Why Even Gritty People Ask For Help (and How to Situate Yourself With a Support Network) | with Angela Duckworth

Why do so many ambitious people struggle to achieve their goals despite working tirelessly on their own?Angela Duckworth is a renowned psychologist, a MacArthur Fellow, and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She's also the best-selling author of the megahit Grit as well as her brand new book Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best.In today's conversation, Angela and I talk about why grit—while an important ingredient of success—isn't enough on its own, and how we have more control over shaping our situations and circumstances than we might think. We explore how important support systems are to build when working towards difficult goals, whether you can still be gritty even if you have a lot of different interests, and why we've perhaps misunderstood Viktor Frankl's vital message about managing and reacting to difficult circumstances.If you're an artist or creative who's been struggling to do everything on your own, especially if asking for help makes you feel like a burden, this conversation will show you how important it is to surround yourself with peers and mentors, and why even the grittiest people don't go it alone. And trust me, you don't have to either.Key TakeawaysLook beyond grit and ask what kind of support your situation provides. Perseverance matters, but even a determined person can struggle without the right people and support system.Stay devoted to a meaningful pursuit over the long term. Grit is about passion and perseverance over time, returning to your craft consistently rather than relying on natural talent or bursts of enthusiasm.Ask for help again and again, because you never outgrow the need for support. Support is a habit, not scaffolding you take down once you become independent.Episode HighlightsWhy individual grit falls short without a strong support system backing it up, as revealed by a 7th grade math struggleWhat grit really is: passion and perseverance over very long periods, and why it has nothing to do with natural talentNature versus nurture and how finding the right vocation, pursuit, or hobby can make effort feel differentSituational agency and the difference between changing your thoughts and habits and changing the world around youViktor Frankl’s idea of meaning as being part of and in service to something larger than yourselfThe case for community, even when your work looks solitary, and why artists benefit from connecting with other people.The one habit successful people share and need to do again and againPeers versus mentors: two kinds of relationships that you need to pursue your goalsThe value of a small, low-stakes conversation that starts with explaining how someone’s work has genuinely affected youWhy AI-written messages leave people feeling unseen, and why effort matters more than polishRecommended Next EpisodeHow to Develop ‘Obstacle Immunity’ | with Spartan Race founder Joe de SenaChase Jarvis On Building Your Network of ‘A-Gamers,’ Designing the Life You Want, and Fulfilling Your ‘Creative Calling’Useful ResourcesFind Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your TeamMan's Search for Meaning by Viktor FranklI Study Successful People. They Have One Habit in CommonGuest BioAngela Duckworth, PhD, is a psychologist, a MacArthur Fellow, and the best-selling author of Grit and Situated. She is the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and faculty co-director of the Penn-Wharton Behavior Change for Good Initiative. She has advised the World Bank, NBA and NFL teams, and Fortune 500 CEOs, and she co-founded Character Lab, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing scientific insights that help children thrive. Her TED talk is among the most viewed of all time.Angela's Website Angela's Books: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance | Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best Angela's Facebook | Instagram | Substack | Twitter/XShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis Fritsch Published by: Vim Pangantihon Music by: Thomas Cepeda

What if the rejection you fear is less about what’s happening now and more about what your nervous system learned long ago?Kristen Carder is the host of the popular I Have ADHD podcast which has over nine million downloads across mor e than a hundred and twenty countries. She's a multi-certified, trauma-informed coach who has supported thousands of adults with ADHD inside her group program, FOCUSED. She just released her first book You're Not in Trouble: The ADHD Guide to Building Healthy, Connected Relationships.In today's conversation, Kristen and I talk about why ADHD is a disorder of regulation, not a deficit of attention — and how that one reframe can change your approach to the world and your relationships. She'll help us overcome our fear of reaching out and the rejection that comes with connecting (or not connecting) with others, and she'll show us why asking for what we need isn't a burden we put on people — it's an invitation to connect