Flow Radio

High-performing teams are said to have chemistry. What's happening is synchrony—measurable patterns in brains, bodies, and behavior. In this episode, Steven Kotler speaks with Dr. Michael Mannino and Erwin Valencia about team synchrony—the biological alignment that underpins trust, psychological safety, and team flow. They explore why teams routinely overestimate their effectiveness, how synch...

Why do the smartest people get stuck the fastest? Recorded live in New York at the closing panel of our Alliance mastermind, this conversation brings together three of the sharpest minds in human performance—Steven Kotler, Dr. Sarah Sarkis, and Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman—to dissect the moment when learning quietly becomes procrastination. They break down why high performers regress to old habits, how...

When I think about the fastest, most creative teams I’ve ever seen, they all share the same blueprint: trust creates safety, safety fuels risk, risk sparks creativity, and flow binds it all together. That’s why I brought two of my favorite creative leaders into this conversation—Ivy Ross, VP of Design at Google, who has reshaped the look and feel of fifty-plus products and won hundreds of awards,...

Karl Friston is one of the most influential neuroscientists alive. He pioneered the methods that underpin modern brain imaging and developed the Free Energy Principle—considered by many neuroscientists to be the closest thing we have to a general theory of intelligence. In this conversation with Dr. Michael Mannino and me, Friston explains why your brain doesn’t just record reality—it invents it....

AI is moving faster than most of us can comprehend. But what if our edge isn’t in outthinking machines—but in outflowing them? In this episode, Steven Kotler sits down with two of the sharpest minds shaping our technological future: Peter Diamandis, founder of the XPRIZE and a pioneer of exponential thinking, and Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X and bestselling author of Scary...

What if your gut instinct was more than a hunch? What if it was your brain’s first navigation system—designed to reduce uncertainty, minimize surprise, and keep you alive? In this episode of Flow Radio , Steven Kotler and neuroscientist Dr. Michael Mannino crack open the black box of intuition. Along with co-authors Karl Friston, György Buzsáki, J.A. Scott Kelso, and Guillaume Dumas, they’ve just...

What do DIY entrepreneurship, peak performance, and punk rock have in common? Everything. In this live Flow Radio episode, recorded at Summit at Sea 2024, New York Times bestselling author and FRC Executive Director Steven Kotler joins fashion icon John Varvatos to trace the rebel spirit from CBGB’s to Silicon Valley. Together, they map how the kids nobody wanted—punks, misfits, and rule-breakers—...

No one is coming to save you—but staying stuck isn’t the only option. Steven Kotler and Ryan Wickes welcome back Columbia professor and humanistic psychologist Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman—author of the just-released Rise Above , and one of today’s leading voices on human potential. Kaufman joins to unpack the victim mindset, the neurobiology of agency, and how narcissism, entitlement, and impostor syn...

Creativity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a survival skill. In this episode of Flow Radio, Steven Kotler sits down with artist, designer, and serial entrepreneur Jody Levy for a conversation on how intuition, constraint, and ritual unlock creativity—and why all three are non-negotiables for high-performance leadership. They trace Jody’s path through experience design and explore the mindset behind bui...

What happens when AI takes center stage—and humans still want to create? Steven Kotler returns to Peter Diamandis’s Moonshots to unpack the forces shaping our future: AI, abundance, creativity, and how flow fuels the human advantage. Drawing on three decades at the bleeding edge of peak performance, they explore what it takes to thrive in a world accelerating beyond imagination—and why the right 1...

What happens when you reach such extreme states of pain that you start having out-of-body experiences? Join us for a fascinating conversation with James Lawrence (aka the Iron Cowboy) about redefining human limits, managing pain through flow states, and what happens when you push beyond what doctors claim is impossible.  James shares his raw truth about overcoming the voice of doubt, achieving out...

Flow—your brain's gateway drug to the infinite game. How far could you push your performance if you knew exactly what your brain was capable of? In this special Ask Me Anything episode, Steven Kotler and Dr. Michael Mannino answer questions from people around the world who use their work to unlock more flow. They share mind-bending insights about "getting into the zone"—insights that have helped w...

