The Johnjay Van Es Podcast

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...

A song can follow you for years before you understand why it matters.  In this episode, MercyMe’s Bart Millard joins us to talk about the real story behind “I Can Only Imagine” and why it still shows up in the hardest moments of people’s lives. We get into where it came from. Losing his dad, dealing with anger, and writing through grief instead of around it. Bart shares how the song was never mean...

Everyone’s talking about Redatrutide for weight loss, but almost no one is asking what it’s doing to your body long term. That’s where this conversation starts. We sit down with Brian, a patient turned operator in the longevity and regenerative medicine space, to break down the difference between chasing fast results and building a plan you can actually sustain. We get into how GLP-style drugs rea...

Most doctors are not talking about this side of stem cell therapy, and that leaves a lot of people confused or misled. This episode breaks down what you’re probably not hearing. We start with a common frustration. Your HRV drops even when you feel like you’re doing everything right. We explain how sleep, late-night eating, and stress can quietly affect recovery, and why small changes can make a bi...

Your brain is sending signals all day, most people just do not know how to read them. In this episode, we sit down with the founders of Brain Code Centers, Rachel Lambert and Angie Noack, to break down brain mapping and neurofeedback in simple terms. We talk about what a brain scan actually shows, how brain patterns can connect to focus, anxiety, sleep, and performance, and why the brain is more a...

At 24, Joel thought he had the dream. A healthy fast food spot called Thinker’s Grill with salmon burgers and smoothies. Instead, it turned into almost $800,000 in debt and a crash course in how brutal business can be. In this episode, Joel breaks down what really happened behind the scenes. The pressure to open more locations, the overhead that quietly piles up, and the hard lessons about leases,...

What are you scared to say out loud? That is where this conversation with Brett Bartholomew starts. We get real about the stuff people usually avoid: • Fertility struggles • Frozen embryos • Messy divorces • What dating looks like when you are trying to stay open without inviting chaos. Then we get into Brett’s wheelhouse. Communication, persuasion, and why trying to “be logical” in an argument al...

You can do all the “right” health habits and still feel tired, inflamed, and wide awake at night. Haylie Pomroy says hidden toxins might be the reason. Haylie is a neuroimmunology research scientist and a six-time New York Times bestselling author. She explains how everyday exposures can stress the body and affect sleep, mood, weight, and energy. We also talk about stem cell therapy and why not al...

Think living longer is enough? Think again. Biohacking is everywhere with IV drips, cold plunges, red light, and hyperbaric chambers, but none of it matters if your mind is stuck. We talk about why your state drives every health habit, how simple routines and meditation actually stick, and why sobriety plus consistency can make life feel totally different. We touch on Joe Dispenza, emotional energ...

Ever wonder what it’s really like to become a supermodel in the 1970s? Kim Alexis started as a teen swimmer with a pharmacy plan and quickly rose to fame. She shares how she was discovered, navigated charm school, and survived the whirlwind of NYC, Paris, and magazine covers. Kim gets real about the pressures behind the runway: weight comments, Studio 54 culture, and why learning to say no kept he...

Want to finally get real rest without the guesswork?   We sit down with a board-certified sleep specialist to break down what actually restores you and why better nights mean better days. Learn why caffeine, alcohol, and your chronotype matter, how to handle middle-of-the-night wake-ups, and simple tricks like the 4-7-8 breath or non-sleep deep rest. We cover melatonin, CBD, THC, and when they hel...

A phone call from the White House, separating conjoined twins, and a mother working all hours so her kids could see grit in action, Dr. Ben Carson’s story goes beyond headlines. We talk early awe in the OR, why steady role models matter, and what separates survival from real success. Dr. Ben shares lessons from medicine, faith, and parenting, plus practical wisdom for longevity: whole foods, daily...

Getting fired from your own company can break you. For Sam Fox , it lit the fuse. In this episode, Sam shares how he bet on himself and went on to build 150 plus restaurants and a flagship hotel, including True Food, Flower Child, The Henry, and The Global Ambassador . We talk early hustle in Tucson, opening a restaurant at 21, counting every dollar, and why food has to taste great before it can b...

A new haircut, a hard truth, and real care kick off a conversation about health, home, and heart. Blake shares her hysterectomy journey and why trusting your gut and finding a doctor who listens can change everything. We dive into sleep, marriage, and routines: separate beds, nightly habits, and small tweaks that actually improve rest and connection. Parenthood insights, family milestones, and fun...

Gut health gets way less weird once you start feeling better.   We sit down with Marina, aka the Poop Fairy, and Steve to talk constipation, colonics, and why so many people feel tired, bloated, and stuck without realizing what’s really going on. We keep it simple. How colon hydrotherapy works, the difference between open and closed systems, when enemas help and when they don’t, and why lymphatic...

What if an action movie could make your heart race and actually hit you in the chest? We sit down with director Ric Roman Waugh, the stuntman-turned-filmmaker behind Shelter with Jason Statham, to talk about making action feel real. Ric breaks down the stunts, car chases, and live-action fights that make the thrills land, plus how chemistry—not just star power—drives the story. We dive into his jo...

Forget The Shiny Wellness Trends .  This episode with Dr. Daniel Pompa goes straight to the stuff that actually moves the needle. We pull apart hydrogen water hype, plastic-lined cans, and wellness marketing, then build a real plan for heart health that actually works. A preventive cardiologist breaks down the basics that beat biohacks every time: sleep, sunlight, clean food, movement, and stress...