...
Sep 22, 2025•58 min
In this conversation, neuroscientist and author Dr. Mithu Storoni breaks down how we can optimize the way we work by aligning our brain’s natural rhythms with our daily routines. Drawing from her book Hyper-Efficient, she explores the relationship between attention, motivation, and cognitive fatigue — and why the modern workplace is designed to break them all.We unpack the brain’s "gear system" for mental performance, the impact of AI on knowledge work, and the difference between passive and act...
Sep 18, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Dennis Xu, co-founder of Mem, unpacks the future of personal knowledge and how it’s being reshaped by networked thinking, cognitive design, and human-centered AI. Drawing on his Stanford background, founder journey, and product philosophy, Dennis challenges the folder-based paradigms of information management — replacing them with malleable, graph-based systems that mirror how the human brain actually works. The conversation spans topics like information retrieval, product-market fit, second bra...
Sep 17, 2025•47 min
Cognitive scientist Gloria Mark explains why modern knowledge work sabotages attention — and how to fight back. Drawing from her decades of research, she breaks down internal vs. external distraction, meta-awareness, cognitive rhythms, and the misunderstood nature of flow states. This episode delivers practical insights for reclaiming agency over your focus in a digital world designed to fragment it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 16, 2025•52 min
Sonkhe Ahrens shares how traditional approaches to knowledge — highlighting, tagging, collecting — fail to support actual thinking. Drawing from Niklas Luhmann’s Zettelkasten method, Ahrens explains why insight isn’t something you plan for, but something you engineer into existence by connecting information deliberately over time. The conversation explores permanent notes, structured workflows, the failure of linear planning, and why writing is thinking — not a result of thinking. With over a th...
Sep 15, 2025•46 min
Kevin Surace breaks down how AI is reshaping the future of work — not by eliminating jobs, but by replacing repetitive tasks and redefining what humans are actually needed for. He explains why productivity, not headcount, will determine company growth in a labor-constrained world. Drawing from decades of applied AI experience, Surace outlines the evolution of tools like spreadsheets and calculators as previews of what’s coming next. The conversation dives into the need for adaptability, the real...
Sep 02, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 1
Join us for a compelling conversation with Paul Millerd, author of The Pathless Path. In this episode, Paul shares his insights on finding yourself in the wrong life and the real work of figuring out how to live. Discover his journey through experiments, travels, and lessons learned, as he pieces together a set of principles to guide him from unfulfilled to the good life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 16, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Join us as we sit down with music industry insider, Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch. Discover her unique perspective on navigating identity change and get an insider's tour of the industry. From musician life to proper clapping etiquette, Arianna shares her knowledge and experiences. Don't miss this chance to gain a deeper understanding of the classical music world through the eyes of a seasoned professional. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 1 min
In the latest episode of The Unmistakable Creative Podcast titled 'Money Zen: The Secret to Finding Your Enough', we are joined by Manisha Thakor, a seasoned financial expert and the Founder of MoneyZen LLC. With over 25 years of experience in the financial industry, Manisha offers a fresh perspective on our relationship with money and success. Drawing from her book 'MoneyZen', Manisha explores the personal, cultural, and societal forces that often lead us to the false belief that we can never h...
Apr 25, 2025•58 min
Aaron Dignan is using software to help scale new ways of working and expedite the decision making process of organizations. Discover the possibilities for transformation in the workplace and realize how we can use software like Murmur to revolutionize our slow and outdated systems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 24, 2025•57 min
Drew Plotkin, tattoo artist and filmmaker, shares his journey of self-discovery through tattoos in this episode. He recounts his adventures, from death row to Hollywood, and uses his experiences to inspire listeners with his resilience and determination to live life on his own terms. Don't miss this raw and honest account of success, failure, and finding the strength to always get back up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr
In this podcast episode, we sit down with Gautam Mukunda, a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership, to discuss what we can learn about leadership from presidential elections. Drawing on insights from his book 'Picking Presidents', which examines the qualities that make for successful leaders, Mukunda provides a fascinating analysis of filtered and unfiltered presidents alike. Whether you're a political junkie or simply interested in the qualities that make f...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 7 min
If you want to be more innovative, you need to start by changing the way you think about creativity. Good ideas aren't the result of pure wisdom, but rather the practice of innovation. Learn how to tap into surprising and valuable ideas on demand and fill the creative pipeline with breakthrough ideas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 09, 2025•57 min
We have apps telling us who we should date, what music to listen to and which route to take to work, but no algorithm or AI can tell us who we should marry, where we should live or at what age we should have children. According to economist Russ Roberts, these decisions are borne of the necessity to solve life's wild problems. They aren't decisions made by us but rather by who we want to be. They are the decisions that define us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Camille Virginia presents a refreshing and influential solution to the conundrum of digital connection. That is- meeting offline and in the real world. Not only does Camille explain the power of offline connection but she also provides a handbook that will help you fast track your way to building a fulfilling and thriving connection with anyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 04, 2025•1 hr 2 min
