On the X

Watch the Full Episode here: https://youtu.be/eCVmuyWAhT4 In today’s Best Of clip, Chris sits down with Dave Berke, a retired Marine Corps pilot and renowned leadership instructor. The conversation covers his experiences at Top Gun, and his transition from military service to training leaders in business and life. Dave also discusses lessons from his upcoming book, The Need to Lead, offering insig...

In this episode of On The X, Chris Irwin sits down with former pro volleyball player, model, and wellness entrepreneur Gabby Reece. She reflects on how an unconventional childhood split between Long Island and St. Thomas, and being 6'3" at 15 taught her self-acceptance early. They discuss how resilience is often built through adversity, and moving your body can be one of the most effective ways to...

Watch the Full Episode here: https://youtu.be/ErrUwlLCCPo In today’s Best Of clip, Chris sits down with Spartan Race founder Joe De Sena to talk about Joe’s “fire, ready, aim” approach and his upside/downside decision-making as well as giving away $90M in entries during Covid, and why shared suffering makes people feel better and turns races into “church.” More about The Navy SEAL Foundation: ⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode of On The X, Chris sits down with Mark “Billy” Billingham, is a former British SAS operator, author, television personality, and security consultant. Billy shares how boxing and the Marine Cadets pulled him out of a violent childhood and into the Parachute Regiment and the SAS. He also covers his work after the military, including the Haiti earthquake relief effort that led to the...

In today’s Best Of clip, Chris sits down with retired Navy Seal, Echelon Front co-founder and author of Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink to discuss about how we counter our natural instincts, why humility is the most important leadership trait, and why everyone is a leader. On the X is present by Luminox Watches https://luminox.com/ -Use code: onthex20 -20% off Luminox watches (excludes outlet ite...

In this episode of On The X, Chris sits down with journalist and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the author of The Infinity Machine, Sebastian Mallaby. Having sat with the field’s biggest minds, from Hassabis to Geoffrey Hinton, Mallaby brings a rare mix of journalistic skepticism and genuine optimism to the AI debate. In this conversation, he takes us behind the scenes of h...

In today’s Best Of clip, Chris sits down with actor, producer, and author Zachary Levi, known for Chuck and Shazam! franchise. They explore Zachary’s work in mental health advocacy through his books Radical Love and Go Love Yourself. They talk about what we've lost as a society by drifting away from real community, and why so many veterans feel a void after leaving the bonds they built in service....

In today’s episode of On The X, Chris Irwin sits down with Annie Duke to explore how her career as a professional poker player shaped her expertise in decision making. They discuss the ethics of legalized gambling, Annie’s path from underground poker to advising Wall Street, and her concept of “resulting”, judging decisions by outcomes rather than the information available. Using the infamous Pete...

In this special Best Of clip, Steve Rinella (Meat Eater) breaks down the hidden logic behind "fair chase" in hunting. Using his "apple tree vs. apple" analogy, he explains why hunters focus on the health of the whole ecosystem rather than any single animal. Then he unpacks a hunting philosopher's radical idea: the real thrill of the hunt isn't the kill, it's the unknown outcome. Remove that uncert...

In today’s episode of On The X, Coach Chris Bennett, Nike's Global Head Running Coach, former UNC captain and Olympic Development athlete, built a championship high school cross country program and now writes Nike Run Club’s Guided Runs. Coach Bennett discusses his new book, “This Is About Running. This Is Not About Running” treats running as a metaphor for life, where showing up and consistency m...

In today’s On The X Best Of clip, Chris Irwin sits down with San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle to talk about his mindset behind his joy and legacy. From the Calvin & Hobbes tattoo story, his rule for processing setbacks, and what it means to leave a legacy, George’s honesty about mental health and gratitude shows why he’s one of the most genuinely joyful players in the NFL. Support the M...

In today’s episode of On The X, Chris Irwin sits down with Ben Meer, best known as “The Systems Guy” who has spent years as an innovation consultant for Fortune 500 companies, and is the author of the System Sunday newsletter as well as the author of the upcoming book “How to Be Good at Life: Simple Systems to Achieve More and Stress Less, out this October.  In this episode, Ben digs into the...

