The Gratitudeology™ Podcast with Jamie Hess

Every athlete dreams of being sponsored by a powerhouse brand like Gatorade, and today’s guest, Brandon Novak, achieved this dream by the age of 14. Discovered by the legendary Tony Hawk, Brandon quickly found himself in the pro-skateboarding world, joining the renowned Powell Peralta team and skating along stars like Bucky Lasek and Bam Margera. His career and future seemed…promising. He would ha...

Dr. Peggy DeLong has been called The Gratitude Psychologist, and since September 21 is World Gratitude Day, we figured she’d be the perfect guest... but before you think this is a “simple conversation” about the power of positive psychology, think again… Peggy’s story has as many twists and turns as any of our typical guests… ups and downs, sadness & triumph, unexpected deaths and… ski trips i...

Katie Wood was living what she thought was the picture perfect life... until a routine doctor's visit revealed a life-threatening family medical diagnosis. Faced with the emotional turmoil of this crisis, Katie quickly learned that how we respond in these challenging moments is … everything. This led Katie to a realization: life is hard and filled with harsh realities, but starting the day gro...

Every Friday we re-release a #FBF episode from the archives… whether you missed it the first time around or just feel like revisiting this twisty, intriguing story… now’s your chance. Today, we re-visit someone who is not only one of our favorite folks – he’s also a favorite of Oprah, Kanye West, Charlie Sheen, Dog the Bounty Hunter, and Robert Downey Jr – the one and only: Tim Storey (aka @timsto...

Amanda Kloots is a fitness superstar and celebrated host of the CBS show, The Talk. Yet, it was during the global pandemic in 2020 that Amanda’s life was thrust into the spotlight in a deeply personal way… In today’s episode, Amanda shares her heartfelt journey through the harrowing loss of her husband, Broadway star Nick Cordero, to COVID-19—one of the first high-profile stories of its kind. As A...

Welcome to our new #FBF series. Every Friday we re-release an episode from the archives… whether you missed it the first time around or just feel like revisiting this twisty, intriguing story… now’s your chance. Today, we re-release Justin Wren (aka @thebigpygmy) in solidarity with National Suicide Prevention Month as well as National Recovery Month. Justin Wren was an up-and-coming MMA fighter, c...

In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, we’re featuring a profoundly moving episode with Kevin Hines, a Golden Gate Bridge survivor whose story is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Kevin is a best-selling author, global public speaker, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. In the year 2000, he made a harrowing decision to end his life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. Miraculously, he is...

In honor of National Grief Awareness Day this coming Friday, we welcome Jessica Janzen, a shining embodiment of strength and resilience who turned a devastating personal loss into a powerful force for good. In 2016, Jessica’s life was forever altered when her infant son, Lewiston, was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare and incurable disease… In this poignant episode, Jessica open...

Clinton Sparks grew up tough in Boston, robbing houses and having numerous run-ins with the law... so his life today as a Grammy-nominated music producer, award-winning DJ, and entrepreneur was a surprise... even to him. He's a DJ, producer, and entrepreneur who has collaborated with icons like Lady Gaga, Pitbull, and Akon, and is known for discovering DJ Snake. So how did this Bostonian -- wi...

There’s a lot of talk these days about what it means to connect with your “feminine power.” We see #Tradwives trending all over the internet; Nara Smith is making complicated recipes for her husband from scratch while millions tune in; and Hannah Neelman (aka Ballerina Farm, 10m followers) is receiving international coverage for her controversial return to "traditional" gender roles… it ca...

If you love the look of a big, bouncy blowout... chances are you’ve heard of Drybar, the salon that revolutionized the industry with its exclusive focus on blowouts. Loved not only by women across America, but also by celebrities like Julia Roberts, Zooey Deschanel and Jennifer Garner, Drybar became a sensation. But the story behind this $255 million idea might surprise you… Alli Webb, Drybar foun...

In celebration of being on the air for six months, we're going back... way back to the beginning. To the episode that started it all... Today... buckle your seatbelts, because we’re taking you back to the first episode of the pod... the story that launched it all... MINE. I sat down with my mother, legendary TV journalist, Joan Lunden, to walk through dark years of addiction... and all the dar...

