Finding Mastery: Conversations With Michael Gervais

This week’s conversation is with Oliver Burkeman, a British author and journalist who I’ve really enjoyed his writings on productivity, mortality, the power of limits, and thoughts on building a meaningful life in an age of distraction. Oliver is the winner of the Foreign Press Association's Young Journalist of the Year award, and for many years wrote a hit weekly column for The Guardian called This Column Will Change Your Life.In this conversation, we dive into Oliver’s newest book, Four Thousand Weeks - where he uses the average number of weeks that humans live, 4k – as a reference point to help us examine how we are living…especially in a world of impossible demands, infinite choice, and countless “productivity techniques” that mainly just leave us feeling busier - and less fulfilled. Oliver’s perspective and insights were a breath of fresh air, and I hope you’ll leave this conversation inspired to do the work to get clear on your values and prioritize your time based on the things that really ma

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Rachel Zoffness, a medical educator and disruptor who is revolutionizing the way we understand and treat pain. By trade, Rachel is a trained pain psychologist, a Visiting Professor at Stanford, an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, and a consultant on the development of integrative pain programs around the world.She is also the author of The Pain Management Workbook, which merges pain neuroscience with psychology – brain with body, physical with emotional – to get to the heart of true pain management. If you or someone close to you lives with any kind of pain or discomfort – which I’m guessing is true for many of us – I think you’re going to find incredible value from Rachel. All of us will experience pain at some point in our lives… it’s part of the human condition. But thanks to Rachel, knowing where that pain comes from – and how to better manage it – no longer has to be a mystery.-----You can also watch this - and every - conversatio

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Tom House, a former Major League Baseball pitcher turned world-renowned expert in the biomechanics of throwing. Often referred to as the “father of modern pitching mechanics” and a “quarterback whisperer”, Tom has coached some of the world’s most elite throwers like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Nolan Ryan, Andrew Luck, Dak Prescott… and the list goes on. Tom is one of the preeminent pioneers who brought science into the art of coaching – after eight years as a big league pitcher and eight more as a big league pitching coach, he earned a doctorate in sports psychology, and has gone on to write or co-write 22 books on throwing mechanics. Now, Tom is on a mission to pay it forward to the next generation – his new revolutionary app, Mustard, makes world-class coaching and tactics used by professional athletes accessible to athletes of all ages right from their smartphone. I can’t wait for you to learn from Tom – not as an elite throwing coach, but as a pione

This week’s conversation is with Ty Murray, one of the most accomplished Roughstock athletes of all time. Having earned a record-setting seven All-Around World Championships, Ty has rightfully earned his nickname in the industry as “King of the Cowboys”.Throughout his illustrious career, Ty competed in three of the rodeo’s most risky and dangerous events – bareback, saddle bronc, and bull riding – dominating all three “rough-stock” disciplines with the singular heart of a champion.At the age of 23, Ty became the youngest millionaire in rodeo history, and eight years later was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Ty has also been a trailblazer for the sport behind the scenes – in 1992 he became a founding member of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), which sought mainstream attention for “America’s original extreme sport.” Ty is epic and so is this conversation – I can’t wait for you to hear his story and learn from a human who has dedicated his life towards exploring the upper reaches of his pot

This week’s conversation is with Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a Professor of Education, Psychology, Human Development and Neuroscience at the University of Southern California. Mary Helen studies the psychological and neurobiological development of emotion and self-awareness of adolescents in educational settings. Since earning her doctorate from Harvard in 2005, she has received numerous awards for her research and impact on education and society, including an Honor Coin from the U.S. Army, a Commendation from the County of Los Angeles, and a Cozzarelli Prize from the Proceedings of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.Currently, Mary Helen is conducting several funded, multiyear neurobiological research studies on adolescent students and their teachers. In this conversation we discuss how students really learn, and what we can do to enhance how we teach in an education system. But Mary Helen’s insights extend far beyond the educational setting – those with a deep understanding of the role emotion p

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Andrew Weil, a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine.He is a New York Times bestselling author of 15 books, the founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, and has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine – and that doesn’t even begin scratch the surface of Andrew’s accomplishments and contribution to society throughout his incredible career. To put it simply – the man is an absolute legend in his field. We had Andrew on the podcast back in 2020 (that’s episode 250 if you’re looking to check it out), and I could not be more excited to have him back on for round two. This time around, we dive into the dawn of psychedelics – a topic that Andrew has been studying since his time at Harvard Medical School in the 1960s. I’ve always been a little skeptical when it comes to adopting psychedelics (or any other external substance) as a tool

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, a world-renowned executive coach and New York Times bestselling author of Triggers and What Got You Here Won't Get You There.Throughout Marshall's career, he has worked with CEOs from over 200 companies, has been named one of the Top Ten Business Thinkers in the World, and in 2018 was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the field of business education and leadership coaching. Marshall also has a new book out – The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment – where he explores what it means to earn your path and live a fulfilled, purpose-driven life, which is one of the reasons I was so excited to have him on.Although we agree that no one does the extraordinary alone, you’ll hear, toward the end of the conversation, there’s a ton of fire - two people passionately talking about their philosophies, which are very, very different. That’s what it’s all about.We are all uniquely different, working from diffe

