The Weekend University

This week, we welcome Alexis Dean to the show. Alexis is the founder of Dovetail Community—a global network for female entrepreneurs dedicated to fostering authentic connections and mutual support. This episode explores her journey of building an intentional community and the transformative impact this can have on personal and professional life. Expect to learn: — Why building an authentic communi...

Dr. Martha Beck is a Harvard-trained sociologist, bestselling author, and renowned life coach known for her transformative work on living in alignment with your true self. With decades of experience blending science, spirituality, and practical tools, Martha’s insights have helped countless individuals overcome anxiety, unlock creativity, and live with greater integrity. Expect to learn: — Why the...

Johnathan Bi introduces the key insights of René Girard’s Mimetic Theory and its surprising practical applications. Expect to learn: — How understanding the hidden forces behind our desires can help us break free from societal pressures, improve our decision-making, and create a life we truly love. — The scapegoat mechanism and how this kept peace in ancient societies for thousands of years until...

Dr Natalie Fraser is a counselling psychologist and the Founder of the Global Existential Summit, who has recently completed her doctorate in Existential Psychotherapy. In this conversation, we explore: — How engaging with philosophy can improve your quality of life — The importance of going beyond mainstream existential philosophers like Sartre and Heidegger, and taking a wider view — Why philoso...

Aodhán Moran and Brant Evans are experts in group relations, exploring the hidden dynamics that shape how groups function and how individuals relate within them. Their work combines psychology, mythology, and practical insights to reveal the deeper forces at play in teams, families, and communities. From Jungian archetypes to the scapegoat mechanism, their approach helps people better understand a...

In this episode, we welcome Dr Iain McGilchrist back to the show. Dr McGilchrist is a psychiatrist and writer, who is committed to the idea that the mind and brain can be understood only by seeing them in the broadest possible context. He is the author of several books, including the international bestseller: “The Master and His Emissary”, and most recently: “The Matter with Things”. In this conve...

Liz Lacy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapist and Trainer, who is widely recognised as a leading authority on applying Schema Therapy in the treatment of addiction. This conversation provides an introduction to the core ideas of this innovative approach, covering things like: — The flaws in the mainstream model of addiction treatment and why relapse rates are so high — The relatio...

Dr James Cooke is a consciousness researcher, meditation teacher, and author of The Dawn of Mind. His work blends science and spirituality to offer a fascinating perspective on reality and our place within it. We dive into nondual naturalism, the nature of consciousness, and how understanding these ideas can transform how we live. Here’s what we cover: — What nondual naturalism is and why it matte...

James Altucher is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, investor, stand up comedian, and podcaster who has founded over 20 companies and published more than 20 books. This was a bit of a surreal experience for me, as there are few people on the planet that have impacted my thinking and approach to business more than James. As you’ll hear in the interview, he has continuously reinvented himself thro...

Dr Matthew Johnson is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins, and one of the world’s most published scientists on the human effects of psychedelics. His research focuses on the behavioural economics of drug use, addiction, and risk behaviour. In this conversation, we explore: — The underlying mechanisms which may help to explain why psychedelics are effective in treating...

Jodi Wellman is an executive coach, speaker, and author, with a Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Her TEDx talk, “How Death Can Bring You Back to Life”, has garnered over 1.3 million views, and her new book, “You Only Die Once”, offers a roadmap for living without regrets. Here’s what we dive into: — The benefits of contemplating death and why doing so ca...

Dr. Laurel Parnell is a leading expert on the therapeutic tool, eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing which is more widely known as EMDR. She has trained thousands of clinicians nationally and internationally, and is the author of several bestselling books, including: “Attachment Focused EMDR”, “Tapping In”, and “Rewiring the Addicted Brain with EMDR-Based Treatment”, which this interview...

Michael Easter is a New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and professor at the University of Nevada. His books, The Comfort Crisis and Scarcity Brain, explore how embracing discomfort and understanding our evolutionary roots can help us lead healthier, more fulfilled lives. Michael’s ideas have been adopted by top-tier universities, Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, and el...

