Finding Mastery: Conversations With Michael Gervais

This week’s conversation is with Henry Fraser, a talented artist, who paints stunning landscapes, animals, portraits, and more.There’s one caveat -- he draws using his mouth, as an accident years ago left him paralysed from the neck down.So that would beg the question, how did he learn to paint?He began by using a stylus on his iPad, which he held using his mouth to draw.He then taught himself to use a pencil, and then paint, by fixing the utensils required a stick attached to his mouth.Henry is also an author – he wrote The Little Big Things, which won Non Fiction Book Of The Year by WHSmith.Losing your ability to move from the shoulders down at age 17 – that’s up there with the most difficult circumstances I can imagine someone having to deal with.So with that context, I think you can get an idea of why I wanted to speak with Henry.This conversation is about acceptance, resiliency, and gratitude.It’s about making the best of a situation, no matter how bad things seem on the surface.-----Please support

This week’s conversation is with Jack Kornfield, a PhD, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology.He has trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, and is a founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society, and the Spirit Rock Center.Jack is one of the key teachers to introduce mindfulness practice to the west and has taught meditation internationally since 1974.His 14 books include A Path with Heart; A Lamp in the Darkness; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; The Wise Heart; and No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are.I couldn’t think of better conversation to get us rolling in 2021.We cover all things related to mindfulness — tools for getting better at quieting your mind, managing self-critique, vulnerability and so much more.-----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 would appreciate you

This week’s conversation is with Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, the Corporate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Microsoft. From thought leadership, to operational execution, to employee engagement, Lindsay leads Microsoft’s strategic efforts on systemic solutions to advance diversity and inclusion guided by a commitment to be mission-driven, outcome-oriented, globally-informed, science-based, and culturally-competent.She spearheaded the publication of Microsoft’s first Diversity & Inclusion Report and shaped the company’s recent action-oriented response to racial injustice.Under her leadership, her global team of human resources and employee engagement strategists are driving the adoption of Microsoft’s Core Priority for Diversity & Inclusion, introducing new solutions to advance inclusive behaviors and habits including Microsoft’s Allyship Program and employee self-identification, and helping leaders embrace their inclusion learning journey.You may have already heard a snippet of our conversa

This week’s conversation is with Owen Eastwood, a Performance Coach engaged by high profile teams around the world hunting for a competitive advantage through their culture.He currently works with the British Olympic and English football teams and has previously worked with diverse teams such as the Command Group of NATO, the South African cricket team, corporate leadership teams and in elite ballet.Owen’s a New Zealander with a unique approach based on an evolutionary understanding of what makes teams of humans strong and weak.There are some incredible insights and some wonderful ancient wisdoms that we have stopped listening to and Owen’s mission is to re-introduce people to those ideas.He introduced me to a concept I love called “Whakapapa” – something the famous New Zealand men’s national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, has built their culture around.Essentially the shirt is more important than any individual.You wear the shirt with a sense of pride and a sense of duty.A

This week’s conversation is with James Clear, a writer and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement.He is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits.His work has appeared in Entrepreneur magazine, Time magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and on CBS This Morning.His website, jamesclear.com, receives millions of visitors each month and hundreds of thousands subscribe to his popular email newsletter.So why do habits matter?We all have tons of habits, things like signing your name or knocking on the door, ringing the doorbell, tying your shoes or unplugging the toaster after each use... but how do we build more important or meaningful routines around things that really matter to us?For James, it starts with choosing what you want to optimize for and the type of identity that you want to reinforce, the type of person you want to become.So in this conversation, we dive into some best practices for habit development and how to create a system that

This week’s conversation is unique – it’s with Lauryn Evarts Bosstick and Michael Bosstick, our first husband and wife duo on Finding Mastery and it definitely doesn’t disappoint! Lauryn and Michael host a top podcast called The Skinny Confidential: HIM & HERMichael is also the CEO and Co-Founder of the Dear Media Podcast Network, the first and leading podcast network focused on female voices, audiences, and narratives.Before they had the podcast, Lauryn simply had a passion for beauty, wellness and no-censor advice.It all started as a small blog and today their podcast, The Skinny Confidential: HIM & HER, has over 75 million downloads.I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest on their podcast twice – you can check out my latest episode here.So this time, we decided to turn the mic’s on them and in my opinion the timing couldn’t be more perfect.Lauryn just had a baby, Michael is running a rapidly growing business and they’re stuck at home just like the rest of us.We talk about how to maintain a heal

This week’s conversation is with Sergey Young, a longevity investor with a mission to extend healthy lifespans of at least one billion people.Building on his investment expertise, which spans over 20 years, Sergey founded the $100M Longevity Vision Fund to accelerate life extension breakthroughs and to make them affordable and accessible to all.The investment focus of Longevity Vision Fund includes technologies, products, and services that extend healthy human lifespans and mitigate the negative effects of aging Sergey also manages a $2bln private equity fund and heads Peak State Ventures, a US-based fund with a focus on new technologies in real estate, digital healthcare and the Future of Work. He’s an Innovation Board member at XPRIZE Foundation, Development Sponsor of Age Reversal XPRIZE, and a Forbes Tech Council member.In this conversation, we discuss which breakthrough technologies Sergey is investing in to help people live longer.For Sergey, what’s possible from a technological

