Habits and Hustle

What if the biggest thing holding you back is a belief you do not even realize you have? We spend so much time trying to change our habits, become more disciplined, improve our relationships, make more money, and fix the parts of ourselves we think are falling short. But underneath many of those behaviors are subconscious beliefs that have been forming for years. "I'm not enough." "It's all up to me." "I'm not lovable." "I have to prove myself." Those beliefs can quietly drive perfectionism, overthinking, people pleasing, control, achievement, and even the way we choose relationships. This matters because changing your behavior without understanding what is driving it can keep you stuck in the same patterns. Past disappointment can become evidence for future fear. High achievement can become an attempt to prove your worth. Independence can become protection from vulnerability. Even self-improvement can become another way to delay taking action. Becoming aware of the belief underneath the behavior gives you…

You can spend a lot of money trying to optimize your health and still miss the things that make the biggest difference. The wellness industry keeps giving us new treatments, tests, and biohacks to chase, but expensive does not automatically mean effective. We dive deeper into this in Habits & Hustle with Dr. Jonathan Schoeff. We talk about which longevity trends are actually worth your attention, where people may be wasting their money, and why strength, sleep, and metabolic health still do more heavy lifting than many of the latest wellness trends. Jonathan is a practicing surgeon and longevity physician who works with high performers on health optimization. He looks at wellness through both a clinical and performance lens, which makes him especially good at cutting through claims that sound impressive but do not have much evidence behind them. His approach is simple: look at the data, understand the outcome you are trying to improve, and stop confusing good marketing with good medicine. What's Discussed:…

You can make a lot of money and still have no idea if you are actually financially secure. A bigger paycheck does not automatically mean you are building wealth, making smart decisions, or setting yourself up for the future. We dive deeper into this in Habits & Hustle with Jean Chatzky. We talk about the habits that actually build wealth, how much you should be saving, and why getting control of your money often comes down to a few simple decisions you repeat consistently. Jean Chatzky is a financial journalist, the founder of HerMoney, and spent 25 years as the financial editor of the Today Show. She has also made plenty of money mistakes herself, which is part of what makes her advice so practical. Her approach is about taking something that feels intimidating and breaking it down into choices people can actually understand and use. What's Discussed: (3:18) Why personal finance is usually much simpler than people make it seem. (8:25) Why automating your money can prevent some of your biggest financial…

What happens when AI gets so good that it starts competing with real human connection? We're already seeing people form relationships with chatbots, turn to AI when they're lonely, and create digital companions that can respond exactly how they want. The bigger question is what happens when technology becomes easier than dealing with the messiness of actual people. We dive deeper into this in today's episode of Habits & Hustle. I sit down with Hamet Watt to talk about how quickly AI is evolving, why everyone needs to learn how to use it, and the opportunities and risks that come with technology becoming more powerful, personalized, and integrated into our everyday lives. We also get into AI companions, the loneliness loop, whether real relationships will eventually have to compete with programmable ones, and the very real possibility that AI changes human behavior long before we ever get anywhere close to the sci-fi version everyone is afraid of. What's Discussed: (07:11) What's changing so quickly in AI…

What if the biggest mistake you are making with your skin is following whatever treatment happens to be trending right now? Between lasers, injectables, devices, fillers, and endless skincare advice online, it is getting harder to tell what your skin actually needs and what could be a waste of money. We dive deeper into this in Habits & Hustle with Melissa Haloossim. We also chat about which anti-aging treatments are overhyped, why the person performing your treatment matters so much, and how filters and social media are changing the way people see their own faces. Melissa Haloossim is a nurse practitioner, founder of Skin Thesis, and has spent more than 20 years working in aesthetic medicine. Her approach is highly individualized, with a focus on choosing treatments based on the person, their skin, and the result they are actually trying to achieve. What's Discussed: (11:33) Why some skin-tightening treatments can destroy facial fat and make you look older. (15:05) The difference between lasers,…

What if you are expecting too much from yourself in one week and far too little from what you could accomplish in six months? Real change often happens through small decisions repeated long enough to create momentum, even when progress feels slow. We dive deeper into this in today's solo episode of Habits & Hustle. I talk about why the boring middle is where so many people give up, how your daily habits shape where you end up, and actionable ways to start making choices now that can put you in a completely different place six months from today. I also get into personal responsibility, why feeling stuck can become a mindset, and how taking more ownership over your health, career, relationships, or confidence can change the trajectory of your life. What's Discussed: (00:00) How much your life can change in six months. (01:31) Why we underestimate what six months can do. (01:58) How to push through the boring middle. (02:46) Why daily habits shape your results. (04:32) How feeling stuck can limit your agency.…