Geoff Thompson is an BAFTA award-winning writer, screenwriter, and martial artist, who has authored more than forty books. Once a bouncer in Coventry, Geoff turned his life around by making a hierarchy of ”fears“ and directly confronting them, one by one. In this conversation, we explore: — Geoff’s life-changing encounter with his former abuser in a Coventry Cafe — Geoff’s thoughts on finding your...

In this episode, I’m joined by Anna Runkle. With nearly a million followers across her platforms, Anna shares practical tools for overcoming Childhood PTSD and breaking free from self-defeating behaviors. Her book, “Re-Regulated”, explores how to set yourself free from trauma-driven behaviors and neurological dysregulation. Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this conversation: — Why tradi...

Anita is a New York Times bestselling author and an internationally renowned speaker, whose book "Dying to be Me" has sold over a million copies worldwide and received praise from the likes of Dr. Wayne Dyer and Dr. Gabor Maté. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer and falling into a coma, Anita experienced a profound near-death journey that transformed her perspective on life, health, and pu...

Roman Krznaric is a social philosopher and bestselling author whose books have been published in more than 25 languages. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University’s Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing and the founder of the world’s first Empathy Museum. His latest book, History for Tomorrow, explores how we can use historical lessons to confront today’s biggest challenges. E...

Dr. Sabina Brennan is a neuroscientist, chartered health psychologist, and bestselling author. Known for her ability to translate complex neuroscience into practical advice, Sabina empowers people to take control of their brain health and manifest their goals more effectively. Her latest book, *The Neuroscience of Manifesting*, offers a scientific framework for understanding manifestation and its...

Byron Reese is a futurist, and technologist, who is most well known for exploring big questions about humanity’s place in the universe and our collective future. In his thought-provoking new book “We Are Agora”, he outlines a scientific hypothesis for viewing humanity as a conscious superorganism, raising fascinating questions about what this means for how we live and work together. Expect to lear...

A.J. Jacobs is a New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and “human guinea pig” known for his immersive experiments and unique approach to nonfiction writing. His books include: “The Year of Living Biblically”, “Drop Dead Healthy”, “It’s All Relative”, and “The Year of Living Constitutionally”, which this conversation focuses on. Expect to learn: — The concept of creativity as a muscle and...

Simon Mundie is an author, BBC Sports Reporter, and host of “A New Way of Being” Podcast. After spending many years covering elite level sports and getting to know many of the world’s leading athletes personally, Simon began to see parallels between what he was witnessing on the sporting field and what he was learning about from the ancient nondual wisdom tradition. He’s recently published a book...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Robert Glover — a therapist, coach, writer, and relationship expert with over 40 years of professional experience. He is the author of “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, which has helped thousands of men world-wide break free from the hidden epidemic of nice guy syndrome, improving their relationships, career, and overall quality of life in the process. In this conversation,...

Dr Ned Hallowell is a board-certified child and adult psychiatrist, author, and world authority on ADHD. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Tulane Medical School, and was a Harvard Medical School faculty member for 21 years. He is the Founder of The Hallowell ADHD Centers in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. Dr Hallowell has spent the past four decades helping thousands of adults...

Steve is the Founder and Chief Compassion Officer of Organic Intelligence. For over two decades, Steve has dedicated his life to understanding and healing trauma, and his paradigm-shifting approach has impacted countless lives across the globe. Steve’s Organic Intelligence method brings together mindfulness practices with biological and systems theory to create a revolutionary new model of treatme...

Joe Polish is described by many as “the world’s most connected man”, Joe is the Founder of Genius Network and Genius Recovery. The former is one of the world’s largest and most exclusive communities of entrepreneurs, while the latter is a nonprofit Joe established with the aim of changing the global conversation around addiction. He is the author of two books: Life Gives to the Giver and What’s In...