The events of this summer plunged us into a period of racial reckoning and soul searching. Waves of protests and demonstrations across the globe pushed race to the center of our social discourse. People are hopeful that this complex, fraught moment is the beginning of a real meaningful movement towards racial equality.But change starts within. The beliefs, attitudes, and stories that we carry shape the lens through which we see other, and ourselves. I had a series of conversations with friends inside out community who are deeply engaged in the struggle for racial equality. The purpose -- to explore how we can build the internal skillsets to create the change we want to see in the world. I’m honored to be doing special episode of the Finding Mastery podcast in partnership with Microsoft. I hope you appreciate the lived experiences and applied insights of these remarkable leaders as much as I do.Joining me for this podcast:Baratunde Thurston, Activist, ComedianTianna Bartoletta, Olympia

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Donald Hoffman a Professor of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine.I got introduced to Donald through the legendary Deepak Chopra so I was very excited to speak with Donald…Donald received a PhD from MIT and is an author of over 120 scientific papers and three books, including The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes.He received a Distinguished Scientific Award of the American Psychological Association for early career research, the Rustum Roy Award of the Chopra Foundation, and the Troland Research Award of the US National Academy of Sciences.His writing has appeared in Scientific American, New Scientist, LA Review of Books, and Edge, and his work has been featured in Wired, Quanta, The Atlantic, Ars Technica, National Public Radio, Discover Magazine, and Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman.He has a TED Talk titled “Do we see reality as it is?” and that sets t

This week’s conversation is with Glennon Doyle, the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller UNTAMED, a Reese’s Book Club selection.She’s also the author of New York Times bestsellers LOVE WARRIOR (an Oprah’s Book Club selection) and CARRY ON, WARRIOR.An activist and thought leader, Glennon is the founder and president of Together Rising, an all-women led nonprofit organization that has revolutionized grassroots philanthropy – raising over $25 million for women, families, and children in crisis.You might also be familiar with her wife, former U.S. women’s national team soccer star, Abby Wambach, a previous Finding Mastery guest.In this conversation, Glennon shares how getting sober shaped her life’s purpose… an absolute dedication to telling the truth, to not having secrets, to not having shame, to living as close to integrity as she can imagine.For Glennon, integrity just means integrated.Aligning her outer life… her outer words and actions, with her inner self, so that she doesn’t live

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Andrew Weil, an internationally recognized expert on medicinal plants, alternative medicine, and the reform of medical education.He is the founder and Director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, where he also holds the Lovell-Jones Endowed Chair in Integrative Rheumatology and is Clinical Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health.Andrew is the founder and Chairman of the Weil Foundation, and the founder and co-Chairman of Healthy Lifestyle Brands.He is also a founder and partner of the growing group of True Food Kitchen restaurants.Andrew is an absolute pioneer in the field…In this conversation, Andrew shares why he’s such an avid supporter of integrative health and his philosophy on healthy aging.-----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 would appreciate you supporting them in return!!To take advantage of deals from our p

This week’s conversation is with Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and a former columnist and senior editor at the New York Times.Charles is the author of The Power of Habit, which has spent over three years on the New York Times bestseller lists, and Smarter Faster Better, also a New York Times bestseller.His books have sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.Charles currently writes for The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine, and hosts How To! with Charles Duhigg, a Slate podcast.He is a graduate of Yale University and the Harvard Business School, and a frequent contributor to This American Life, NPR, The Colbert Report, PBS’s NewsHour, and Frontline.In this conversation, we discuss what led Charles to write The Power of Habit and drill down into some best practices to create a new habit or curb a poor habit.------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 would appreciate y

This week’s conversation is with Tianna Bartoletta, a professional track and field athlete from Elyria, Ohio that specializes in the short sprints, the 4x100m relay and the long jump.Tianna and Jesse Owens are 2 of just 3 athletes in the states history to win four state titles two years in a row.She attended and ran track for the University of Tennessee, but turned pro after her sophomore season when she won her fist world championship title at 19 years old.Tianna’s a two-time Olympian, a 3x Olympic Gold Medalist, a world-record holder, and a 3x world champion.A reigning Olympic Champion and now 35 year old, Tianna is currently training to defend her title at Tokyo 2021.In this conversation, Tianna shares what it’s like to compete on the world’s biggest stage, and how she manages the pressure – one moment to make 4 years of hard work pay off. ------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 would