A lot of parenting mistakes start with something we rarely look at: our own unhealed fears, insecurities, and expectations. When those patterns go unchecked, kids can end up carrying pressure that was never really theirs. We dive deeper into this in Habits & Hustle with Dr. Shefali. We also chat about raising confident and independent kids, giving sons and daughters room to use their voice, and how social media is shaping their identity and self-worth. Dr. Shefali is a clinical psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and founder of the Conscious Parenting movement. She trained at Columbia University and is the author of multiple books on conscious parenting. Check out Dr. Shefali's latest books "Raising Conscious Daughters" and "Raising Conscious Sons" at www.drshefali.com/books What's Discussed: (07:49) How social media algorithms can exploit the different vulnerabilities of teenage girls and boys, from girls seeking approval and belonging to boys being exposed to pornography and manosphere…

What happens when we make life so comfortable for kids that they never learn how to handle discomfort on their own? Between overprotective parenting, smartphones, and fewer opportunities for real independence, kids are getting fewer chances to build confidence, coping skills, and resilience. We dive deeper into this in Habits & Hustle with Dave Rubin. We also chat about how smartphones are changing childhood, why exercise builds confidence and mental toughness, and why discipline will take you further than motivation. Dave Rubin is the host of The Rubin Report, which has generated more than one billion views and built an audience of millions. He is also the founder of Locals.com and a two-time New York Times bestselling author. Listen to the full episode: How Parenting Mistakes Failed Gen Z & How to Fix It | Jennifer Cohen What's Discussed: (02:57) Why letting kids fail is essential for building resilience. (05:01) How smartphones are replacing real-world experiences kids used to learn from. (06:47) Why…

What if the thing keeping you stuck is not a lack of motivation, but the stories you keep telling yourself about why you cannot move? We spend a lot of time thinking about what we want to change, who we want to become, and what would finally make us feel better. But intentions alone do not create change. The way you talk to yourself, the discomfort you avoid, the boundaries you do not practice, the labels you attach to yourself and other people, and the actions you take when nobody is motivating you, all shape what happens next. Kier Gaines argues that real growth starts when you become willing to confront the parts of yourself you would rather explain away. Self-awareness gives you something practical to work with. You can learn to tolerate discomfort instead of immediately escaping it, practice saying no before the stakes are high, question whether "protecting your peace" has become avoidance, and stop waiting for the perfect mood or moment to start. You can also become more intentional about how social…

Are we protecting our kids so much that we're making them less resilient? As parents, the instinct to protect is strong. We don't want our kids to fail, struggle, feel rejected, sit on the bench, get bored, or deal with disappointment. But resilience is built through those exact experiences. When we constantly step in, fix the problem, remove the obstacle, or make sure everything feels fair, kids lose opportunities to develop competence, independence, and the confidence that comes from figuring things out for themselves. Technology has made that even harder. Smartphones and iPads can fill every quiet moment, replace boredom, reduce face-to-face interaction, and give kids fewer chances to practice social skills, deal with rejection, or simply entertain themselves. Add overscheduling and constant parental involvement, and suddenly there are fewer opportunities for kids to fail, recover, solve problems, and learn how to function without someone managing every step. Sports, chores, responsibilities, and…

Is technology making you smarter, or are you slowly training your brain to do less? We are living in a world where AI can write our emails, answer our questions, organize our thoughts, remember information, and make decisions faster than we ever could on our own. Our phones remember everything for us. GPS tells us where to go. Social media constantly competes for our attention. And the more convenient technology becomes, the easier it is to stop exercising the memory, focus, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that make us human. This matters because your brain adapts to how you use it. You can deliberately train your focus, memory, confidence, adaptability, and ability to think for yourself. You can protect the first few minutes of your morning, stop giving away your attention, create friction before immediately turning to AI, and build mental strength the same way you build physical strength. The goal is to use technology as a tool while continuing to develop the human intelligence that allows…

What if the person you cannot get over was never actually your person? We tend to give enormous weight to chemistry and connection, especially when we find someone we like who seems to like us back. That feeling can be powerful enough to make us overlook a harder truth: connection alone does not create a relationship. Without commitment and compatibility, chemistry can keep you emotionally invested in someone who is never actually choosing you. Matthew Hussey breaks down the four levels of a relationship, from attraction to compatibility, and explains why so many people get stuck at the stage that feels the most exciting. He also explores why unfinished relationships can become so difficult to let go of. The future you imagined can start to feel more real than the relationship itself, keeping you attached to potential instead of what is actually happening. Matthew Hussey is a relationship coach, bestselling author, speaker, and host of the Love Life podcast. His work focuses on dating, heartbreak,…