on a more meaningful level.If you've ever written the message that could change your career and then left it sitting in your drafts for weeks — or if you've gone quiet on somebody else you love and couldn't explain why — this one's for you. You're not broken, and you're not too much. You were just never taught how to manage relationships with ADHD.Key TakeawaysLearn to regulate your emotions instead of judging yourself for having them. ADHD can make the emotional volume go from 0 to 100, or leave you feeling completely checked out.Separate actual rejection from the rejection story your brain creates. When there is uncertainty, your brain may fill in the blank with “they don't like you,” even when you don't have all the information yet.Identify your needs and practice asking safe people to help meet them. Needs can become an invitation to connection when you know who sees, understands, and accepts you.Episode HighlightsWhy ADHD relationships became the focus of Kristen's book and the connection between childhood emotional regulation and adult relationshipsADHD as a disorder of self-regulation, not a deficit of attentionThe emotional “switchboard” and what happens when the volume gets stuck at 100Emotional dysregulation and how hypo-arousal and hyper-arousal can become two extremes with little in betweenAttachment styles as an “operating manual” for your emotions and why opposite attachment styles can find each other in relationshipsHow it feels to do the thing that you're meant to do and the vulnerability hangover that comes with being seen and heardThe difference between actual rejection and rejection stories, and how to trust yourself to handle an actual rejectionWhen being afraid of appearing needy can disconnect you from your own needs, and how understanding your needs can improve your relationshipsUsing AI as a “neurodivergent translator” and how to use (or not use) it when struggling with human connectionRecommended Next EpisodeHow to Build ‘Rich Relationships’ (Especially For Introverts) | with Selena SooOn Vulnerability and the Courageous Act of Creating From a Place of Truth | with Allison Sweet GrantUseful ResourcesHow to Be an Adult in Relationships by David RichoADHD & Relationships SurveyThe Connection ConferenceGuest BioKristen Carder is the host of the I Have ADHD podcast and a multi-certified coach who has supported thousands of people with ADHD worldwide. Since beginning her work in 2012, Kristen has become a trusted voice in the ADHD community. She is the founder of FOCUSED, a global coaching program for adults with ADHD. Her work specializes in trauma-informed, evidence-based approaches to executive functioning, emotional regulation, and healthy relationships. Kristen lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and their three sons.Kristen's WebsiteKristen's Books: You're Not in TroubleKristen's Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube | FacebookShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis FritschPublished by: Vim PangantihonMusic by: Thomas Cepeda

How do you use AI without losing the human connection and effort that make your messages matter?Ethan Mollick is an associate professor at the Wharton School, where he directs the Generative AI Lab and studies the effects of AI on work, entrepreneurship, and education. Named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in artificial intelligence, he’s also the bestselling author of Co-Intelligence and the author of the new book Co-Existence: The Next Phase of AI.In today's conversation, Ethan and I talk about where AI belongs in the process of human connection, and where it absolutely doesn't. You'll get an understanding of how these machines actually work, and why they feel so human. You'll hear what's happening behind the scenes when we let the robots write our emails for us, and why effort is still valuable in our robot-dominated future.If you're a creative or entrepreneur who feels paralyzed by the fear that the robots are coming for your work (or your inbox), or you've been quietly wondering whether it's okay to let AI write the message you're about to send to someone who really matters, this conversation will not only give you practical steps to move forwards, but it might even give you hope.Key TakeawaysThink of an AI tool as a small studio of assistants working under you, not a creative equal. Handing off assignments to it can free up more of your own creative energy.Question what a "personalized" AI message is really signaling. A note polished to sound heartfelt can end up revealing the opposite: a lack of real intent and meaning.Reserve your own effort for the messages that matter most to you personally. Once a shortcut becomes common, leaning on it can turn a gesture of care into an empty habit.Episode HighlightsWhy a book written three years ago about AI still holds up todayUnderstanding GPTs as “general purpose technology” and LLMs as “autocomplete on steroids”“Who’s in charge?” Why nobody fully understands this technology, including the people building itHow AI imitates a population rather than a person, blending the