This "best-of" clip is from a previous episode of On the X. Big-wave legend Laird Hamilton breaks down what's actually happening in your head when the pressure is real. He explains the difference between anxiety and true intuition and how to tell which one is talking when you're scared. You don't need to be riding 50-foot waves to use this: it's about learning to trust your gut instead of getting...

On this episode of On The X, Chris sits down with Herm Edwards, the legendary NFL cornerback, head coach, and broadcaster. Herm spent a decade as a cornerback for the Eagles, Falcons, and Rams (1977–86), racking up 38 career interceptions and reaching Super Bowl XV with Philadelphia. He's also the man behind the "Miracle at the Meadowlands" the infamous fumble recovery and touchdown against the Gi...

This "best-of" clip is from a previous episode of On the X. You can watch the full interview with Simon Sinek here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ueqhl7OKWbM Known for his transformative ideas on leadership, Sinek has inspired millions with his concept of "Start With Why" and his work on building organizations that prioritize trust and collaboration. His books, including Start With Why, Leaders...

On this week's On The X, Chris Irwin sits down with Marine Corps veteran and bestselling author Steven Pressfield to discuss his 27-year road to publication and the craft that shaped novels like Gates of Fire, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and his latest book, The Arcadian. He shares the origin of Gates of Fire’s “battle in the shade” scene, one of the book’s most quoted passages among military read...

In this Best Of On The X clip, Chris sits down with pioneering computational neuroscientist Dr. Read Montague (Director of the Center for Human Neuroscience Research at Virginia Tech) to break down how our brains use dopamine and serotonin to calculate expectations, navigate uncertainty, and drive human behavior. Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R719PGAo6pI Support th...

Peloton strength and tread instructor Andy Speer joins On The X to break down why most people train the wrong way as they age. From his roots as a competitive gymnast and college pole vaulter to building Peloton’s TS60 program, Andy shares his “strength span” philosophy - the 5 key pillars for staying strong, mobile and capable for life. Andy and Chris dive into what a day as a Peloton instructor...

Marine Corps veteran Kirstie Ennis survived a helicopter crash in Afghanistan that shattered her body and nearly broke her mind. After 40+ surgeries, a battle with the VA, and a suicide attempt, she made a choice: keep going. This conversation is a masterclass in resilience, mental toughness, and rebuilding your life from the ground up. From growing up in a three-generation Marine family to climbi...

On today's episode of On the X, Jim Harbaugh, All-American quarterback, 15-year NFL veteran, and one of the most decorated coaches in football history - sits down to share the principles, mentors, and mindset that have driven him to a national championship at Michigan and the helm of the LA Chargers. He opens up about the life philosophy passed down from his parents, his rules for never quitting,...

On today's episode, Chris sits down with Dr. Patrick Vellner, the nine-time CrossFit Games athlete and Doctor of Chiropractic. Patrick reflects on a decade competing at the highest level of CrossFit, the burnout that reshaped his career in 2019, athlete safety and the case for real reform, the gymnast versus powerlifter debate, and what the sport needs to do to stay relevant in a fitness industry...

On today's episode, Chris sits down with George Mumford, the mindfulness coach Phil Jackson called his secret weapon, who has worked with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and countless other elite performers over more than 35 years. George shares his unlikely path from addiction to coaching champions, and breaks down the core ideas behind his work: finding the eye of the hurricane, getting comfortable...

On today's episode, Chris sits down with Harvard-trained social scientist Kasley Killam, author of The Art and Science of Connection, to break down why social health belongs alongside physical and mental health as a core pillar of well-being. To learn more about Kasley and download the free 5-3-1 Connection Plan, visit: https://www.kasleykillam.com/ On the X is an IRONCLAD Original. More about The...

On today’s episode, Chris sits down with pioneering computational neuroscientist Dr. Read Montague (Director of the Center for Human Neuroscience Research at Virginia Tech) to break down how our brains use dopamine and serotonin to calculate expectations, navigate uncertainty, and drive human behavior. They dig into "Reward Prediction Errors," how your brain shifts between "explorer" and "exploite...

On today’s episode, Chris sits down with neuroscientist and bestselling author Lisa Feldman Barrett to discuss how the brain constructs emotion, perception, and thought in real time. They explore the concept of the predictive brain, why the “lizard brain” theory has been debunked, and how the brain’s primary role is regulating the body. Lisa also explains how past experiences shape what we see and...