What if the health of your brain decades from now is being shaped by what you are doing today? We tend to think about Alzheimer's and cognitive decline as problems that show up later in life, once memory starts slipping or confusion becomes noticeable. But many of the factors associated with brain decline can begin much earlier. Blood sugar, insulin resistance, sleep, inflammation, muscle mass, exercise, social connection, oral health, and even the medications you regularly take may all influence the environment your brain is aging in. This matters because brain health gives you more areas to act on than most people realize. You can pay attention to metabolic markers before they become major problems, build and preserve muscle, protect your sleep, stay socially connected, take care of your oral microbiome, and understand which emerging therapies actually have evidence behind them. The earlier you start thinking about your brain this way, the more opportunity you have to influence how well it functions later.…

What if all this optimizing is actually making us less happy? Sleep scores, step counts, glucose monitors, supplements, peptides, wearables, and endless wellness protocols have turned health into something we constantly track, measure, and try to perfect. But when every meal, workout, night of sleep, and social plan becomes another data point, the pursuit of better health can start creating more stress than clarity. You may look disciplined and optimized on the outside while feeling anxious, restricted, and disconnected from the life you are trying to improve. Technology has also changed the way we trust our own bodies. We wake up feeling fine, check a low sleep score, and suddenly decide we are exhausted. We skip dinners, birthday cake, travel, drinks, and time with friends because we are afraid of disrupting a routine or hurting a metric. The tools designed to support our health can begin controlling our choices, until we are protecting the routine more than we are enjoying the results. The real question…

Are your health habits helping you live better, or are they quietly making your life more complicated? We are surrounded by nutrition rules, supplement stacks, protein targets, fasting windows, wearables, weight-loss drugs, and viral claims about foods we have been eating for decades. A banana in your smoothie is suddenly a problem. Every snack needs added protein. Everyone thinks they need electrolytes. People lose weight quickly without thinking about the muscle they may be losing with it. And in the process of trying to become healthier, many people become afraid to eat, travel, miss a workout, or enjoy their lives. This matters because better health rarely comes from obsessing over every minor detail. It comes from building muscle, eating enough whole foods, understanding your own habits, and creating a routine you can return to after an imperfect week. Strength training can improve your metabolism, mobility, confidence, and discipline. Nutrition should support your life. Data should help you make…

What if changing your face has nothing to do with how you feel about yourself? Plastic surgery has become more normalized, more accessible, and more visible than ever. We watch people document facelifts, nose jobs, injectables, and cosmetic procedures in real time, which can make major medical decisions feel as casual as booking a facial. But the polished before-and-after photo rarely shows the full story. Social media, filters, Zoom, and constantly seeing ourselves in photos and on video have changed the way we evaluate our appearance. We notice every angle, compare our real faces to edited ones, and start believing that changing one feature will finally make us feel more confident. But a procedure can alter your appearance without changing the way you see yourself. If the insecurity underneath it is never addressed, you may simply find something new to criticize. The real question is not always "What should I change?" Sometimes it is "Why do I believe changing this will make me feel better?" Cosmetic…

Is a lack of motivation a personality flaw, or a signal from your brain that something needs attention? We tend to think brain decline begins with memory loss, but changes in motivation, behavior, attention, and decision-making can show up much earlier. Apathy can look like laziness. Poor sleep can feel like memory loss. Doom scrolling gets blamed on dopamine, even though the science does not support many of the claims people repeat online. And the habits we rely on for brain health are often based more on trends than evidence. This matters because your brain is constantly deciding whether a reward is worth the effort. When that calculation becomes harder, doing even simple things can feel overwhelming. Understanding how motivation works can help you reduce friction, take action before you feel ready, build routines that support your brain, and pay closer attention to changes in yourself or someone you love. Purpose matters. Curiosity matters. Relationships matter. And movement may be one of the most…

Can being obsessed with other people's lives distract you from living your own? Reality TV can feel like harmless entertainment. You watch the drama, follow the relationships, and debate who was right or wrong. But when people become deeply invested in edited storylines, compare themselves to strangers, or attack contestants online, it reveals something bigger about where we are putting our attention. The more time we spend watching other people live, the less energy we may have for building a life of our own. Entertainment can be a way to unwind, but your attention is still one of your most valuable resources. Reality shows are designed to manipulate emotions, create villains, and keep audiences coming back. We rarely see the full story, yet people make sweeping judgments based on a few edited moments. The better question may be: Is this helping me recharge, or is it pulling me further into comparison, distraction, and negativity? In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I break down why Love Island has become…

Are your thoughts helping you move forward, or are they quietly running your life? We talk a lot about positivity, discipline, leadership, and good habits, but very few people understand how those things actually work together. Negative thoughts can feel true simply because they show up fast. Bad habits can undo years of progress. Leaders can have a great vision and still lose their team because they do not communicate, connect, or create trust. And being hardworking is not always enough if people do not want to follow you. This matters because success is shaped by what you believe, what you repeat, and how you show up around other people. Real confidence comes from learning how to challenge your own thinking, remove friction before a habit begins, communicate with clarity, and become the kind of person who strengthens the environment instead of being controlled by it. Positivity is a skill. Likability is a skill. Leadership is a skill. And all of them can be practiced. Jon Gordon is one of the most…