wisdom of the crowdWhy AI is trained to be a helpful assistant and tell people what they want to hearCentaur, cyborg, and conjurer: three ways of working alongside AIWhat the backlash against AI in creative fields has in common with past technology panicsTheory of mind and the jagged frontier: where AI struggles to predict what people wantThe four human advantages: wide knowledge, deep knowledge, agency, and tasteFinding the gray area where AI works best as a tutor rather than a replacement, while preserving human connection and careUseful ResourcesPrediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial IntelligenceAttention Is All You NeedRecommended Next EpisodeIs AI Going To Atrophy Your Ability To Think? | with Nick MiloThe Creative’s Guide to Understanding AI and Leveraging AI to Build Workflows & Optimize Your Creativity | with Rob HowardGuest BioEthan Mollick is a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he holds the Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar chair and serves as Academic Director of the Generative AI Labs, studying the effects of artificial intelligence on work, entrepreneurship, and education. He was named one of TIME magazine's Most Influential People in Artificial Intelligence and writes the widely read newsletter One Useful Thing. His first book, Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, was an instant New York Times bestseller and a Best Book of the Year pick from The Economist and the Financial Times. His forthcoming book, Co-Existence: The Next Phase of AI, is due out October 20, 2026.Ethan's Books: Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI | Co-Existence: The Next Phase of AIEthan's Substack | X | Bluesky | LinkedInShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis FritschPublished by: Vim PangantihonMusic by: Thomas Cepeda

Before you press play, take the Vibe quiz on Adam's website to discover your connection style and find the gaps in your portfolio of relationships.How do you truly connect with someone you admire when you are afraid of reaching out, bothering them, or even offending them?In this episode, I talk with Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, Wharton's top-rated professor, and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of multiple books including Give and Take, Originals, Think Again, Hidden Potential, and his latest, Vibe. He is also the keynote conversation for my 5-day virtual event, The Connection Conference . In this long-awaited conversation, Adam and I talk all about what it truly means to connect on a deeper, more human level and how the most meaningful way to succeed is by helping others succeed. We both talk candidly about the fears we have of reaching out, bothering people, or even offending them, and how to truly connect with someone even just through outreach emails. If you're already a fan of Adam Grant, I promise you'll see a more personal side of him you don't often see, and you'll learn how important patience is when reaching out cold to people you admire, knowing your persistence will pay off if you always provide value to others.If you're an artist or creative who struggles with outreach but who's craving more deep, meaningful connections with those you admire, this conversation will change the way you think about networking and building relationships.Key TakeawaysBe thoughtful about when, who, and how you help. Successful givers do not help everyone with every request, and a five-minute favor is a simple way to give without burning out.Put in the effort, because there are no shortcuts when it comes to meaningful connections. You can accelerate connection, but you can’t skip the effort that it takes to show you’re taking a genuine interest in another human.Reach out even if you feel guilty about being a burden. If you’re hesitating because you don’t want a one-sided interaction or to waste their time, you are the person other people are waiting to hear from.Episode HighlightsThe people and experiences that shaped the belief that "The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed"Givers vs. Takers vs. Matchers: The reciprocity styles and the general thesis behind Give and TakeThe five-minute favor in action, and what makes an introduction a true win-win for everyone involvedInside the inbox: what actually goes through the mind of the person you are afraid of botheringHow a parasocial relationship becomes a real one with synchronized brainwaves and heartbeatsWhy naming the fear of being ghosted is a bid for connection, and how to set a kind boundary for too much inboundThe eighth-grade basketball that disappeared (and found), and why there are no shortcuts when it comes to meaningful connectionGetting a psychologist who says he does not help anyone to rethink his own impactThe adverse selection problem: why the people who hesitate to reach out out of guilt are the exact people everyone is waiting to hear fromA gratitude practice built on handwritten notes and wax stampsRecommended Next EpisodeHow to Build ‘Rich Relationships’ (Especially For Introverts) | with Selena SooHow to Build