While most of Jesse Israel's buddies at NYU were out drinking at keg parties, he had his sights set a bit higher. Jesse started a music label... from his dorm room... and then signed the band MGMT. Sounds cool, right? Maybe... but it also left him feeling so much pressure that the anxiety became almost debilitating. He knew he had to seek a solution. This began Jesse's quest for inner peac...

You probably know Rainn Wilson from his Emmy Award-winning role as Dwight Schrute in  The Office . But what most people don’t know is that he has been on a riveting spiritual journey since his childhood with an early introduction to religion through the Baha’i faith that has spurred a life-long curiosity and spiritual yearning. As an aspiring, young actor in New York City, Rainn fell down a dark p...

As a young model living in New York City, Nadine Macaluso was “in” with the glamorous crowd of the 80’s and 90’s supermodel era, including the likes of Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell. It was during this time that she was swept off her feet and charmed by a powerful man who seemed to be able to give her everything… She married Jordan Belfort — a.k.a. The Wolf of Wall Street — taking her on a jou...

Light Watkins is a meditation teacher, transformational speaker, and best-selling author who has coached the likes of Rosario Dawson, Jonah Hill, and Meghan Markle. But what most people don’t know is that - these days - he has chosen to live nomadically. That’s right, all of Light’s belongings can fit into a carry-on bag and he bounces around where his spirit takes him.  Today, Jamie and Light dis...

Having grown up in the suburbs of Chicago, from a young age, Jennifer struggled with family trauma that led her to turn to gangs to find community, “safety,” and support. She could have never imagined the stark difference between her rough youth on the streets and her life of financial and entrepreneurial abundance today: and how a simple gratitude-led shift in perspective would be the key to turn...

Best known as a successful entertainment journalist seen on CNN and the Today Show, Chloe Melas doesn’t back down from life’s obstacles and uncertainties. She’s been through the ringer and reported on some of entertainment’s biggest moments... from being a prominent figure reporting the #MeToo movement, reporting on Hollywood scions like Kevin Spacey… to covering every moment of the Britney Spears...

Darren Prince was always destined for greatness. At only 14 years old, he had earned over $100,000 strategically selling baseball cards. It was clear then that he had an innate understanding of what it meant to be business savvy. This gift served him well when he went on to rep some of the biggest names in the sports and entertainment industry such as Magic Johnson, David Goggins, Charlie Sheen an...

Rabbi Sherre Hirsch has always been eager to push boundaries. As a woman, getting the gig as Rabbi at one of Los Angeles’ biggest Conservative synagogues was not guaranteed. When she got there, the podium she was meant to stand behind was not built for her… figuratively and literally. At 5’2, she had to stand on a box to see over top. She was never going to acquiesce to what a Rabbi “should” look...

From a young age, Erik Rock had a clear vision of what he wanted his life to look like. He was on the path to play college baseball and pursue a career in the MLB. But just when everything felt like it was coming together, unforeseeable circumstances & a horrific injury resulted in that dream being shattered during his junior year of high school.  Erik takes us through his journey overcoming a...

Brian Bogert didn't know his entire life was about to change at seven years old... but when a freak accident caused him to lose - and then reattach - his arm, he went on a lifelong journey into the heart of what it means to be "resilient." Today, he is a human behavior and performance coach who has used his own unbelievable journey to teach clients how to leverage self-awareness and in...

As an accomplished model and silver-medal winning Olympian, Kim Glass knows what it takes to succeed. But behind the accolades and achievements, she has also experienced more hardship in the past decade than most will experience in a lifetime. When she was randomly attacked by an unhoused man, resulting in multiple facial fractures and eye injuries, her seemingly picture-perfect life was flipped u...

David Meltzer is a speaker, author, and entrepreneur who knows a thing or two about starting over and dreaming big. He first became known in the business world as the CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, the inspiration for the movie Jerry Maguire, and eventually went on to co-found Sports 1 Marketing. But after a difficult childhood that left him with lasting emo...

Television host and producer Nev Schulman is the walking embodiment of one of our ethos here at The Gratitudeology Podcast: turning pain into purpose. Chances are, you’re aware of the now famous cautionary tale about the time he was lured into an online relationship by means of multiple fictional internet personas. After all, this whirlwind of deception and heartache entered the term  Catfish  int...