What if manifestation is keeping you focused on the life you want while distracting you from the work required to build it? Manifestation has become one of the biggest trends in personal development. Visualize the outcome, believe it is coming, raise your vibration, and trust the universe to deliver. There can be value in believing in yourself and getting clear on what you want, but belief without action quickly becomes wishful thinking. Your thoughts can influence your focus, confidence, and behavior, but they cannot control every external outcome. Health challenges, financial circumstances, psychological struggles, timing, and access all play a role. When manifestation culture ignores those realities, people can end up blaming themselves for circumstances they were never fully able to control. It also creates an opportunity for self-help coaches to sell false hope, expensive programs, and promises they cannot realistically guarantee. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I break down what manifestation…

Are you chasing longevity hacks while missing the habits that actually change your health? Everyone wants the shortcut. The GLP-1. The fasting protocol. The supplement. The perfect biomarker. The next thing that promises better energy, better body composition, and a longer life. But the real issue is that most people are drowning in information and still missing what actually moves the needle. Your body is not random. Muscle affects insulin sensitivity. Movement changes how glucose gets used. Sleep impacts recovery. Fasting can be powerful when it is done strategically. And the right biomarkers can show you risks that "normal" lab work may completely miss. Once you understand the why behind the habit, you stop guessing and start making smarter decisions. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I sit down with Dr. Jonathan Schoeff, surgeon, longevity expert, and co-founder of The Longevity Lab, to break down the real science behind GLP-1s, muscle loss, fasting, testosterone, grip strength, key biomarkers,…

What if "follow your passion" is actually bad advice? We hear it all the time: do what you love and the money will follow. It sounds inspiring, but it is not always realistic. Loving something does not automatically make it a career, a business, or a strategy. Sometimes the better move is to follow your effort, because wherever you consistently put in reps is usually where you build skill, confidence, and real opportunity. Your passion can stay your passion. You can love fitness, cooking, fishing, music, or watching documentaries without needing to turn it into your full-time job. In fact, sometimes turning your hobby into your career is exactly what makes you lose the joy of it. The real question is not always "What do I love most?" Sometimes it is "Where am I already putting in the work, getting better, and creating value?" In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I share why "follow your passion" can create a false sense of reality, why effort is often a better indicator of success, how boring businesses can…

Are you actually making healthier choices, or are you just buying whatever wellness trend sounds the most convincing? The wellness world has gotten very good at selling certainty. Peptides, longevity stacks, skin hacks, GLP-1s, miracle supplements, and "expert" advice are everywhere. The problem is that confidence online does not always mean credibility. A lot of people are spending serious money on things that sound scientific, but are backed by weak evidence, half-truths, or marketing dressed up as medicine. This matters because your health decisions should not be based on who has the best abs, the biggest platform, or the loudest opinion. Real performance comes from understanding what actually moves the needle: muscle, metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, smart recovery, and knowing how to question what you are being sold. The basics may not be sexy, but they work. And in a world full of shortcuts, doing the boring proven things is often the boldest move. Dr. Jonathan Schoeff is a surgeon, longevity…

What if laughing every day is less of a personality trait and more of a health strategy? We spend so much time chasing the perfect wellness routine. The supplements, the trackers, the saunas, the cold plunges, the red light, the protocols. And yet one of the simplest tools for changing your brain, your mood, your stress, and your body is something most of us are not doing enough: laughing. Laughter releases endorphins, helps lower stress hormones like cortisol, supports immune function, and can shift your emotional state fast. A real laugh can pull you out of a bad mood, break tension, make you feel more connected to people, and remind your nervous system that everything is not as serious as your brain is making it. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I share the science of laughter, why humor may be one of the most underrated health tools we have, how laughing affects stress and immunity, and why five minutes of comedy might be one of the easiest daily habits to add to your life. What's Discussed: (00:41)…

What if waiting until you feel ready is the reason you keep missing the opportunity? A lot of people have ideas, ambition, and opinions, but very few are willing to move before they have the perfect plan. Ronnen Harary built Spin Master by doing the thing so many people avoid: making the first small decision, trusting his gut, asking who could help, and moving fast enough to catch the opportunity while everyone else was still thinking about it. He did not start with decades of experience, unlimited resources, or a perfect roadmap. He started with curiosity, speed, persistence, and a willingness to figure it out in real time. This matters because opportunity rarely looks polished when it first shows up. Sometimes it looks like a weird grass toy, a product everyone else passed on, or a preschool show created after two brutal years of company losses. Ronnen's story is a reminder that success is built through motion, not overthinking. The people who win are the ones who create momentum, learn fast, build the…

