Raff's Brain

Raff's Brain: Pound Foolish - The Journey Begins - PILOT EPISODE!  Welcome to Pound Foolish , the latest stream of Raff’s Brain content! This is where I document my ongoing struggle to lose weight, get healthier, and thumb my nose at the ever-approaching Grim Reaper—all while keeping it light, absurd, and just self-aware enough to (maybe) stay accountable. 🚗 Recorded while driving back from...

Riffin’ with Raff feat. Mallory Moss | Driving, Lacrosse & Life Updates 🚗 Buckle up! In this episode of Riffin’ with Raff , my number one returning guest , Mallory Moss, is back for her fifth appearance! We catch up on life, talk about her newfound freedom as a licensed driver , and dive into some classic hot takes. What’s Inside This Episode? ✅ Mallory’s first solo drive —pure freedom or sh...

Riffin’ with Raff feat. Dan Francis – From Policy Summaries to Police Automation In this episode of Raff's Brain: Riffin’ with Raff , Rob sits down with Dan Francis , tech entrepreneur, Y Combinator alum, and the founder of Abel Police - a startup revolutionizing police report automation using AI. Dan shares his incredible journey from writing policy summaries in D.C. to working in San Franci...

Description: What happens when a dedicated hot yoga addict travels to a town with no yoga studio? A full-blown crisis. This week, I’m heading back to my hometown—where hot yoga is nonexistent—and I’m wondering: Should I start my own studio? In this episode, I brainstorm the logistics of opening a nonprofit yoga space, the challenges of heating costs, and whether I could actually get the locals hoo...

Riffin' with Raff feat. Chris McElroy In this episode of Raff's Brain: Riffin' with Raff , Rob sits down with filmmaker Chris McElroy for a conversation recorded live from Park City, Utah, during the Sundance Film Festival. Chris is an accomplished documentarian and film professional with experience in both indie projects and major Hollywood productions. They discuss his incredible...

Description: Ever had a yoga class so bad you considered just lying down and giving up? That was me today. Between lingering sickness, sleep deprivation, and a total lack of energy, my 6 AM hot yoga class turned into an absolute disaster. Sun B cycle broke me. I was panting, drenched in a cold sweat (in hot yoga?!), and even collapsed into Child’s Pose—utter defeat. But hey, I showed up. And somet...

🎙️ My First Sundance Film Festival Experience | Walk & Talk Welcome to Raff’s Brain ! I’m Rob Raffety, and today I’m taking you behind the scenes of my first-ever Sundance Film Festival experience. From high-altitude struggles to groundbreaking indie films, this episode has it all! 🎧 What’s in This Episode? ✈️ The Journey Begins: My flight to Utah, seat strategies, and the rare joy of an empt...

Hot Yoga Problems: One Week Off & Feeling Like Trash | Raff's Brain 🔥 Surviving Hot Yoga After a Brutal Week 🔥 Rob is back on the mat after a grueling week of travel, cramped economy-class flights, and some serious doomscrolling-induced sleep deprivation. One week off, and he feels like absolute trash. Can he push through the pain, sweat, and mental battles to make it through class? (Sp...

SUMMARY: In this episode of Raff's Brain, join host Rob Raffety as he heads to the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, for an unforgettable week of films, workshops, and networking. Rob partners with the Moving Picture Institute (MPI), an organization blending freedom and film, to bring you exclusive content from one of the film industry's biggest stages. From behind-the-scen...

Episode Summary: Hot yoga problems? Oh, Rob's got them. In this free-flowing episode, Rob Raffety introduces the potential for his upcoming 20-day hot yoga challenge, starting in February, with plenty of humor, introspection, and some "inverted Abbaguchi pizza roll pose" wisdom along the way. From signing up for public challenges and embracing shame as a motivator to the mental agon...

🎙️ Episode Overview In this heartwarming and hilarious episode of Raff's Brain , Rob Raffety reconnects with his old friend, Charles Blatz, for a conversation that spans nostalgia, personal growth, and the adventures of homeownership. Charles shares his journey from DC to Cleveland, detailing how he transitioned into IT, bought a historic home for a shockingly low price, and embraced a new li...

Description: In this hilariously relatable episode of Hot Yoga Problems on Raff's Brain , Rob dives into his most formidable yoga challenge yet: himself. Midnight nachos, sunrise acid reflux, and self-sabotage take center stage as Rob reflects on the hard truth—he might be his own worst yoga problem. From gastrointestinal distress during triangle pose to the awkward social dance of claiming y...

