Summary State Podcast

Tony Schwartz exposes the burnout culture behind modern productivity, and offers a science-backed system to fuel performance through rest, renewal, and rhythm.

What do people in Okinawa, Sardinia, and Loma Linda have in common? In The Blue Zones , Dan Buettner uncovers the daily habits, diets, and social ties that lead to long, healthy lives. This episode shares their secrets.

In Waking Up , neuroscientist Sam Harris explores a secular path to spiritual growth, one grounded in consciousness, meditation, and self-inquiry rather than religious doctrine. This episode unpacks his case for awakening through awareness, not belief.

Former Google HR chief Laszlo Bock shares data-driven insights on hiring, motivation, culture, and leadership, revealing the secrets behind one of the world’s most innovative companies.

You can’t will heartbreak away, but you can speed up the healing. We unpack practical tools to soothe obsessive thoughts, manage grief, and rebuild a sense of hope and wholeness.

Why do we act with compassion, or cruelty? In Behave , Robert Sapolsky traces human behaviour back through milliseconds, years, and millennia. This episode explores the neuroscience, hormones, culture, and evolution that shape what we do and why we do it.

In The Science of Fear , Daniel Gardner reveals how media, politics, and our own brains distort risk. This episode unpacks why we fear the wrong things, and how to think clearly in a world wired for panic.

In Designing Your Life , two Stanford design professors show how to stop overthinking your future and start building it. This episode explores how to use design thinking to create a career and life that actually fits you .

In Stillness Is the Key , Ryan Holiday blends Stoic, Buddhist, and modern wisdom to argue that clarity and peace don’t come from hustle, they come from stillness. This episode explores how to find it.

In The How of Happiness , Sonja Lyubomirsky blends cutting-edge research with real-world strategies to show that 40% of your happiness is within your control. This episode explores practical habits, from gratitude to kindness, that really move the dial.

In The Confidence Gap , Russ Harris flips the script: confidence doesn’t come before action, it follows it. This episode explores how to use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to move forward, even when fear is loud.

The Fear of Failure dives into the mental traps that keep us stuck, perfectionism, procrastination, and shame. This episode explores Wilda Hale’s strategies for unlearning fear and moving forward anyway.

In Master Your Emotions , Thibaut Meurisse offers a clear roadmap for understanding what you feel, and why it doesn’t have to control you. This episode gives you the tools to respond, not react.

In this episode, we break down Nedra Tawwab’s essential guide to setting boundaries that protect your time, energy, and emotional wellbeing, without guilt or conflict.

In The Slight Edge , Jeff Olson reveals that success doesn’t come from big moves, but from small decisions repeated daily. This episode breaks down how tiny habits compound into a life you want.

In I Thought It Was Just Me , Brené Brown unpacks the isolating experience of shame, and how empathy is the antidote. This episode explores the tools we need to move from silence to connection.

In The Extended Mind , Annie Murphy Paul challenges the idea that intelligence lives solely in the brain. This episode explores how our bodies, spaces, and relationships help us think, solve, and create.

Win Your Inner Battles is a short, sharp guide to overcoming procrastination, fear, and negative self-talk. This episode shares Darius Foroux’s best mindset strategies for taking back control of your life.

In Pivot , Jenny Blake offers a practical, empowering strategy for navigating career transitions, whether you're burnt out, bored, or just ready for something new.

Fear never goes away, but you don’t have to let it win. In Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway , Susan Jeffers shows how action is the antidote to anxiety. This episode breaks down her best tools.

In Copywriting Secrets , Jim Edwards reveals how to write words that get results, whether you're selling a product, pitching an idea, or trying to get a “yes.” This episode covers how to write like you talk and sell like a pro.

In Steal the Show , Michael Port shares the secrets actors use to command a room, then applies them to speeches, interviews, pitches, and more. This episode breaks down how to perform under pressure and leave a lasting impression.

Dotcom Secrets is Russell Brunson’s master guide to building high-converting online funnels. This episode breaks down his proven frameworks for turning strangers into leads, leads into customers, and customers into raving fans.

In The Comfort Crisis , Michael Easter argues that modern life is too easy, and it’s costing us our resilience, health, and meaning. This episode explores how embracing discomfort can unlock peak performance.

It’s not just about the gym. Katy Bowman shows how natural, varied movement throughout the day can reshape your body at the cellular level.