One Thousand Gurus Podcast

TheOneDNA Returns: Healing in Vietnam, Creative Rebirth, and Travel Tips J.R. catches up with TheOneDNA (Duy) two years later to unpack his year living in Vietnam, where he found healing, deeper connection to his roots, and a renewed creative spark through content, community, and LGBT street interviews. He shares lessons on culture and communication, why he returned to the U.S. to rebuild his life...

One Thousand Gurus: First Anime Edition (Audio Exclusive) w/ Nikko Cua J.R. Yonocruz debuts One Thousand Gurus’ first anime-only episode with anime enthusiast Nikko Cua, noting the recording had technical issues and a part two is planned. They share favorite anime (One Piece and Ranma 1/2), discuss favorite characters (Zoro and Nishinoya from Haikyuu!), and trade gateway and sleeper recommendation...

Reconnecting with Deyo Forteza: Kaba Modern Memories, Authentic Artistry, and the Ring Muscle-Up Journey Host J.R. Yonocruz reconnects with Deyo Forteza—actor, filmmaker, and sound mixer/boom operator—to reflect on their Kaba Modern years and the dance lessons and work ethic that shaped them. They talk about rediscovering joy in music and dancing sober for self-expression, plus how community and c...

Andrew Simbol on Kaizen, Kintsugi, and Reclaiming Joy Through Dance, Music, and Community Host J.R. Yonocruz reconnects with Andrew Simbol—former Culture Shock LA/KM Legacy dancer turned senior digital marketing leader and musician with Second Wave. Simbol shares his dance origin story, his pivot from accounting to marketing, and how he grew into a senior leadership role balancing creative strateg...

One Thousand Gurus Episode 100: Season 10 Recap — Lessons from Sleep, Storytelling, Leadership, and Commitment Host J.R. Yonocruz marks Episode 100 of One Thousand Gurus with a Season 10 recap and reflects on progress toward his 10-year/500-episode commitment. He revisits key lessons from episodes 91–99, including prioritizing sleep, letting friendships evolve naturally, and using storytelling to...

Book Highlight: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck — Choosing What Matters, Embracing Pain, and Owning Your Response Host J.R. Yonocruz highlights Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, a book he rated 4.5/5 that helped him stop wasting energy on trivial anxieties and refocus on what matters. He explains Manson’s core message: life includes unavoidable pain, and happiness comes from c...

Wellness, Wealth & Worship with Lorenzo Aromin (Part 2): Fatherhood, Fitness, and Personal Brand J.R. Yonocruz hosts an in-studio part 2 with Lorenzo Aromin, covering his pillars of wellness, wealth, and worship. Lorenzo shares updates on new fatherhood, then details his recent cut—emphasizing caloric deficit, steps, hydration, and flexible “treat meals”—and discusses TRT, peptides, and GLP-st...

Rohit Murthy Returns: Routines, France, Fitness Data, AI in Pharma, and Building a Family Lifestyle Business J.R. Yonocruz welcomes back Rohit Murthy from Boston to discuss routines, travel, and life updates since his last appearance. Rohit shares highlights from a nine-day South of France trip (Marseille, Provence, Ardèche, Lyon) and how he used generative AI tools to help plan logistics. They di...

35 Lessons for 35 Years: J.R.’s Milestone Episode J.R. celebrates turning 35 with a solo milestone episode sharing 35 favorite life lessons, drawn from a decade of year-in-review posts and a self-interview. He organizes the lessons into eight categories: body and energy, productivity and systems, career, money and freedom, love and relationships, travel and perspective, faith and meaning, and self...

From B-Boy to Burn ICU Director: Loren Segovia on Dance, Disney, and Nursing Leadership J.R. Yonocruz talks with Loren Segovia, a b-boy and former Disney performer who became a registered nurse and ICU nursing director specializing in burn care. Loren shares his dance journey through Kaba Modern, Super Galactic Beat Manipulators, and recent community performances, plus what he learned from the San...

Dr. Arnel Calvario Ripkens on Surrogacy, Twins, Dance Legacy, and Stepping into Fatherhood Host J.R. Yonocruz welcomes back Dr. Arnel Calvario Ripkens to discuss major life changes and his continued impact in the dance community. Arnel shares how he and his husband pursued surrogacy and are now preparing for twins, reflecting on teamwork, finances, communication, and letting go of rigid timelines....

Awakening the Bayani Spirit: Bani Logroño on Storytelling, Filipino Identity, and The Filipino Story Host J.R. Yonocruz interviews Bani Logroño, a Filipino-American writer/director, creative director of The Filipino Story Studio, and creator of The Filipino Story with 1.8M+ followers. Bani shares his background—born in Australia, raised in the Philippines, immigrating to Orange County at age nine—...