This week’s conversation is with Keira D’Amato, a full-time realtor, mother of two, and one of the most elite female long-distance runners in the United States. Keira’s running career took off in college where she became a four-time All-American Track athlete at American University. However, just a couple years after graduating, she underwent a major ankle surgery which put a quick - and heartbreaking - end to her post-collegiate running career. Eight years later, Keira started chasing down some “unfinished business” and went on to set the American Women’s Record in the Marathon (2:19:12), the World Record in the Women’s Only 10 Mile Run (51:23), and was selected to Team USA for the World Half Marathon Championships in 2020 & 2022... all while juggling the responsibilities of raising two kids and a career as a full-time realtor. Keira is epic and this conversation is about so much more than her career as an athlete – it’s about pain, purpose, re-discovery, and having the courage to go for t

This week’s conversation is with Josh Peck, an actor, comedian, author, Youtuber, and television superstar. Josh rose to near-instant fame when he starred for four seasons as the comedic center of Nickelodeon’s hit show Drake & Josh. Since then, he has spent the last two decades establishing himself as one of Hollywood's rising talents – he has starred in several feature films and is currently on set for other major projects, such as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer alongside industry legends like Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr. However, Josh’s quick rise to stardom didn’t come without consequence – in his new book, Happy People Are Annoying, Josh opens up for the first time about his coming of age journey under the spotlight and the struggles that came along with it.And that’s what this conversation is about -  learning, growing, finding bright spots in the scary parts of life, and the life-changing freedom that comes on the other side of acceptance.----Please support our par

This week’s conversation is with Greg Olsen, a football broadcaster for FOX Sports and former tight end who played in the NFL for 14 seasons. During his time in the league, Greg was a three-time Pro Bowler, currently ranks fifth all-time among tight ends for receptions and receiving yards, and left the Carolina Panthers – where he spent a majority of his career – as the franchise’s all-time leading tight end in receptions receiving yards, and 100-yard receiving games. Now – alongside his career as a sportscaster – Greg co-launched a media company, Audiorama, with its flagship podcast, Youth Inc., where Greg discusses the changing world of youth sports in America.There is much more to Greg than meets the eye or what’s read on his NFL resumé.The majority of this conversation is about what sits underneath his success. It’s about leading, learning, parenting, and how sport can play an integral role in our kids’ upbringing - but we also dive into how he and his family dealt with crisis – and did it in a

This week’s conversation is with Tara Lipinski, an internationally acclaimed figure skater who you might recognize from her performance at the 1998 Nagano Olympic games where – at age 15 – she became the youngest athlete to win an individual Gold Medal in the history of the Winter Games. Tara is also recognized as the youngest competitor to win the World Professional Figure Skating Championships in 1999 at age 17, and the youngest-ever inductee into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2006.In the now 20+ years since her Olympic triumph, Tara has taken the same championship-style approach to her new role as a TV sports commentator for NBC and Universal Sports – she was the analyst for figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing - where her depth of technical knowledge – and more strikingly – her deep authentic nature – was gripping. Tara is an absolute legend and this conversation is about “the how” that sits underneath her  uncommon commitment to become her very best … I

This week’s conversation is with Daniel Pink, the author of New York Times bestsellers A Whole New Mind, Drive, To Sell Is Human, and When. His books have sold millions of copies, been translated into forty-two languages, and have helped readers and organizations around the world rethink how they live and operate.Daniel received a BA from Northwestern University, where he was a Truman Scholar and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a JD from Yale Law School. He has also received honorary doctorates from Georgetown University, the Pratt Institute, the Ringling College of Art and Design, the University of Indianapolis, and Westfield State University.And Daniel has a new book out - The Power of Regret: How Looking Backwards Moves Us - about the transforming power of our least understood yet potentially most valuable emotion: regret. In writing this book, Daniel spent three years examining decades of research and analyzing his own study consisting of over 16,000 individual responses on the science of reg

This week’s conversation is with Ulrich Dempfle, the CEO & Co-Founder of CAROL. Ulrich graduated in mechanical engineering from Germany’s leading tech university and after working with Europe’s top automotive manufacturers, moved to London where he pioneered AI healthcare initiatives, optimizing operational efficiency for the National Health Service.A BBC documentary on reduced exertion high-intensity training (REHIT) made Ulrich realize there was massive potential for a new groundbreaking form of cardio. The problem? REHIT was only possible in a lab setting. So, Ulrich co-founded CAROL and partnered with the world’s leading exercise researchers to take REHIT out of the lab. 40 prototypes later, the world’s first and only REHIT exercise bike was launched. I’ve always been intrigued by cutting edge products and innovative tools that help people enhance their lives and explore their potential – that’s one of the reasons I’ve been so excited about our partnership with CAROL and was so exc

