Looking Inwards

In a culture that often clowns people for trying, what does it actually take to be 23, give a damn, and build something real? In this episode, we sit down with Noah for a raw, unfiltered conversation about ambition, execution, and purpose. Drawing inspiration from timeless frameworks like Robert Greene’s Mastery , Ryan Holiday’s Courage Is Calling and Discipline Is Destiny , James Clear’s Atomic H...

How much time do you actually spend alone? Not scrolling. Not watching something. Not drinking. Not surrounded by other people. Just you, your thoughts, your feelings and everything that comes with them. Being alone can be fucking hard. When we remove the distractions, we are often left with the insecurities, inadequacies, experiences and thoughts that we have spent so much time trying to avoid. W...

On the 7th of April 2026, Looking Inwards was born out of a selfish endeavor—a raw, long-form commitment to show up for myself, learn in public, and figure out who I am. Four months and 50 episodes later, the journey has evolved into something far greater than I ever imagined. In this milestone 50th episode, I look back at the chaotic, rewarding, and brain-melting process of writing, recording, ed...

In episode #49, we sit down with Josh Sternberg for a deep, unfiltered conversation exploring the friction between physical specialization, personal growth, and self-discovery. We unpack the psychological weight of stepping away from powerlifting and identity-driven training, examining what happens when you stop chasing numbers and start rebuilding physical versatility. From there, we dive into th...

Complaining is easy. It gives us something external to blame when things don’t go the way we want them to. But what if a lot of the things we complain about are actually just things we haven’t learned to tolerate yet? In this episode, I break down why we complain, what sits underneath it, and how comfort can slowly make us less capable of dealing with discomfort. From fatigue, cold mornings and di...

The first time you do anything probably isn't going to be great. Your first lift. Your first run. Your first coaching session. Your first podcast. Your first difficult conversation. We put so much pressure on ourselves to be good at things we've barely had any experience doing. But you can't skip the awkward stage. You can't think your way into competence. At some point, you have t...

Inner Dialogue — Episode 1 For the first episode of Inner Dialogue , I sit down with George, Chris and Nathan for a long-form conversation about powerlifting, training, gyms, coaching, community and the things that sit underneath all of it. All four of us have spent years around strength training in different ways, and this conversation is less about giving answers and more about exploring why we...

If you are lucky, you will die in a bed. So why are you spending so much of your life getting comfortable? We have become incredibly good at making life easy. Scroll. Watch. Consume. Order. Repeat. And there’s nothing wrong with comfort — until comfort becomes the default. Because one day, if everything goes well, you’ll be old, your body will slow down, and you’ll spend your final moments lying i...

What does it actually take to become an elite athlete? In Episode 57 of Looking Inwards, I sit down with Jack Verman to unpack his journey through CrossFit — from placing 13,233rd worldwide in his first Open in 2021, to 127th worldwide in 2026 , and earning an invite to the Torian Pro. But this isn't just a conversation about rankings. We talk about the years of work, setbacks, injuries, bodyb...

What if the thing stopping you from becoming the person you want to be isn’t a lack of motivation — but the fact that you haven’t fully understood what it will cost you if you never become them? We spend so much time thinking about what we want to achieve. What if we spent more time thinking about what we’re willing to miss? The life you imagine. The experiences you want. The people you want to im...

What happens when you stop looking for answers in everyone and everything around you, and start looking at yourself? Across conversations with George, Rachel, Darrel, Nathan, Luca and Chris , this episode brings together some of the best moments and biggest ideas from The Imperium Story — all centred around one theme: looking inwards. We talk about identity, ego, failure, relationships, training,...

This week I sit down with George Belivanis to talk about powerlifting, mental health, faith, and the experiences that have shaped who he is today. We get into the old-school era of powerlifting, the lifters who influenced us, Louis Simmons, Chuck Vogelpohl, the Lilliebridges, Dan Green, Konstantīns Konstantinovs, Andrey Malanichev and more. We talk about what made that generation different, the im...

