The Johnjay Van Es Podcast

They spent over 200 days living inside a grocery store, and somehow, it turned them into a viral sensation watched by hundreds of millions. But what actually happens when four guys become the stars of one of MrBeast’s biggest challenges? The Grocery Four join us to share what life was really like behind the glass, from feeling like animals in an aquarium to eating questionable food combinations an...

Winning a World Series is one thing. Winning the battle in your own head is another. Former MLB pitcher and World Series champion Todd Stottlemyre joins us for a powerful conversation about mental toughness, grief, forgiveness, and the mindset shifts that can change how you live and lead. He opens up about losing his younger brother, carrying years of guilt, and how unresolved pain turned into ang...

Your cup of tea might come with an unexpected extra ingredient: microplastics. And it doesn’t stop at teabags. Josephine Musco, founder of Olyxir, joins us to explore how everyday products like tea, plastic bottles, food packaging, and even laundry pods can contribute to our exposure to microplastics and chemical additives. After losing her dad to cancer, Josephine became passionate about preventi...

Could a full-body MRI reveal health risks you don't even know you have?   Dr. John Simon, founder of SimonMed Imaging, shares how advanced medical imaging is changing the way we approach cancer screening, early detection, and preventive healthcare. With more than 30 years of experience in radiology, Dr. Simon has helped expand access to advanced diagnostic imaging, including MRI and CT scans....

One minute you’re making random videos for fun. Next thing you know, people are watching, brands are calling, and somehow this is your job now. Matt Peterson joins us to talk about how he turned short-form videos into a full-time creator career, and what actually happens after you get that first big hit. In this episode, we get into: • How Matt went from messing around with videos to building a re...

How do you know if a stem cell clinic is legitimate or just really good at marketing? We bring back Rafael Gonzalez for a deep dive into what actually matters when evaluating stem cell therapy, from cell sourcing and quality control to viability, contamination risks, and what happens after an IV infusion. In this episode, we cover: • How to spot red flags when choosing a stem cell clinic • What st...

What does it actually take to grow a podcast into a top-performing show? According to Tyler, it starts with one thing most podcasters get wrong: understanding who is actually listening. Tyler runs a podcast production operation with around 40 shows, and he shares the strategies behind podcast growth, audience engagement, content repurposing, and turning a podcast into a real business. We break dow...

At 14, Ayad Agha was dropped at JFK with no English, no passport, and $600 hidden in a guitar. What followed was a story of survival, immigration battles, and an unexpected path into medicine. Now an interventional radiologist, Ayad shares how his career took him from pharmacy and nuclear medicine to treating patients with minimally invasive procedures. He also opens up about being investigated by...

What happens when a brand says “do whatever you want” and then changes everything you made? Nathan Yaps, better known as Mr. AZ Sports, joins us for a fun look at the reality of being a creator. We talk influencer contracts, brand deals, TikTok and Facebook income, the hidden costs of creating content, and why keeping your own voice matters. Nathan also shares how a late-night World Series tweet h...

A “career-ending” injury can change everything, but the comeback is where the real work begins. We sit down with a strength and conditioning coach and PhD researcher to break down what elite rehab actually looks like, using NHL captain Gabe Landeskog’s return as a powerful example. We talk recovery, strength, testing, and why getting cleared to play is only the beginning. We also get into peptides...

One random TikTok about a bodysuit sat there for months. Then it blew up and made thousands of dollars. Jasmine, a Phoenix mom of four, joins us to share what really happened when one viral TikTok Shop video changed the game for her family. We get into how TikTok Shop commissions work, how she turns comments into new content, why she uses a separate phone for filming, and what happens when brands...

What do you do when everyone else sees a hopeless case, but you refuse to give up? Zach Skow of Marley’s Mutts joins us with an incredible story of rescue, recovery, and second chances. We meet dogs who survived unimaginable injuries, including Cora Rose and Hooch, a French mastiff who learned to live without a tongue. But Zach’s story is just as powerful. He opens up about addiction, liver failur...