Meaningful Relationships in the ‘Real World’ | with Camille VirginiaUseful ResourcesThe Connection ConferenceVibe QuizThe Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam GrantJeff ZaslowGuest BioAdam Grant is an organizational psychologist and bestselling author who explores the science of character, connection, culture, and change. He has been Wharton's top-rated professor for seven straight years, and he is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books that have sold millions of copies, including Give and Take, Originals, Think Again, Hidden Potential, and Vibe. His TED talks have over 35 million views and his podcasts have over 100 million downloads; he hosts Re:Thinking and cohosts The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown. He has been recognized as the world's #2 most influential management thinker and in Fortune's 40 Under 40, and he has advised leaders at Google, NASA, Pixar, and the NBA. Adam received his B.A. from Harvard and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and he is a former magician and Junior Olympic springboard diver. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife Allison (a novelist and poet), two cats (who don’t get along), and three children (who mostly do).Adam's Website | Vibe Quiz Adam's Books: Vibe | Hidden Potential | Think Again | Originals | Give and Take Adam's Facebook | Instagram | X | LinkedIn | Threads | YouTube | SubstackShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis Fritsch Published by: Vim Pangantihon Music by: Thomas Cepeda

When information is everywhere and costs nothing, what actually makes any of it worth having?Nick Milo is the founder of the wildly popular program and YouTube channel Linking Your Thinking and a former student of mine who is now a leading voice in the world of personal knowledge management. In this conversation, Nick and I talk about why information on its own has never been less valuable, and why the real value comes from your ability to connect ideas and take action on them. We discuss where AI can reduce the bad friction in our lives, but also where handing over your thinking to the robots can lead to what Nick calls "cognitive surrender." You'll also get a first look (or listen) at the mind-bending Obsidian knowledge vault we built for The Connection Conference, so you can see what linked ideas actually look like in practice. And we may even talk you out of letting the robots clean your closet.If you're buried in podcasts, articles, and AI summaries you never do anything with, or if you've started letting the chatbots do your thinking because it's just easier, this conversation will show you that the value of ideas is in the struggle to turn them into action.Key TakeawaysUse linked notes to move from organization into ideation. Connecting ideas gives you a trail you can return to, helping you recall, re-internalize, and build on what matters.Protect your cognition when using AI. AI can save time, but turning to it whenever you are tired can become “cognitive surrender” and sacrifice the ability to cultivate wisdom.Make AI bring ideas to you, then engage with them in your own words. The goal is not to have AI create your thinking, but to use it as scaffolding that helps you interact with and internalize what matters.Episode HighlightsNick’s unexpected journey from engineering to becoming "Mr. Obsidian."Where the real value lies in an abundance of informationThe danger of “cognitive surrender” when we let AI do the thinkingWhat Obsidian actually is, and why "digital sovereignty" mattersThe joy of typing a link and being serendipitously reminded of "cognitive affordances"Embracing the mess: the architect and the gardener in all of usA live tour of an early beta knowledge base of the Connection ConferenceWhy direct quotes from the source can beat AI interpretationHow to turning AI output into your own wordsFinding the sweet spot between ready-made systems and the work that creates real learningRecommended Next EpisodeWhy Books Matter More In the Age of AI (And How to Read Better) | with Alex WieckowskiFrom Information Overload to Getting Better at Anything by Finding the Right Mentors | with Scott YoungUseful ResourcesObsidianAustin Kleon's Book Show Your WorkAs We May Think by Vannevar BushHow to Try Again by Steve KambForgetting Curve (Hermann Ebbinghaus)Flow by Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiThe Art of the Pivot: Going From Freelancer to Entrepreneur | with Nick MiloGuest BioNick Milo is the founder of Linking Your Thinking, the creator of the LYT framework, and a leading voice in personal knowledge management. A former civil engineer, he co-founded an international fitness boxing business, produced independent feature films, and worked as a film and TV editor. Today he guides people to link their thinking, generate value, and rediscover the joy of thinking itself. His upcoming book, Linking Your Thinking, will be published by Simon & Schuster in Spring 2027.Nick's WebsiteNick's Book: Linking Your ThinkingNick's Newsletter | YouTube | Instagram | TwitterShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis FritschPublished by: Vim PangantihonMusic by: Thomas Cepeda