Join Rob in this fun and chaotic episode of Hot Yoga Problems , where Sunday routines meet sugary snacks and unexpected weather dilemmas. Fueled by an unofficial Red Vines sponsorship, Rob dives into the quirks of yoga schedules, diet struggles, and his undying love for a good deal at the grocery store. What to Expect: 🍬 Red Vines vs. Twizzlers : Can’t we all just get along? 🧘‍♂️ Yoga Timing Tro...

Episode Summary: In this hilariously offbeat episode of Hot Yoga Problems, Rob Raffety tackles the chaos and thrills of encountering a substitute yoga instructor 🔄. What starts as a meditation on disrupted routines evolves into a whirlwind of speed-run yoga ⏩🔥, Jazzercise nostalgia 💃, and unexpected life lessons 🌟. Through the madness, Rob discovers the ultimate truth: the real hot yoga probl...

🎙️ Episode Overview Welcome back to Raff’s Brain , the podcast about the things that fascinate and inspire host Rob Raffety. In this installment of Riffin’ with Raff , Rob sits down with his creative partner Grauben Lara to discuss their latest collaborative ventures in content creation. The episode dives into their exciting video project strategy, including brainstorming ideas, scripting, shootin...

🎙️ Episode Summary: In this special, spontaneous episode of Riffin’ with Raff , Rob Raffety reconnects with old friend Hoa Phan for a lively discussion on the NFL playoffs. From unexpected losses to bold predictions, Rob and Hoa break down the NFC and AFC matchups with humor, insight, and a dose of fan frustration. Along the way, they reflect on playoff heartbreaks, incremental progress (baby step...

🔥 Episode Summary: In this episode of Raff's Brain , Rob dives headfirst into the hilarious and relatable struggles of hot yoga, featuring a pose-by-pose breakdown of the day's challenges. Today’s main antagonist? Gorilla pose—a so-called "resting pose" that feels anything but restful. Along the way, Rob shares musings on the Apple Watch's fitness tracking quirks, societa...

Welcome back to Raff's Brain ! In this special Walk and Talk episode, Rob Raffety tackles a listener-requested topic: how to fix the Pittsburgh Steelers after their recent playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. With a selfie stick in hand and his thoughts streaming, Rob delivers a heartfelt, nostalgic, and insightful ode to the Steelers, the greatest NFL franchise (in his opinion). Here’s what...

Episode Summary: Oh, the joys and quirks of hot yoga in the late afternoon! In this episode of Hot Yoga Problems , Rob Raffety takes us on a sweaty, humorous journey through his recent 4:30 PM class. Rob’s usual early-morning yoga sessions bring a mix of semi-conscious serenity and a head start to the day. But what happens when he steps into an unusually crowded, acoustically lively, and wide-awak...

📝 Episode Summary: In this episode of Raff's Brain: Riffin’ with Raff , Rob Raffety sits down with longtime friend, creative collaborator, and multi-talented artist, Olivier Ballou. They discuss Olivier’s journey from a small mining town in northern Quebec to becoming a graphic novelist with a unique storytelling style. Olivier shares insights into his graphic novels, including Val d’Or , wh...

Episode Summary: In this froggy-voiced and frosty-weathered episode of Raff's Brain , we’re diving into the rollercoaster that is wintertime hot yoga. Rob reflects on his disrupted yoga practice, the legacy of 108 sun salutations on New Year’s Day, and the trials of keeping warm and motivated in snowy conditions. With wit and humor, he laments the logistical struggles of snowy streets, glitte...

Episode Summary: Host Rob Raffety is joined by Grauben Lara for an inspiring discussion about their latest creative project—a video essay submission for the Foundation for Economic Education's Economic Marvels Video Essay Contest. The duo takes listeners behind the scenes of their submission, which tells the fascinating story of Kleenex, tracing its origins back to a World War I innovation. R...

Summary: It’s 2025, and Raff is diving headfirst into the new year with a fiery combo of 108 sun salutations and unexpected car drama. Join him as he recounts the highs and lows of tackling this sacred yoga tradition, the chaotic NASCAR-level race to pump air into his tires, and his pledge to crush any obstacles this year throws at him. Equal parts hilarious and reflective, this episode is a wild...

Episode Summary: Rob Raffety teams up with Juan Ayala for a thrilling creative journey into the world of horror storytelling. In this episode of Riffin' with Raff , Rob and Juan recount their serendipitous connection, their shared passion for screenwriting, and their recent collaboration on an entry for the Moving Picture Institute's Short Film Lab. From the dark allure of the "Red...

Episode Summary As the year wraps up, Rob dives into his third hot yoga session of the week at OBX Hot Yoga in the Outer Banks. Join him for a lively discussion about the essentials of a functional yoga studio, including his hot take on mat markers , premium space reservations , and revolutionary pricing models . From the quirks of yoga mat dimensions to bold ideas for a "Raff Plan" that...