Host J.R. Yonocruz welcomes back dancer and teacher Yerson Ochoa for his third appearance on One Thousand Gurus. Yerson shares updates from the past year, including learning to say no to sessions, hangouts, and projects to protect his schedule, while continuing to teach and taking a new role at a year-long conservatory that shifted his approach toward stricter fundamentals and measurable student g...

Why We Sleep (Matthew Walker) Book Highlights: The Science and Practice of Better Sleep Host J.R. Yonocruz highlights Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep, arguing that sleep is the foundational driver of health, affecting the brain and body more than diet or exercise. He explains circadian rhythm and adenosine-based sleep pressure, the stages of sleep (NREM and REM), and how caffeine and alcohol undermi...

Season 9 Recap: Key Lessons from AI, Productivity, Dance, Fitness, Grief, and Comedy Host J.R. Yonocruz delivers an audio-only recap of One Thousand Gurus Season 9, reflecting behind the scenes on episodes 81–89 and inviting listeners to revisit conversations that resonated. He highlights the season’s range—random shows, return guests, a book highlight, and deep one-on-ones—covering topics like AI...

Andrew “Trandrew” Tran: From Kaba Modern Breakdancer to Financial Services Manager—Comedy, Mental Health, and Fatherhood Host J.R. Yonocruz reunites with Andrew Tran (Trandrew), a financial services manager and longtime performer with roots in theater, breakdancing, and stand-up comedy, now living in Las Vegas and expecting a baby with his partner, Clarizcel. They reflect on meeting through Kaba M...

Blessie Marie Panopio Returns: Fitness Discipline, Sleep, Reading, and Grief Host J.R. Yonocruz welcomes back Blessie Marie Panopio to share life updates since her last appearance. They talk about moving, her fitness and nutrition journey, and her mom’s recent health scare and recovery. The conversation also covers sleep habits, getting back into reading through library apps, and recent concerts....

Dr. Ramy Sidhom on Medicine, Dance, Solo Travel, and Finding Meaning J.R. Yonocruz reconnects with Dr. Ramy Sidhom to talk about his path from Kaba Modern and diverse cultural interests to becoming a physician with four board certifications (internal medicine, pulmonary/critical care, and hospice/palliative care). Ramy shares lessons on thriving with variety, learning how to study effectively, nav...

Catching Up with Travis Trinh: Summer Cut for AX, Cosplay, Anime Takes, and Bowling Tech J.R. Yonocruz welcomes return guest Travis Trinh to catch up on the past 14 months, from work, gym, Gunpla, and snowboarding to weekly bowling league. They break down Travis’ annual Anime Expo summer cut (including MacroFactor), brainstorm AX cosplay ideas, and talk anime with spoilers for several series and m...

Host J.R. Yonocruz reconnects with Bay Area locker Brian “Lil B” Perez to reflect on their early Academy of Villains days and AOV’s mission to bridge freestyle and choreography. Lil B shares his path from DDR and working for Konami/tech QA into locking, plus lessons from battles, travel, and learning to train groove and feeling. They also discuss mentorship, safer dance spaces, therapy and identit...

Richard Hardy Returns: 75 Hard Discipline, Door-to-Door Sales Psychology, and Renewed Faith Richard Hardy returns in-studio to share updates on 75 Hard, including a daily Bible-reading habit, plus his fitness and nutrition approach. He revisits his path from Pennsylvania to door-to-door solar in California and breaks down sales psychology—personality types, mirroring, body language, and the import...

Make Time Book Highlights: Focus on What Matters Every Day J.R. Yonocruz highlights Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, and how to reclaim attention from constant busyness and endless distractions. He breaks down the four-step daily framework—Highlight, Laser, Energize, Reflect—with practical tactics for prioritizing what matters, reducing tech distractions, boosting energy, and iterating t...

J.R. Yonocruz welcomes back Alex Hung for his third appearance to discuss AI tools, agents vs chat models, and how his company is rolling out Claude to improve efficiency. They share real examples like automating sales-lead prioritization through a CRM and summarizing work across Slack/Jira, while noting its clear limitation due to lack of context and inconsistencies. The conversation also explore...

Relaxation, Compassion, and the Hidden Cost of “Good Deals” | Random Show with Aeden Pham J.R. Yonocruz welcomes repeat guest Aeden Pham for a chill random-show catch-up on recent life updates and personal reflections. They discuss how relaxation improves learning and performance in music and dance, plus navigating dating by managing eagerness and staying genuine. They also unpack therapy lessons...

Host J.R. Yonocruz recaps Season 8 of One Thousand Gurus (episodes 71–79, recorded February through early April) to highlight key lessons and invite listeners to revisit the season. He reviews solo episodes on Tony Robbins’ achievement vs fulfillment and Marie Kondo’s KonMari “spark joy” method, plus interviews on frugal homebuying, LinkedIn recruiting and personal branding, dance/DJing to audio e...