How do you make time to read more books and build a reading habit that lasts in a world full of distractions?Alex Wieckowski, better known online as Alex & Books, has been writing and posting about the importance of reading books to his more than 1 million followers across social media since 2017. He has read over 750 books and he's currently writing the 21st century version of Mortimer Adler's classic text How to Read a Book. In today's conversation, Alex and I talk about why reading real books matters more than ever in the age of AI. We discuss the four different types of reading and how better understanding these different approaches can help you build a more consistent reading habit. We'll help you choose what to read, reclaim the time to read it, and remember what you read long after you've closed the book.If you've got a stack of books you keep meaning to get to, or it's been so long since you read a book you don't even know where to start, Alex and I will show you that Reading is a skill anyone can develop and improve.Key TakeawaysMake reading part of the time you already have instead of waiting to find more time. Use a time journal to see where your hours are actually going, then prioritize reading or build it into an existing routine.Choose books that address what you’re working through right now. Reading when you need the information most makes it easier to remember what you learn and put it into practice.Read the whole book when the ideas matter instead of outsourcing the struggle to a summary. The stories, context, and effort of reading are part of what make the lessons memorable and meaningful.Episode HighlightsOrigin story of loving reading as a kid to losing it, then finding it again.Why books could become more popular in the age of AI as people look for ways to exercise their brains.Why the struggle of reading is part of the learning, and what gets lost when someone else does the work for you.Using the table of contents as a map and the three-chapter rule for knowing when to quit.How syntopical reading turns three to five books on one subject into a “mini PhD”.The simple time journal that reveals where your hours are actually going and helps you reclaim time for reading.Why “read it when you need it” can help you choose books that are relevant enough to remember and apply.How a simple distraction catcher can get intrusive thoughts out of your head without pulling you away from the book.Why reading 100 books a year is not the goal, and why speed reading can sacrifice the very things that make reading valuable.How the Reading Triangle forces you to choose between enjoyment, retention, and speed instead of trying to maximize all three.Recommended Next EpisodeHow Tiny Changes Can Create Remarkable Results | with James ClearHow to Become ‘Indistractable’ | with Nir EyalUseful ResourcesHow to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie BooksHow to Read a Book by Mortimer J. AdlerWrite a Must Read by A.J. HarperWrite Useful Books by Rob Fitzpatrick4,000 Weeks by Oliver BurkemanCommunity Made by Jayson GaignardNonviolent Communication by Marshall B. RosenbergThe Elephant in the Brain by Kevin Simler and Robin HansonGuest BioAlex Wieckowski is the creator of Alex & Books, where he shares book recommendations, summaries, reviews, and reading tips from more than 750 books. He is also the author of Learn To Love Reading and creator of The Art of Reading, a course focused on helping people find books, build better reading habits, take notes, remember what they read, and apply what they learn. His work is dedicated to helping more people discover the value and enjoyment of reading.Alex's Website Alex and BooksAlex's Course The Art of RedingAlex's Book Learn To Love ReadingAlex's Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | SubstackShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis FritschPublished by: Vim PangantihonMusic by: Thomas Cepeda

We seldom write for ourselves because we instead want our stories to touch others. Yet we’re often terrified to put our work (and ourselves!) out into the world. How can we walk the line between wanting to make things that matter while also making sure other people know we made these things for them?I discuss this (and so much more), with Allison Sweet Grant, a former psychiatric nurse practitioner turned author whose is the author of the novel I Am the Cage and the new memoir Lump: A Memoir in Ineloquent Reflections, which candidly explores her experience with breast cancer. In this conversation, we talked about the power of the written word to help create emotional connection, why she chose to write about what cancer actually feels like (rather than her “journey”), and how carefully chosen words can help someone feel less alone.If you're going through something hard, or trying to support someone who is, this conversation offers a different way to connect through uncertainty, pain, and shared experience.Key TakeawaysPut your hardest experiences into words instead of keeping them inside. Writing