This week’s conversation is with Wes Pfiffner, a member of Joovv’s leadership team.Joovv is the first company to develop a modular, full-body light therapy for personal, in-home use.So why am I so interested in light therapy?You probably know that UV light from the sun helps us create Vitamin D, but other colors and wavelengths of sunlight are crucial for our health as well, like red light and near-infrared light.I’ve been hooked on Joovv for a while and I wanted to have Wes on to take a deeper dive into their technology and how it can make a difference for you.In this conversation, Wes breaks down the basics of light and how it works on a cellular level, leading to some commonly known (and some not so common!) ways healthy light exposure optimizes health, and why you should prioritize this therapy the same way you do diet and exercise.Joovv also just launched their next generation of devices – you can learn more and take advantage of an exclusive offer at Joovv.com/findingmastery. ------Please support o

A few days ago I connected with former NFL legend and Seattle Seahawk running back, Marshawn Lynch, to discuss mental health.It was a great conversation - live on Uninterrupted's Instagram page. I wanted to share it here in case you missed it. The audio is a little subpar since its from Instagram but the conversation makes up for it.Enjoy! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Pedram Shojai, a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Master Herbalist and acupuncturist.Pedram is the New York Times bestselling author of The Urban Monk and The Art of Stopping Time.He is an acclaimed Qigong Master and Taoist Abbot with a practical approach to modern living, using Eastern thinking and practices to help himself and others overcome the Westernized challenges of everyday life.His upcoming book, FOCUS: Bringing Time, Energy and Money into Flow, is about bringing your attention in line with your intention to get the life you want, and will release November 10, 2020. In this conversation, we talk about strategies for improving focus and getting the most out of each day.For Pedram, it comes down to prioritizing what's most important and implementing a practice of life gardening.You get a certain amount of plants. You say you want them watered. You say they're important to you. How is the allocation of your water? ------Please support our partners!We're a

This week’s conversation is with Jill Ellis, the former head coach of the U.S Women’s National Team.Jill is the all-time winningest coach in U.S. Soccer History. She led the team to World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019 and was twice named FIFA World Coach of the Year.She completed her time with the National Team with a record of 106 wins, 7 losses, and 19 ties.Previous to the National Team, she was the head coach of the women’s soccer team at UCLA for 12 years.A few weeks back I had the fortune of speaking with one of Jill’s former players, Becky Sauerbrunn, who mentioned the inherent pressure that comes with playing on the National Team.There are so many highly talented individuals vying for so few spots. Competition for playing time is through the roof. There is constant pressure to win.I wanted to speak with Jill to better understand their culture and her process for managing – especially when the culture gets tested. ------Please support our partners!We're able to keep growing and creating content fo

This week’s conversation is with Rich Roll – if you’ve listened to Finding Mastery for a while you know the name – this is his third time on the podcast and he’s someone I just love getting a chance to chat with.For those of you unfamiliar with Rich, he was named one of the “25 Fittest Men in the World” by Men’s Fitness and “The World’s Fittest Vegan” by Men’s Health.Rich is a globally renown ultra-endurance athlete, wellness advocate, bestselling author, husband and father of four.When he isn’t lost on a trail or spending time with his wife Julie, their four children and two Great Pyrenees, he hosts the wildly popular Rich Roll Podcast, one of the top 100 podcasts in the world.Rich also has a new book coming out titled, Voicing Change, set for release in November 2020.It felt very timely to speak with Rich again – he knows what rock-bottom feels like and he found a way to put his life back together.With how much current uncertainty there is in the world, I wanted to get a feel for how he’s approaching t

This week’s conversation is with NASCAR champion, Kurt Busch.In 2019, Kurt made the move to Chip Ganassi Racing to become the driver of the No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup SeriesKurt has more than 650 career starts in the MENCS spanning over 21 years of competition.He’s made 12 appearances in the NASCAR Playoffs including six consecutive appearances.In addition to being the 2004 MENCS Champion, he also has marquee wins in the NASCAR All-Star race, Coca-Cola 600 (2010) and the Daytona 500 (2017).Kurt is a fierce competitor and his resume speaks for itself… he understands what it takes to win.In this conversation, Kurt shares how that same mentality that propelled him to countless victories also almost derailed his career.We discuss the importance of relationships and how evolving his approach – from transactional to transformational – has reinvigorated him in the second half of his career.Kurt also describes what it’s like inside a race car traveling at 200mph.The lev

This week’s conversation is with Becky Sauerbrunn, an American soccer player, Olympic gold medalist and two time FIFA Women's World Cup champion.A veteran defender for the United States women's national soccer team, she also plays for the Portland Thorns in the National Women's Soccer League, the highest division of women's soccer in the United States.Becky is a 4-time NWSL Defender of the Year and 7-time NWSL First XI selection.In this conversation, Becky shares what’s it’s like to be at her best… which she describes as fleeting.It’s those moments where everything slows down and she can see the play happening before it actually happens… every decision she makes is the right … and she’s completely present.Those moments are elusive though and so we unpack what gets in her way.------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 would appreciate you supporting them in return!!To take advantage of deals from