On this episode, Brad and Steve dispel some recent trends in the health, fitness, and high-performance space, delving into how they came into existence, why people follow them, and what, if any, benefit they may have. Then, we go into what actually works for improvement and why it's so easy to focus on fluff and fads and so hard to focus on fundamentals. (Note: We call out a few particular trends. If you follow these we don't mean to offend you and would be interested to hear about your experien...
Dec 15, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Brad and Steve are joined by author Ryan Holiday for a wide-ranging discussion on courage: how it relates to self and society, and the big and small acts in our lives. They also discuss Ryan's routines, how he sticks to them, adhering to a process-mindset vs. an outcome one, and why physical practice is such an integral part of Ryan's job as a writer. For those who don't know him personally, Ryan is a great and genuine dude — he's the real deal. Ryan has done a bunch of podcasts on his new...
Dec 08, 2021•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Brad and Steve discuss their top 10 books of 2021. Fun banter, and a great reading and holiday gifting recommendations. You don't want to miss out on this one. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher *** Get a copy of The Practice of Groundedness! It is currently over 40 percent off! Check out our exclusive community bonuses on Patreon . Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show ! Find Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstu...
Dec 01, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast An interesting discussion on when grit is useful versus when grit gets in the way, and the value of exploration (going wide) before exploitation (going deep). Between the extremes of generalization and specialization there is quite a bit of nuance, and this podcast explores that in-between, using a few recent and large studies as a foundation for confidence in the assertions. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher *** Get a copy of The Practice of ...
Nov 24, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast From Whoop to Fitbit to Oura, activity trackers are on the rise. On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve dive into these wrist, finger, and chest worn devices. They discuss various types of trackers and their applications, and when these sorts of things work versus when they get in the way, or worse, cause harm. If you wear an activity tracker or have ever considered wearing one, you won't want to miss this episode. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Sp...
Nov 17, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of the Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve discuss the vast benefits of doing real, concrete activities in a modern world that is increasingly complex and full of subjective measures. They argue that everyone, especially knowledge workers, should have a “real thing” craft to which they dedicate at least some time, energy, and focus. Doing real things keeps you humble and it keeps you well. This is one of the best episodes we've recorded in a long time, so don't miss out! You ...
Nov 10, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are lucky to be joined by Dave Pell, the reader, writer, and all-around creative behind the internet's longest running big-time newsletter, Next Draft . In this far-reaching conversation, we talk about how Dave shows up consistently to do high quality work, his daily routines, mental health and news consumption, running your own little internet empire, getting addicted to relevance, the future of the media in the western world, Dave's new book, Please Scream Inside Your Heart: Breaking News a...
Oct 27, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of the pod, Brad and Steve talk about all things performance coaching, including in fields outside of sport. They discuss everything from who can benefit from having a coach, to the value of credentials, to strategies you can use to separate hucksters from excellent professionals, to the nuts and bolts of their own individual performance and executive coaching practices. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Additional Notes: “I am a life...
Oct 20, 2021•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Less is not more. More is more. Less is less. But sometimes—no, even often—less is better. In this episode, Brad and Steve talk to Leidy Klotz, a professor at the University of Virginia with appointments in engineering, architecture, and business. They focus on his new seminal work, Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less . The trio discuss why subtracting is not second nature, why minimalism sounds so good but is so hard to implement, and how to overcome our biases to always be adding, be it per...
Oct 14, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast A fun and wide-ranging conversation on the entire notion of productivity and time-management. We start from a 30,000 foot view of what's the point of all this anyways? and then go all the way down to the ground floor, where we cover common pitfalls and concrete practices that can help you right now to get the most out of your limited stay on this planet we call Earth. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Get a copy of The Practice of Groundedness! It is...
Oct 06, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast We use a recent exploration of the NFL's empathy gap as a doorway into a broader conversation about the tradeoffs between analytics and the human side of things in organizational and individual life. Steve also coaches Brad through a challenge he's having in sticking to his own physical practice. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher If you haven’t yet, pick up a copy of The Practice of Groundedness! Get your copy today ! Please write a review on Apple P...
Sep 29, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast We dive into what it was like to launch the Growth Eq's latest book, The Practice of Groundedness . In particular, we focus on our struggles trying to practice what we preach during a frenetic, hectic, and results focused week. Plus, if you've ever wondered what it is like to launch a book, you won't want to miss this. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher If you haven't yet, pick up a copy of The Practice of Groundedness! Get your copy today ! Please wr...
Sep 22, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this behind-the-scenes podcast, Steve interviews Brad on his new book The Practice of Groundedness . Where did the idea for the book come from? How do you go from an idea to a fleshed-out framework? Will groundedness help you run a faster 5k? All of those questions and more are answered in this week's podcast. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher It's your final chance to receive pre-order bonuses for The Practice of Groundedness! Check them out here...
Sep 08, 2021•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast People often think of the brain and the mind as the same thing. But they are not. The brain is an organ inside your skull. The brain contributes to the mind — or your thoughts, feelings, and general consciousness — but it is only a small part of it. Your mind is also made up of your body, and the people, places, and objects around you. On this episode of the pod, we explore the benefits of getting beyond a brain-based model of thinking and feeling and using the framework of an extend...
Sep 01, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast We take a slight divergence from our usual topics to dive into one of those perennial questions with no possible answer: Who is the greatest of all time? To give ourselves at least some constraints, we narrow down into the world of sports. Our goal for this discussion was to entertain and, perhaps more practically, to help you think through the various criteria you use to evaluate performance and greatness in your own life. Enjoy the show! You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts S...