can help you process what happened, get it out of you, and onto something else.Write about what something feels like, not just what someone needs to do. Practical information can tell you what comes next, but emotional truth can help someone feel less alone.Stop apologizing for pain you didn't choose. Fear of being a burden can cause you to swallow your struggles and limit the possibility for connection.Episode HighlightsWhat a memoir looks like when it mirrors the most difficult period of your lifeHow the same chemo room can feel like hell to one patient and like a heaven that is saving someone's lifeWhy a book for people too sick to finish a chapter comes in bite-sized piecesWhy the language of the "cancer journey" never fit, and how they can place an identity on someoneOn Riches: a scene about pancakes that becomes a lesson in noticing the small details you want to rememberFive Letters: the poem about packing a chemo bag and leaving letters on the tableWhy putting real human words and real human experiences on the page matters moreI'm sorry, I'm okay: why we apologize for being an inconvenience and a burdenHow the involuntary combination of colors with letters and numbers has influenced her choicesJust My Luck: a rant against everything people say caused cancerRecommended Next EpisodeFrom Setback to Comeback: Finding Strength in the Hardest Moments | with Bevin FarrandHow to Keep Moving Forwards After You've Lost Everything | with Christina RasmussenUseful ResourcesOn Vulnerability and the Courageous Act of Creating From a Place of Truth | with Allison Sweet GrantGlennon DoyleZingerman'sGuest BioAllison Sweet Grant is an author who has been published in The New York Times and The Atlantic. Previously, she was a psychiatric nurse practitioner; she holds dual master's degrees from the University of Michigan. An introvert, synesthete, and avid poet, Allison can usually be found at home with a cup of hot tea in hand, reading or rewatching a film she has seen sixteen times. She lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and their three children (and two cats, Pom-Pom and Jasper).Allison's WebsiteAllison's Books: I Am the Cage | Lump: A Memoir in Ineloquent ReflectionsAllison's Instagram | FacebookShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis FritschPublished by: Vim PangantihonMusic by: Thomas Cepeda

Quickly find exactly the right interview for your needs with this helpful index.If we haven't met before, hey! I'm Zack, an award-winning Hollywood editor and documentary director turned writer, speaker, and career coach who is fascinated by humans, especially the oddball, introverted, and often neurodivergent "creatives" like us who see the world just a little differently. If you're new to the podcast, I've provided the best of the best from my interview archive to get you started on the right learning path. And if you're looking to solve a specific problem, head over to zackarnold.com/episodes to search our entire library.Required ListeningOliver Burkeman | Why Optimization Isn’t the Answer (and How to Make the Most of Our Four Thousand Weeks On Earth)Amie McNee | Why the World Needs Your Art (Even When It's On Fire)James Clear | How Tiny Changes Can Create Remarkable ResultsCal Newport | Becoming a ‘Digital Minimalist’Greg McKeown | The Disciplined Pursuit of LessJay Papasan | How to Accomplish Your ‘One Thing’ Every DayGretchen Rubin | Using ‘The Four Tendencies’ to Better Understand Yourself (and Others)The Future of CreativityJay Clouse | The Intersection of Legacy Hollywood and Next-Gen Content CreatorsKylee Peña | Creativity in The Age of AIOpenAI’s Chad Nelson | How Artificial Intelligence Could Shape the Future of Creativity and Collaboration (and How We Can Survive)Navigate Your CareerChristina Wallace | How to Future-Proof Your Creative Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger Than Your RésuméDr. Tal Ben-Shahar | How to Pursue Fulfilling Work and Find Your ‘Calling’Annie Duke | How to Know (Without a Doubt) If It’s Time to QuitMauro Guillén | Redefining Your Career Path in a Post Generational SocietyPhilippe Danielides | How to Know What You Actually Want (and Find Support to Make It Happen)Build Your NetworkChase Jarvis | Building Your Network of ‘A-Gamers,’ Designing the Life You Want, and Fulfilling Your ‘Creative Calling’Selena Soo | How to Build 'Rich Relationships' (Especially For Introverts)Carole Kirschner | How to Leave an Impression, Build Your Network, & Get HiredTroy Takaki, ACE | Networking (the Right Way), Mentorship, and Connecting with ‘Experts’Scott Davis | [CASE STUDY] Why People Don’t Respond to Your Cold Outreach (and How to Get a Response)Do Your Best Creative WorkJoey Cofone | What Creativity Is, How It Works, and the Laws to Learning ItScott Barry Kaufman | How We are “Wired to Create”, What It Means to Be a “Creative”, and How We Can Leverage Our Unique GiftsAllison Sweet Grant | On Vulnerability and the Courageous Act of Creating From a Place of TruthNir Eyal | How to Become ‘Indistractable’David Allen | The Zen-like Art of ‘Getting Things Done’Cal Newport | FOCUS: