The Zen Meathead

    "Find out who you are and do it on purpose." - Dolly Parton Life is a relentless teacher, but sometimes, the lessons hit like a freight train. In this heartfelt episode, our guest, Jawara Hayden , takes us on an intimate journey through resilience, identity, and self-discovery. From surviving toxic relationships and battling mental health challenges to embracing their authentic self, Junko's s...

      "The reason I started asking this question is because I realized that my relationship with my father sucked, and I had to f****** go, 'No, dad, I f****** love you. You're  gonna hug me, you piece of s***. We're doing this.'"   Let's face it: the relationship with your father can be a bit of a rollercoaster—one that occasionally derails. This episode tackles the highs, lows, and awkward loops...

"The ability to sleep is so important that it controls the quality of our lives, yet we take it for granted."   Sleep is the ultimate productivity hack and health booster, yet it's the first thing we sacrifice when life gets busy. This episode explores why sleep is non-negotiable for success, with the guest shedding light on its impact on memory, focus, and emotional resilience. From the dangers o...

Ever wondered what AI has to do with hot tubs, killer drones, and potentially making America rich? You're in the right place. In this episode of the Zen Meathead Podcast, Chris sits down with retired Microsoft/Google engineer and Restaurateur James Whitaker for a mind-expanding chat about everything from AI's untapped potential to why your LinkedIn feed is getting dull. It's a little bit tech, a l...

Have you ever felt stuck in a cycle of unhealthy habits, unsure how to break free and start living your best life? What if a simple shift in your habits could be the catalyst for a complete life transformation? Could optimizing your nutrition and hormones be the key to cutting your body fat in half, without the scale moving much at all?   We've all experienced moments where we feel stuck—whether i...

Success isn't always convenient, but it's worth the effort. Armed with grace and grit, towards a healthier, happier you. Joining us again, is Jenn DeTracy. You might remember her from her previous appearance on our show about six months ago when we talked about the realms of leadership. Today, we'll be demystifying wellness and physical health. Ever wondered why certain ingredients are allowed in...

So, picture this: You're on an airplane, always in transit, yet never fully arriving. But what if we let go of the destination and just embraced the moment? That's the revolutionary idea our guest brings to the table. Today, we've got a special guest in the house who's here to shake things up and challenge the way we think about life. Our friend, Linus Hammarstrand, a Buddhist monk deeply rooted i...

"Faith is faith, as hard as integrity." "It is criminal how little we've saved ($). Like it should be criminal." Ever found yourself questioning why the dollars you make don't always translate to financial security? It's not just about making money – it's about understanding how our emotions play an important role in sculpting our financial realities. This episode is a captivating exploration of h...

"Some (gender identifying) terms, to me, are not feminine or masculine. They just denote an energetic helpfulness to another human on the planet." So, what's gender identity? Gender identity is a deeply-felt sense of being male, female, gender fluid or another gender. It may or may not align with the physical sex assigned at birth,  and can change over time for some people. The gender and pronoun...

"To understand water is to understand the cosmos, the marvels of nature, and life itself -Masaru Imoto" Having discipline is very crucial in freediving, so one must learn breath control, technique, and mental focus. The parallel between scuba diving and freediving differs in how fast you come up from the exceeded depth, with freediving being faster than scuba diving. Part of the safety measures ar...

"Confidence is not built by shouting affirmations in the mirror, but by building up a stack of undeniable evidence that you are who you say you are. - Alex Hormozi" In life, we're constantly faced with decisions. In making these choices, we must consider the regrets we're willing to live with. This perspective serves as a guiding principle, empowering us to assess our aspirations, dreams, and desi...

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to get support" Stay curious, stay courageous, and embrace the beautiful adventure of self-discovery. With people you trust and love. And it's not just about being vulnerable with the world, but choosing who gets to see your true self. It's like building a fortress with gates that you control. So you can let the right people in, the ones who appreciate and nurtu...

"When we lose touch with the instinctive psyche, we live in a semi destroyed state and images and powers that are natural to the feminine are not allowed full development." - excerpt from Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. In this episode, we explore a topic that's often overlooked in discussions about health and wellness: the experiences unique to women. Bri Martinez , the f...