Aug 25, 2021•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast With conspiracy theories—on everything from diet, to exercise, to a global pandemic and vaccines—flying left and right, we wanted to devote some time to understanding the tendencies behind the people who spread these ideas. The goal is not to dunk on them (though we definitely do some of that) but more importantly, to use these folks as a model to help all of us spot the same tendencies in ourselves and those around us, so we can become aware of them and not give in. We talk about the underlying...
Aug 18, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast With the 2020 Olympic Games coming to an end, we thought we'd recap some of the best moments and explore what we all can learn from them, regardless of whether you are an athlete, an executive, an artist, a consultant, a parent, or something else altogether. Themes include: accepting what is happening to get where you want to go, self-awareness, community, competing with instead of against, and the relationship between vulnerability and true confidence. This was a good conversation where a bunch...
Aug 11, 2021•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast We're back with another AMA. We field a broad range of listener questions on diverse topics, ranging from the Olympics to nutrition to how to actually implement a process mindset. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show ! Find Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagness Check out our exclusive community offers on Patreon here . The George Packer story on div...
Aug 04, 2021•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many people are feeling a kind of languishing these days, a sense of stagnation and lethargy as if everything is a big effort. We dive into what is underlying this and, more importantly, how to work your way out. To do so, we draw upon all the latest evidence in motivation as well as plenty of concrete examples, practices, and tips. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show ! Fi...
Jul 28, 2021•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast A few days ago, NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was asked about keeping his mind right during high pressure games. His answer, which this podcast opens up with, was a masterclass in high-performance psychology, and really, psychology for all of life. A short summary: “Focusing on the past is ego,” he said. “Focusing on the future is pride. Focusing on the present is humility.” In this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast , we deconstruct this killer quote along with the person behind it, c...
Jul 20, 2021•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast One of the hardest parts of work and life is facing transitions. These are often periods of discombobulation, where we may feel like we are losing a part of our identity. Here, we'll explore the science and art of big transitions, and provide tips and practices on how to prepare for and work through, with grace and grit, the big transitions in your own life. You can find the episodes on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new liste...
Jul 14, 2021•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast We explore the illusion of trying to be “balanced,” and how a better aim to strive for is the self-awareness to prioritize and choose to focus on what matters most to you in a given season of life. From there, we discuss the various strategies and practices that can be used to cultivate this sort of wise perspective in your own day-to-day life. We'll learn how one of the biggest paradoxes of self-awareness is that it requires getting outside of your usual mode of self. You can find the episodes ...
Jul 14, 2021•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the last round of Growth EQ Academy podcasts (Academy episodes #6 and #7) we explored the genesis of motivation, drive, and passion, and what happens when it goes astray — and also, how to prevent this from happening. In this episode, we turn to harmonious passion, or the kind of drive that can propel you to great heights, without losing a sense of yourself and what is important to you. You can find the episodes on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Please write a revie...
Jul 14, 2021•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Naomi Osaka recently withdrew from the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament. Mental health seems to have played a role. Osaka is not the first athlete and certainly won't be the last to struggle publicly and make big decisions as a result. In this episode, Brad and Steve dive into the topic of mental health in elite athletes. They discuss the wonderful impact of more awareness and less stigma around mental health, but also the dangers of stopping there—versus going on to effective treatment methods, whic...
Jul 07, 2021•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast We go deep on the “bad” kind of passion, exploring how motivation and drive can become destructive — leading to burnout, angst, unethical behavior, and depression — and what you can do to stop this from happening in yourself and the teams in which you work. You can find the episodes on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show ! Find Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagness Check...
Jun 30, 2021•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Intense motivation and drive — what we call passion — is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it can help you accomplish great things. A curse because it can narrow your world and get you to a point where you lose perspective and burn out. This kind of passion is like rocket-fuel: extremely powerful, but only productive when pointed in the right direction. That's what we'll explore in this episode, drawing from science, history and practice. You can find the episodes on: i...
Jun 30, 2021•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Some people love to grind and work long days and on the weekends. Some people like never to work outside of traditional hours. Some people like to brag about how much they work. Other people like to brag about how little they work. When should we work? Is there such a thing as too much work? Too little work? Our good friend, colleague, and always critical thinker Cal Newport (author of Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and A World Without Email ) joins us for a wide-ranging discussion on work. Part...
Jun 23, 2021•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Motivation comes from diverse sources, but perhaps none is more powerful than purpose. Why is this the case? What happens in our brain and body when we are driven by a purpose? How can we all create more meaning in our own lives, not just so we can perform better, but also, and arguably more important, so we can be more fulfilled. Listen in to learn more and find out. You can find the episodes on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help...
Jun 16, 2021•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The first rule of routines is to have one and stick to it. The second rule of routines is to be able to let go. We explore the truth of this paradox, how to build the optimal routine for yourself given your current life station, the power of pre-performance priming, and when to use energy on decision versus when to automate them. You can find the episodes on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show ! Find...
Jun 16, 2021•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Forget about all the products and services that promise to help you recharge. You don't need all (or really, any) of that stuff. In this episode of the Growth Equation Academy, we detail the foundations of how to come down after challenging periods. Topics include breaks, taking an interval training approach to all of work, sleep, and other ways you can mentally and physically recover in a way that promotes sustainable growth. You can find the episodes on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Andro...
Jun 09, 2021•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