Are you trying so hard to sleep better that you're actually making your sleep worse? We're spending more money than ever on sleep trackers, apps, gadgets, supplements, and nighttime routines, yet so many people are still exhausted. The more pressure you put on getting perfect sleep, the more alert your brain can become, which is why something as simple as "counting sheep" can actually backfire. Sleep is also affecting way more than your energy. One bad night can throw off your cravings, weaken your willpower, make discipline harder, and push you toward the exact choices you were trying to avoid. And if you're relying on motivation to make good decisions after a terrible night of sleep, good luck. Your brain is already running on fumes. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I share why obsessing over sleep may be part of the problem, how sleep quality impacts cravings and discipline, and why exercise, food, and your daytime habits may matter more than another sleep gadget. What's Discussed: (00:53) Why sleep…

Are you actually creating opportunity, or are you waiting for someone to hand it to you? A lot of people talk about being entrepreneurs, but very few are willing to do the unsexy part: get on the plane, sit in the waiting room, build the relationship, ask the better question, and stay in the deal long enough to find the angle everyone else missed. Richard Baker built his career by doing exactly that. He did not rely on perfect timing, endless capital, or permission from people at the top. He used structure, relationships, leverage, and speed to turn overlooked opportunities into billion-dollar deals. This matters because the future of work is changing fast. AI is reshaping business, companies are cutting jobs, and more people are going to have to learn how to create value on their own. Richard's philosophy is simple: stop chasing safety, start thinking like an owner, and learn how to manufacture your own luck. The people who win are the ones who know where the ball is going before everyone else starts…

Are you taking advice from people who only sound like they know what they're talking about? Social media has made everyone look like an expert, but a confident voice, a polished clip, or a big following does not automatically mean someone is qualified to guide your life, business, health, or decisions. The problem is that bad advice often sounds convincing, especially when it comes from someone who knows how to perform authority online. Real discernment means asking better questions before you listen. Has this person actually done what they are talking about? Did they do it recently enough for the advice to still apply? Are they giving you perspective from experience, or are they selling you a version of success that looks good on camera? In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I break down why advice has an expiration date, why followers do not equal credibility, and how to be more careful about who you let influence your decisions. What's Discussed: (00:34) Why everyone on social media suddenly sounds like…

Everyone is trying to optimize their health with trackers, supplements, morning routines, and biohacking tools, but sometimes the basics are still the biggest needle-movers. In this episode, we unpack why sleep, stress, relationships, food quality, and even walking may matter more than the latest wellness trend. We dive deeper into this in the Habits & Hustle Podcast with Shawn Stevenson. We also chat about melatonin, sleep quality, wearables, fat loss, protein, weighted vests, GLP-1s, and why your relationships may be the most underrated longevity hack. Shawn Stevenson is the host of The Model Health Show, one of the top-rated health podcasts. He is the author of Sleep Smarter, which became an international bestseller and has been translated into more than 20 languages. He is also the author of Eat Smarter and the Eat Smarter Family Cookbook. What's Discussed: (02:11) How Shawn Stevenson wrote one of the first bestselling books on sleep before it became a wellness trend. (03:08) Why sleep was the missing…

Are you counting yourself out before you even give yourself a real shot? A lot of people have big goals, real ambition, and a clear idea of what they want, but they never actually try because deep down, they don't believe they could be the person who pulls it off. They look at other people who have succeeded and assume those people had something they do not, when the real difference is often much simpler: they tried, they kept going, and they believed it was possible before anyone else did. When you start asking "Why not me?" instead of assuming success is reserved for someone else, everything changes. You stop putting other people on pedestals, you stop disqualifying yourself before the game even starts, and you start building the kind of confidence that only comes from taking action. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I share why the "Why not me?" mindset has made me feel unstoppable and how changing the way you see yourself can change the way you show up in every area of your life. What's Discussed:…

Most people know exactly what they should be doing to feel better, follow through, and build the life they want, but actually doing it is where everything falls apart. In this episode, we get into why mindfulness has been misunderstood, why your nervous system can block follow-through, and why awareness is the first step to breaking the emotional loops that keep you stuck. We dive deeper into this in the Habits & Hustle Podcast with Dr. Elisha Goldstein. We also chat about why mindfulness does not mean calm, how to interrupt overwhelm in real time, and why emotional vocabulary can completely change the way you understand your needs. Dr. Elisha Goldstein is a clinical psychologist, author of six books, and co-founder of The Center for Mindful Living in Los Angeles. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and has developed programs focused on mindfulness, emotional health, and behavior change. His latest book is Tiny Shifts: How Emotional Health Transforms Stress, Relationships, and Longevity. What's…