We all have something we lean on when life gets uncomfortable. A phone. Work. Routine. Other people. Comfort. Procrastination. Excuses. Sometimes we don't even realise we're doing it. In Episode 40 of The Imperium Story, I break down the metaphorical "crutches" I personally lean on — anticipation, screen time, needing to be in the right state to work, and rationalising my way out...

What does it really mean to put yourself first without becoming selfish? In this episode, Karel Lloyd explores self-respect, responsibility, suffering, emotional awareness, and the difficult process of learning to see yourself clearly. Using powerful ideas from Jordan Peterson and The School of Life, this conversation dives into the relationship between pain and growth, why so many people neglect...

#38 — Someone Else Will Do It Anyway What happens when the position you want is taken by someone else? This episode explores the two sides of the phrase “someone else will do it anyway.” On one side, it can become an excuse for doing something wrong. On the other, it can become a brutal reminder that the world doesn't wait for you. The job you want will be filled. The business you want to buil...

What is inside of you that you haven't shared yet? Everyone has thoughts, feelings, ideas, experiences, and emotions that sit beneath the surface. Sometimes they come out through conversation. Sometimes through journaling, art, training, writing, or creating something that allows us to finally get it out of our heads. But why do we suppress these things? Why are we so afraid of being judged, m...

Why is everyone so tired all the time? In this episode, Stellar Hawke breaks down the three biggest areas affecting modern energy levels: nutrition, movement, and sleep. From a nutrition perspective, the conversation explores how ultra-processed foods, poor gut health, unstable blood sugar, and weak metabolic health are leaving people overfed, undernourished, and constantly running low on energy....

A reflective piece on why we seek external validation, how embarrassment and insecurity shape our need for approval, and what it takes to build self-worth from within. Through self-awareness, purpose, and emotional ownership, this explores how to stop living for other people’s opinions and start living in alignment with your own values.

Pain exists to teach. In this episode, I explore one simple idea: things that hurt, instruct. Through the stories of Louie Simmons and Henry Ford, this episode looks at how physical pain teaches adaptation, how mental pain teaches resilience, and how failure often becomes the price of growth. Louie Simmons showed what it means to refuse victimhood - to focus on what you can do when life takes some...

Why do men and women feel further apart than ever before? From the manosphere to the femosphere, dating apps, social media algorithms, emotional suppression, masculinity, femininity, trust, relationships, and modern dating culture — this conversation dives into the growing divide between young men and women. We speak about: • Why masculinity is constantly labelled • How online algorithms radicalis...

For six years, my journal has been the one place where I could be completely honest with myself. In the first episode of The Self Awareness Series , I revisit the lessons hidden inside hundreds of journal entries—from battling a victim mindset and learning resilience, to finding purpose over pleasure, developing healthier self-talk, trusting my younger self, and understanding that life only gives...

Why do we approach the things we’re good at with confidence, but meet every new challenge with doubt? In this episode, I explore the idea that most of us already know how to deal with adversity—we’ve just forgotten how many times we’ve overcome it before. Using my experience under a 285kg squat, I unpack why confronting a heavier weight isn’t about learning a new movement, but trusting the skills...

Luke Benicky is the owner of Benicky & Sons and co-founder of Wilder Health — two businesses built around purpose, identity, family, and long-term thinking. In this episode, we unpack what it actually takes to build something meaningful from the ground up. From the philosophy behind Benicky & Sons and the idea of “Wabi Sabi,” to creating spaces where men feel comfortable opening up, Luke b...

Have you ever felt broken by life, by disappointment, rejection, insecurity, or circumstances you couldn’t control? In this episode, we explore kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, and what it can teach us about accepting the cracks in ourselves instead of hiding them. We talk about insecurity, self-esteem, anxiety, trauma, rebuilding, and the importance of finding saf...

What does it really mean to "keep up socially" - and when does it start costing you your health, character, and sense of self? In this episode, we unpack the pressure to stay relevant in your social circles, whether that's through sport, gaming, drinking, habits, or the conversations your group constantly revolves around. The deeper question isn't just how to fit in - it's ho...