A pardon, a Fifth Amendment plea, and a viral courtroom clip. What’s actually going on when the law gets messy? Judge Lynn Toler breaks it down in plain English, explaining what a pardon does, what it doesn’t do, and why someone can still refuse to answer questions. We also get into the Idaho murders case and the bigger question everyone wants answered: if someone pleads guilty, why don’t they alw...

A lawyer cited cases that never existed, because AI made them up. That sounds unbelievable, but it's already happened. Kevin Rowe from Learner and Row joins us to separate AI fact from fiction and explain how it's already changing personal injury law. We talk about where AI can save hours of work, where it can create massive problems, and why knowing when not to trust it may become one o...

Your yard could be making your house hotter... and the "water-saving" landscaping everyone recommends might be part of the problem. Michael, better known as The Garden Nerd, joins us to explain why rock yards, artificial turf, and lifeless soil can work against you in the Arizona heat. We also get into the surprisingly simple changes that can help cool your yard, grow healthier plants, a...

What if your biggest advantage in building wealth came from the hardest chapter of your childhood? Stewart Willis , financial advisor and partner at Asset Preservation Wealth and Tax, joins us for a surprisingly personal conversation about money, resilience, and the experiences that shape how we handle success. He shares how his father’s imprisonment during high school changed the way he saw risk,...

One missed meeting on 9/11 changed Chuck Howard's life forever, and it set him on a path he never expected. In this episode, Chuck shares how that moment reshaped his purpose, led him to Arizona, and inspired him to build communities that help men and young athletes become stronger on and off the court. We talk about Pump and Praise, his free men's fitness group where workouts lead to re...

Not all peptides are created equal, and some of the most popular ones online may not be what you think you're buying. Will Armijo joins us to separate facts from hype in the fast-growing world of peptides. We break down GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide, why they're changing weight loss, and what people often get wrong about muscle loss, protein, and long-term results. W...

Talent might get you recruited but culture is what wins when the game gets tough. Arizona State women’s basketball head coach Molly Miller joins us fresh off practice to share how she builds a winning program in a world of NIL deals, transfer portals, personal brands, and constant distractions. From the first whistle to the final buzzer, she explains why the smallest habits, body language, and dai...

Who said “I love you” first? Who takes longer to text back? And what happens when you put a couple with decades of marriage in the same room as a couple still figuring it all out? In this episode, we sit down with our son Kemp and his girlfriend Catherine for a fun, honest, and occasionally hilarious conversation about dating, relationships, family, and all the little things that can make or break...

TikTok fame looks instant from the outside, but Jessica Baio and Sam Jose show what it actually takes to get there. We sit down with the couple behind viral content, touring life, and growing creator careers to talk about sleep on the road, Oura Ring scores, and trying to stay healthy while living out of a bus and posting every day. From there, we get into how they actually build content. What goe...

From selling flannels out of a car trunk to building a brand on track for roughly $150 million in sales, Dan Dreyer’s journey is anything but ordinary. The founder and CEO of Dixxon Flannel joins us for an honest conversation about building a global apparel brand, the pressure that comes with success, and what it looks like when everything you built starts to come apart behind the scenes. Dan open...

What starts with color analysis and black T-shirts somehow turns into one of the most honest conversations about money, ambition, and burnout we’ve had in a while. Hannah Hammond joins us to break down commercial real estate financing in plain English, from capital stacks and lenders to how massive real estate deals actually get funded. But the real heart of this episode is the mindset behind succ...

Your “healthy” coffee might not be as healthy as you think. In this episode, we sit down with Patrick & Ashley Sullivan from Jigsaw Health and Firefly Coffee Shop, the team behind the documentary Breaking Big Food, to talk about what is really hiding in everyday food and drinks. We get into mold-free coffee, ultra-processed foods, seed oils, and why reading labels has become a full-time job. A...

Rob Schneider joins us for a fun, honest conversation about stand-up comedy, Hollywood, and the weird moments that shape a career. What starts with a goofy fan story quickly turns into a behind-the-scenes look at how comedy really works. We talk about the grind of stand-up, the pressure of live crowds, and how one unforgettable SNL moment changed everything. Rob also shares what he learned from co...