"you have to start to surround yourself with the people that you think have fruit, so that you move towards the actions that they present." "One of the hardest things is sometimes letting go of people that just aren't moving in the direction you wanna be." Chris and Sarah are joined by the dynamic duo, Nate and Jen DeTracy. Discussing the keys to building a thriving culture of success in fitness a...

Welcome to Zen Meathead folks! In this episode, hosts Chris and Sarah invite their friend Michael Bradley to share his compelling journey from being a music enthusiast and creative talent to facing the depths of addiction. Michael candidly discusses his initial involvement in the music scene, using substances to cope with anxiety and challenges. As his addiction escalated, he found himself in a da...

In this episode of the Zen Meathead podcast, hosts Chris and Sarah sit down with their fascinating new friend, Heather Slye. Heather shares her unique journey and experiences in the world of fitness, where she balances her worlds of bodybuilding, pole dancing as a form of exercise and working for tech giant, Microsoft. Heather takes us through her initial interest in fitness, her discovery of body...

This is a special, and extremely endearing episode where our guest becomes the host, taking us on a journey into the heart and soul of Chris and Sarah; as themselves and as a couple. Chris and Sarah take turns being interviewed by Beth, someone who's known them both for almost 20 years and who was there when they first met. Get ready to uncover the intricate layers of each of their journeys, from...

"Hormones have a lot of great benefits from bone health, energy, anxiety, fatigue, you name it. Hormones, sleep, metabolism, fat loss, weight loss, muscle building… So we need those hormones and like I said, as we age, unfortunately, they decline." We're in Phoenix, Arizona today, talking to Dr. Greg Jones and Dr. Joelle Fox of Ennovative Wellness Center. Dr. Jones and Dr. Fox are licensed Naturop...

"If somebody keeps telling you you're divided then yeah, you're gonna be divided. But the reality is, the spiritual reality, is we are connected. We're just not aware we are." Greg Roth is in the studio with Chris and Sarah today. Greg is a cycling enthusiast and documentary film producer. He's come to share his inspiring journey of healing through cycling in this episode. He reveals how he embrac...

"Money is like love;  it kills slowly and painfully the one who withholds it, and it enlivens the other who turns it upon his fellow man." -Kahlil Gibran Financial struggles can be a daunting and stressful experience for anyone. Whether it's due to unexpected expenses, job loss, or mounting debt, financial hardship can have a significant impact on your quality of life. It can lead to feelings of a...

"When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person that can live in peace with others." "You have to be accountable. We can victimize ourselves until the cows come home and we all have reasons for our ailments but our reasons are not excuses. The quality of life is a chosen thing." "If someone is not necessarily in communication with their body, they aren't necessarily able to adv...

"Grit is passion and perseverance for long term goals." Getting in shape, as it turns out, is not magic. It's a mathematical equation that when applied with intention and consistency delivers reliable and reproducible results. Anyone can do this with the right mindset and education and that's exactly what our guests Morgan and Kawika Jarman are here to talk about today. Morgan is a professional he...

"Failure is only a failure if you didn't learn anything from it." "The problem isn't that you stumbled, the problem is when you stop making the call that you want to be better." "We did have to go through some real pain, some real ugly horrible times, but it's so worth it." Life experience is the greatest teacher. On the subject of fear and transformation, today's guest is an expert. JR Covey was...

"Success is 90% mindset."  -Marie Kondo "If you don't take care of your body at a certain point it will fail. And you will have fewer years, you will be in more pain, it affects everything. It doesn't have to be that way and you don't have to be extreme. You don't have to do all the hardcore diets. You don't have to do all the hardcore exercises. You just gotta start and you gotta be willing to sa...

On today's episode Chris and Sarah are joined by Raji Rajagopalan (Raji Raj) where they have an exciting conversation on the topics of her new novel, Daring to be Different: Stories and Tips from a Women Leader in Tech —where Raji shares her experiences with public speaking and common workplace problems. This episode will be focused on the skills and advice Raji has gained over the years working w...