I have a bone to pick with the word entrepreneur because somewhere along the way, it became less about building something real and more about having a sexy title in your Instagram bio. Everyone wants the label, but not everyone has put in the time, taken the hits, failed, adjusted, and kept going long enough to actually earn it. In this episode of Habits & Hustle, Shani and I get into the difference between being entrepreneurial and actually being an entrepreneur. We also talk about fake business gurus, online courses, social media self-promotion, and why you need to be way more discerning about who you trust, follow, and pay. Because here's the truth: selling a course on success does not automatically make you successful. If you want to build something real, you need persistence, proof, and the ability to get back up when the first version does not work. No sexy bio line. No fake guru playbook. Just the actual work. Let's dive in. What's Discussed: (00:59) Why the word "entrepreneur" has become the new sexy…

Modern relationship advice is everywhere, and most of it is making your relationships harder, not better. These are the buzzwords that we see spread all over the internet like the misused attachment labels, the "be more vulnerable" coaching, the body count debate, and the love bombing warnings. Sadia has spent years working with couples one-on-one, and almost none of it holds up in real practice. Sadia Khan is a psychotherapist and the author of The Red Flags:The Truth About Love, Trauma, and the Lies Your Therapist Didn't Warn You About, a book built around the 10 questions every therapist should be asking their clients and every partner should be asking each other. She has worked with hundreds of men and women to fix what conventional therapy keeps missing, and her approach has built her one of the largest relationship audiences online. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, Sadia breaks down why your therapist's advice may be quietly hurting your relationship, the real reason high body count damages men…

The most powerful longevity tool you have is not in a bottle or a needle. It's in the quality of your relationships. There's a body of data that's been saying this for decades. Yet, the wellness industry kept focusing on the other direction of wellness. Shawn knows this not only because he read it in a study but because he lived the opposite of what healthy relationships look like first and paid for it with his health. Shawn Stevenson is the host of The Model Health Show, the no.1 nutrition and fitness podcast in the United States, and the bestselling author of Sleep Smarter and Eat Smarter. He grew up in poverty in St. Louis, was told at 20 he had the spine of an 80-year-old, and rebuilt his health from scratch with no money, no access, and no roadmap for any of it. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, Shawn makes the case that we have been optimizing the wrong thing all along. Your culture, your community, and the quality of your relationships are what the largest longevity studies keep pointing to, and…

Your subconscious mind is running 95% of your decisions. Your conscious mind, the part that's setting goals, making resolutions, and telling itself to do better, is only working with the remaining 5%. That gap is why knowing what you should do is never enough. Thais Gibson has spent over a decade building a framework that actually closes that gap. She is a counselor, founder of the Gibson Integrated Attachment Theory™, and has worked with over 60,000 people through The Personal Development School. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, she breaks down why self-sabotage is not what we all think it is, how your attachment style is quietly running your relationships, and the exact process to rewire patterns you have been carrying since childhood. This is one of those conversations that will make you look at your own behavior completely differently. What's Discussed: (00:05) The real reason your conscious goals keep losing to your subconscious programming. (15:30) What your attachment style is actually telling…

The habits that actually optimize your health are not the hard ones. They are the small, low-effort ones you can do without rearranging your whole life. We get sold protocols and programs and things that can feel too complicated or demand time you do not have, so the simple hacks get passed over because it feels too obvious to matter. But the simplest and obvious healthy habits are obvious because they work. When you stack a few of them together, they compound into something that changes your life in the long run. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I walk through the easy, low-effort habits I do every day that have optimized my life tenfold, even on the busiest days, from how I start my morning to how I trick myself into staying hydrated. Let's dive in! What's Discussed: (1:56) Why start every morning with 32 ounces of lemon water and how that can set up your whole day. (3:33) Why three short walks beat one long walk for your body. (5:19) Why working out first thing makes me sharper and more productive…

When you want to understand someone's success, you look at what they built. The company, the exit, the valuation. But James Beshara says you are looking at the wrong thing. You are studying the fruit when the real story is in the roots. James has built three separate companies to nine-figure valuations before 40, ranks as the top #2 angel investor on AngelList, and has made over 100 startup bets. He is also the founder of Magic Mind and after 14 years of investing and 18 years of building companies, he has learned that the founders who get funded are not the ones with the best pitch deck. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, James shares why he backs the founder and not the business, what he looks for in the first 7 minutes of meeting someone, and why a product that is merely liked will always lose to one that is loved. He also breaks down the science behind Magic Mind, why your coffee habit may be working against you, and the morning philosophy practice that shapes how he makes every decision. If you have…

There's a cognitive bias that runs more of your decisions than you do. Marketers figured it out a long time ago. The reason it keeps working on you is that nobody's taught you how to use it back. People have been saying it's a willpower problem for years now. And while willpower is part of it, the real reason you keep falling into the same patterns has less to do with discipline and more to do with how your brain is wired. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I unpack what loss aversion actually is, why marketers have been using it on you for decades, and how to flip it so it works for you instead. Let's dive in! What's Discussed: (1:53) Why your brain feels losing is twice as hard as winning and what that actually means for your daily decisions. (3:13) The exact tweak marketers use to make you act fast without realizing it. (3:45) Why "you'll feel great if you go to the gym" never works, and what does. (4:55) The reason subscription models keep growing and why you're paying for things you don't even use.…