Flow—your brain's gateway drug to the infinite game. In this episode of Afterthoughts, Steven Kotler reveals how flow states unlock doors to possibilities we never knew existed. Joined by neuroscientist Dr. Michael Mannino and host Ryan Wickes, the team explores how flow can revolutionize aging. Building on Steven's conversation with Modern Elder Academy founder Chip Conley, they examine why time...

Think performance peaks when you're "young"? Think again. Research shows you can unlock a surprising set of superpowers as you age. In this episode of Flow Radio, peak performance expert Steven Kotler sits down with Chip Conley to explore how older minds excel at pattern recognition, complex problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. You'll learn why age brings unique advantages in both business...

Believe the hype—art can transform your life. In this episode of Flow Radio, hosts Steven Kotler, Dr. Michael Mannino, and Ryan Wickes explore the powerful connections between creativity, longevity, and the future of human-AI collaboration. Tune in for a fresh look at how an “aesthetic mindset” influences aging, cognitive health, and the amount of flow in your life. Plus, get the low down on how p...

In this episode of Flow Radio, Steven Kotler and Dr. Michael Mannino sit down with Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, co-authors of Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us. These groundbreaking experts explain how making and experiencing art changes the way we think, feel, and perform. From our ancient past to cutting-edge science, find out why art isn’t just beautiful—it’s fuel for your brain. Lea...

In this Afterthoughts episode of Flow Radio , hosts Ryan Wickes, Steven Kotler, and Dr. Michael Mannino revisit their recent conversation with Dr. Jack Feldman, diving deeper into the neuroscience of breathing and its impact on peak performance. Building on Dr. Feldman's groundbreaking research, the hosts explore: The surprising links between breathing techniques and psychedelic experiences Ho...

In this episode of Flow Radio, we explore the intricate science of breathing with Dr. Jack Feldman, a world-renowned neuroscientist. Dr. Feldman, a professor at UCLA, has spent decades uncovering the secrets of how our brains control this vital function. His pioneering research has led to groundbreaking discoveries, such as identifying and naming a key brain area responsible for breathing rhythms....

In this episode of Flow Radio, we dive deep into the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, creativity, and flow states. In his recent paper in Neuropsychologia, Dr. John Kounios and his team explored the neural mechanisms of creative flow during jazz improvisation. To indulge your curiosity for full-fledged geekery, Dr. Kounios, bestselling author Steven Kotler, and riff on: What EEG (electroe...

Can a cup of coffee do more than wake you up? In this episode of Flow Radio, host Ryan Wickes from the Flow Research Collective explores the effects of caffeine on flow states. Joined by Dr. Michael Mannino, Chief Science Officer, and Dr. Niklas Reich, neuroscientist and high-performance coach, they discuss how caffeine can increase the likelihood you drop into flow. Here's what you'll lea...

In this episode of Flow Radio, we dive deep into the intersection of positive psychology and business with the legendary hotelier and entrepreneur Chip Conley. Chip shares his journey from founding Joie de Vivre Hospitality to becoming the Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy for Airbnb and his creation of the Modern Elder Academy. Discover how Chip leveraged concepts from Abraham Maslow, Carol...

Data from Gallup reveals disengaged employees cost the economy an estimated $1.9 trillion in lost productivity last year. Improving well-being is crucial but challenging. This is where flow states come in, overhauling mental health and positively impacting leadership and team dynamics. Creating a high-flow organization relies on culture as much as individual hires. By encouraging a flow-friendly c...

Dr. Richard “Richie” Davidson is a pioneer in the study of the neuroscience of emotional wellbeing, exploring how meditation and different states of consciousness affect physical and mental health. He has contributed to more than 300 published articles, was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2006, and has collaborated with the Dalai Lama. Dr. Davidson joins Flow Research C...

This episode of Flow Radio features Dr. Corinna Peifer and PhD candidate Leonie Kloep, researchers at the University of Lübeck who recently coauthored a paper on the role of team flow in early start-up stages. They join Flow Research Collective Chief of Staff Ryan Wickes and Chief Science Officer Dr. Michael Mannino in a conversation about how leaders can harness flow to propel their teams and avo...

This episode of Flow Radio is a masterclass on leadership best practices, featuring three very special guests: Retired Navy SEAL commander and bestselling author Rich Diviney, Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Coby Karl, and veteran performance psychologist Dr. Sarah Sarkis. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to learn how to lead teams that consistently outperform and out-innovate...