This week’s conversation is with Susan Cain, the author of the bestsellers Quiet Journal, Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts, and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.Quiet has been translated into 40 languages, spent eight years on The New York Times best seller list, and was named the #1 best book of the year by Fast Company magazine, which also named Susan one of its Most Creative People in Business. Her record-smashing TED talk has been viewed over 40 million times, and was named by Bill Gates as one of his all-time favorite talks.Susan also has a new book, Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, which is one of many reasons why I was excited to speak with her. We talk about what it really means to feel sorrow and longing as part of the human experience, as well as the power of introversion.-----Please support our partners!We're able to keep growing and creating content for YOU because of their support. We believe in their mission and wou

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Ranjay Gulati, the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor and the former Unit Head of the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. Until recently, he chaired the Advanced Management Program, the flagship senior leader executive program, at the school. Ranjay  studies how “resilient” organizations—those that prosper when it’s smooth sailing - and when the seas are wild —drive growth and profitability. His work bridges strategy (establishing clear strategic pillars for growth), organizational design (reimagining purposeful and collaborative organizational systems), and leadership (fostering inspired, courageous and caring execution).The Economist, Financial Times, and the Economist Intelligence Unit have listed him as among the top handful of business school scholars whose work is most relevant to management practice. I’ve known Ranjay for a few years, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to him. He’s got a deep understanding of ho

This week’s conversation is with Jay Glazer, best known as a National Football League insider and TV host for FOX Sports’ award-winning NFL pregame studio show, FOX NFL Sunday. The entire cast, including Jay, became the first sports show inducted into the Television Hall Of Fame in 2019. He is also part of FOX’s Thursday Night Football. Jay was one of the first ever minute by minute breaking online news reporters in the NFL. In 2014, he co-founded the Unbreakable Performance Center, a private training facility frequented by Wiz Khalifa, Chris Pratt, and Demi Lovato, as well as numerous NFL, NHL and MMA athletes.And in 2015, Jay and former U.S. Army Green Beret Nate Boyer (a previous Finding Mastery guest) founded the charitable organization MVP (Merging Vets and Players) to assist combat veterans and former professional athletes, who often faced a tough road adjusting to civilian life. Jay has a new book out called Unbreakable, where he offers insights gleaned from his fight through depres

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Laura Stokes-Greene, one of the best equine sports medicine doctors in the world.Laura is also an avid entrepreneur, focusing on the intersection of medicine, technology, and creativity. She’s utilizing cutting edge biotech to help competing jumper and dressage horses maximize their performance.  Creating innovative therapeutic programs to optimize strength and mobility, Laura emphasizes regenerative medicine with bio-logics such as PRP and stem cells.  An active lecturer and veterinary mentor, she enjoys educating about the human-animal connection and drawing parallels between horses and ourselves.  So that’s why I wanted to have Laura on the podcast - to better understand the human-animal connection and dive deeper into her innovative medical practices that are relevant for humans as well.----Please support our partners!We're able to keep growing and creating content for YOU because of their support. We believe in their missio

This week’s conversation is with Conrad Anker, an absolute legend who has been pushing the limits of mountaineering for the last 30 years, evolving into one of America’s best alpinists. At age 56, Conrad’s resume continues to grow, having notched the long-awaited first ascent of the Meru Shark’s Fin in India with partners Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk in 2011, which led to the Sundance-winning documentary, Meru. Conrad has climbed Everest three times, including a 2012 trip with National Geographic to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first American ascent of the mountain. Though true alpine routes have been his forte, his résumé also includes big wall first ascents on El Capitan and first free ascents in Zion National Park. In 1997 alone, he completed first ascents in Antarctica, Pakistan’s Karakorum and on Yosemite’s El Capitan.So Conrad operates in high consequence environments, places where the luxury of a mistake is often not afforded. Like so many explorers of nature and human nat

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where in 1995, he founded the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society and in 1979, its world-renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Clinic.  Jon’s research between 1979 and 2002 focused on mind/body interactions for healing, on various clinical applications of mindfulness meditation training for people with chronic pain and/or stress-related disorders, on the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the brain and how it processes emotions, particularly under stress.He is the author of 14 books, including the bestsellers Full Catastrophe Living, Wherever You Go, There You Are, and Mindfulness for Beginners. His books and guided meditation programs describe meditation practice in such commonsensical, relevant, and compelling terms that mindfulness meditation practice has become a way of life for thousands of people

This week’s conversation is with Shalane Flanagan, an American endurance legend, being one of the few distance runners to earn first-name recognition rights. Shalane's remarkable career spans nearly 20 years… she’s a 4x Olympian (Athens, Beijing, London and Rio), becoming an Olympic medalist in Beijing.She’s a New York City Marathon champion, where she was the first American woman to win it since 1977.After retiring from professional running in 2019, Shalane underwent two knee reconstruction surgeries, started a new coaching career and became a mom, all while navigating the realities of a global pandemic. In 2021, she undertook a personal mission: Project Eclipse – to run six major marathons in a span of six weeks - as a way to reclaim her love for the sport of running and to bolster her mental and physical health.Shalane also took on the challenge as a way to inspire others to rise up in the face of their own struggles. She completed all six, including the major races Berlin, London, Chicago, Bosto