The most interesting people to sit down with aren't always the ones the world agrees about. Some of the most compelling conversations happen with people who hold their ground and refuse to be neatly categorized by the world. Kevin Trudeau is infamous for a lot of things but what's notable about him is he sold 50 million books, served 8.5 years in federal prison for contempt of court, and walked out at 60 with $10,000 in donations. Kevin has been called a snake oil salesman by some of the biggest names in the media. He's also the man who wrote about ultra-processed food, gut health, and the hypothalamus regulating weight 25 years before any of it became mainstream science. In this episode, Kevin shares the story behind the controversies that defined him, what 8.5 years in federal prison actually taught him about resistance and acceptance, his philosophies in sales and business and how he came back at 60 to build it all again after being banned from infomercials for life. If you've ever been curious about a…

Are you doing all the right things to strengthen your mindset but still feel like something is missing? The wellness space has been selling mindset as the answer to everything for years now. And while it matters, leading with mindset is actually where most people get the order wrong. Because before your mind can perform at its best, your body has to be conditioned for it. When you flip that order and put your physical health first, everything else starts to move differently. Your mental toughness builds naturally. Your stress response changes. The way you show up in your relationships, your conversations, and your business all shift without you having to force it. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I share why I put physicality at the very top of my pyramid and what actually starts to change when you do the same. Let's dive in! What's Discussed: (3:10) The biggest paradigm shift nobody in the mindset space is talking about. (3:49) Why physical strength is the actual foundation of mental resilience. (5:20)…

The biggest threat to a founder's success isn't failure. It's spending years trying to become someone they were never built to be. Jamie Siminoff never followed the CEO playbook. He followed the problem. He built Ring in his garage with a soldering iron, got publicly rejected on Shark Tank, never ran a single team meeting, and still built one of the most recognizable home security brands in the world. In this episode, Jamie shares why the traditional founder playbook is a trap, what actually drives a company to scale, and what AI is about to do to the entrepreneurs who never questioned how they build. If you have ever felt more pulled toward solving a problem than managing a team, this conversation will completely reframe how you think about building. What's Discussed: (02:01) Why "serial entrepreneur" is just a polite word for something else entirely. (05:13) The garage moment that started everything and why he almost missed it. (09:47) What pre-selling millions still couldn't save him from. (13:22) The…

The same part of your brain behind every bad habit you have ever had is the exact same part that builds your best ones. Which means the traits you have been trying to fix your whole life might be the very thing that builds your biggest success. That connection is exactly what Liz Tenuto, better known as The Workout Witch, lived. She went from posting somatic exercises from her bed during a divorce to building an eight figure business that has helped millions of people heal, and the only thing that changed was what she pointed her energy at. In this third Fitness Fridays episode with Liz, she breaks down the brain science behind habit formation, why HIIT might be working against you, and what her origin story reveals about turning your worst traits into your greatest asset. If you have ever felt like the hardest working version of you is still not getting results, this is the episode that explains exactly why. What's Discussed: (0:00) The business model nobody in her industry saw coming. (1:43) Why she…

The same intensity that can destroy your life is the same intensity that can rebuild it. The difference isn't the person, it's the direction. Ken Rideout is the world's fastest marathoner over 50, a former prison guard, a former addict, and someone who has never once in his life waited to feel ready before making a move. He spent 10 years taking 50 Percocets a day while making millions on Wall Street and hiding it from everyone around him, including his wife. Today he runs 10 miles every single day, has won age groups at every world marathon major, and won a 155-mile desert ultra he signed up for with four weeks' notice and zero experience. In this episode, Ken gets into the real story behind what it took to trade his darkest habits for the discipline that made him a world champion. He also shares the one race he quit that rewired how he approaches everything, what he tells his kids about fear, and why having no process is the reason he keeps winning. If you have ever felt like your past, your struggles, or…

The field of somatics has one uncomfortable truth most people aren't ready to hear: you cannot think your way out of trauma or chronic stress. If the stress response of the body never gets discharged through physical movement, your body stays on high alert. Some people still write somatics off as "woo-woo". That gap between what the science actually says and what people assume is exactly why I wanted to go deeper with Liz Tenuto, better known as The Workout Witch. Liz holds a degree in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara, is certified in Pilates and Reiki, and spent six years being mentored in the Feldenkrais Method under Augusta Moore. She got herself off beta blockers for anxiety using the same somatic exercises she now teaches. In part two of this three-part Fitness Friday series with Liz, she breaks down the actual science, Polyvagal Theory, the psoas muscle, why betrayal trauma has a biological address in your body, and why your nervous system is still running an operating system designed for surviving…

Have you noticed how the more we're connected by the internet and have all these gadgets, the lonelier we get? The things we thought would bring us together are actually making us more isolated than ever. That is the conversation I had with Dr. Laurie Santos. She is a Yale professor, an expert on happiness, and the woman behind Psychology and the Good Life, the most popular class Yale has ever offered. She also hosts her own hit podcast, The Happiness Lab, focused on the science of feeling good. In this episode, Dr. Laurie breaks down why English-speaking countries are quietly getting unhappier, why manifesting the reward actually makes you less likely to chase it, and why the expert on gratitude herself doesn't love gratitude journaling. She explains the neuroscience of wanting versus liking, why self-care has quietly become self-indulgence, and the mindset shifts that matter more than any routine, supplement, or practice on the internet. She also gets into why doomscrolling is stealing more from you than…

The Greek word "soma" means body. Somatic exercises were first researched in the 1970s as a way to release trauma and stress through tiny physical movements, bypassing the mind entirely. Decades later, most people still think it sounds like a woo-woo wellness trend. That gap between what the science says and what people assume is exactly why I wanted to sit down with Liz Tenuto. Liz, better known as The Workout Witch, has nearly 5 million followers, 240,000 students, and a 99% success rate with her courses. She holds a degree in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara, is certified in Pilates and Reiki, and spent six years being mentored in the Feldenkrais Method under Augusta Moore. With fifteen years of hands-on teaching experience, she bridges science, movement, and somatic practice to help people release stress, stored trauma, and tension from their bodies, using the same methods that got her off beta blockers for anxiety. Her work has been featured in USA Today, BBC News, Harper's Bazaar France, and more. In…

GLP-1s are the fastest growing drug trend in health right now. But a 30-year fasting study says there's something every user needs to know before their next dose. Dr. Valter Longo has spent 30 years studying aging and longevity at USC, running over 40 clinical trials on what actually makes people live longer and healthier. What he found challenges almost everything the wellness industry is pushing right now, from 16-hour fasting windows to high-protein diets to GLP-1 drugs. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, Dr. Longo breaks down the science behind the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), why 12 hours of fasting beats 16, and what centenarians around the world actually eat. He also shares his latest research on cancer, Alzheimer's, and why your body already has the tools to heal itself if you stop getting in its way. It's time to ask the right questions about the hottest longevity trends that are costing people more than helping them. What's Discussed: (2:01) Who is Dr. Longo and the training behind his…

The problem was never that you didn't know what to do. It's that you keep letting the version of you who doesn't feel like doing it cast the deciding vote. That's the trap. We make decisions based on how we feel before the thing, instead of how we'll feel after it. And before anything hard, the feeling is always the same: tired, unmotivated, full of reasons to wait. If that's the voice you're listening to, of course you're stuck restarting. You've handed the mic to the wrong version of yourself. We try to fix this with more discipline, more motivation, or another reset on Monday. None of it works for long, because none of it changes the question you're asking yourself in the moment that actually matters. In this episode of Habits & Hustle, I break down the one question that changed how I show up for the gym, the hard conversations, and everything I'd rather put off. No system. No reset. Just a different way to decide. You don't need more motivation. You need to stop letting the wrong version of you decide.…

I live by one rule that has shaped almost every good thing in my career: do the thing first and ask for forgiveness later. Not permission. Forgiveness. The people who wait for the right connection, the right introduction, the right moment, usually end up watching someone bolder walk past them into the room they were trying to get into. That is exactly why I wanted to sit down with James Dumoulin. James is the 23-year-old founder of School of Hard Knocks, the media brand you have almost certainly seen on your feed even if you never clocked the name. He is the guy who walks up to strangers in G-Wagons and Rolexes and asks them how much money they make. That one move, repeated enough times, turned into 48 billionaire interviews, 22 million followers, and an 8-figure business before most people his age have figured out what they want to do after college. In this episode, James breaks down how he actually built the empire, the business decisions that saved it, why he turned down hundreds of thousands in easy…

Are you having a hard time connecting with your kid to know what they're up to? By the age of 10, kids may start to have short answers like "fine" and speak less to us parents because their brains develop and start navigating more independence over parental guidance. As parents, we want to make sure what is happening with our kids and it can be frustrating to get them to share more which sometimes leads to yelling. Kids are sensitive to our emotions as parents and they would rather distance themselves and become more mute when met with frustration and stress. In this episode of Habits & Hustle, I share some communication strategies that I learned from the communication experts and behavioral psychologists I met from this podcast and how it worked for me and my sons. It is so possible to have fun and engaging conversations with your kids without them feeling dismissed or ignored and you pulling your hair out of frustration. Let's dive in! What's Discussed: (01:30) The first rule: what active listening…