The Superpower of the 21st CenturyTake Care of YourselfDr. Edison de Mello | Understanding the Difference Between Integrative & Traditional MedicineDr. Azure Grant | Optimizing Sleep, Productivity, & Creativity Using Ultradian Rhythms and Self-TrackingShawn Stevenson | How to Sleep SmarterDr. John Ratey | How Regular Movement Makes You SmarterDr. Joan Vernikos | How Being Sedentary Is Damaging You (According to NASA)Be Inspired!Dr. David Fajgenbaum | What Five Near-Death Experiences Can Teach Us About LivingBevin Farrand | From Setback to Comeback: Finding Strength in the Hardest MomentsShane Burcaw | Rewiring Your Brain to Be HappierSandy Zimmerman, ANW | How to Overcome Doubting Yourself When You Know You’re Meant For MoreJimmy Choi, ANW | Using Fitness to Overcome Parkinson’s and Become a Ninja

We’re living through a time when meaningful relationships have never been more important, yet reaching out to the people who could help us most can feel harder than ever. In this mini-episode, I explore why we’re lonelier and more disconnected despite being globally hyperconnected, and why so many of us are terrified to reach out. I share why our only path forwards through this confusing next phase of work and life is together, and how kind, thoughtful, and genuinely HUMAN outreach can turn connection into an act of service. Along the way, I pull back the curtain on how I built my entire creative career and my upcoming Connection Conference from the comfort of my pajamas, using hand-crafted, well-researched, and thoughtful cold outreach emails to connect with some of the world’s leading experts in psychology, communication, creativity, and AI.All that in more in my latest Substack → The People You Want to Connect With Want to Connect With YouWhen you're done → ​I'd love your thoughts here in the comments!If you enjoyed this article and you don't want to miss my future essays, my actionable insights, and my soapbox rants about navigating the world as analog humans in today's digital hellscape, make sure to subscribe at zackarnold.com/substack.

What if success isn’t about avoiding failure but instead learning how to try again when you do fail?In this episode, I talk with Steve Kamb, founder of Nerd Fitness and author of How to Try Again. Steve built a global fitness community of over 50,000 members and 20 coaches, gave a TEDx talk, and has worked with companies like Google and Facebook. But he’s also faced procrastination, perfectionism, and personal setbacks. We explore why constant optimization doesn’t always work, and how accepting failure and learning to restart might be the real key to lasting progress.Key TakeawaysStop trying to win for a moment and focus on staying afloat. Sometimes the most courageous move is not making progress but treading water long enough to see what tomorrow brings.Accept your reality with complete sincerity and compassion. Acceptance is not resignation or giving up. It is looking clearly at what is actually happening so you can decide what to do next.Recognize that change often feels more like caterpillar goo than a beautiful transformation. The messy middle is not evidence that you're failing. It is often evidence that real change is happening.Episode HighlightsWhen everything crumbles all at once and you're forced to actually live the very advice you're writing about.Brett Archibald's unbelievable survival story and what it teaches about swimming in the wrong direction.Acceptance without resignation and how to face reality without losing hope.Why waiting for things to "get back to normal" may be the most dangerous habit of all.The concept of "yes, and" as a practical framework for navigating uncertainty.Caterpillar soup: the uncomfortable truth about what transformation actually looks like.Why Atomic Habits works for many people and what happens when consistency becomes impossible.The mindset shift that starts with: “You don’t have to”How vulnerability helps you find people who will do the thing with youWhy chasing perfection paralyze creativity, and embracing your voice unlocks breakthroughWhat future Steve would tell his 10-years-younger self about success, failure, and changeRecommended Next EpisodeHow Tiny Changes Can Create Remarkable Results | with James ClearUsing ‘The Four Tendencies’ to Better Understand Yourself (and Others) | with Gretchen RubinUseful ResourcesDialectical Behavior TherapyJames Clear’s Atomic HabitsCharles Duhigg’s The Power of HabitGuest BioSteve Kamb is an author and full-time internet writer who has been publishing online since 2010. He is the founder of Nerd Fitness, an organization he launched as a hobby in 2009 that expanded into a global health and wellness community with millions of readers. Steve is a dedicated bookworm, gamer, and cinephile who explores behavior change and personal development through his weekly newsletter, Level Up With Steve Kamb. He is a TEDx speaker who has delivered presentations for major corporations and Vanderbilt University. His published work includes the book Level Up Your Life and his June 2026 release, How to Try Again.Steve’s Website | Nerd FitnessSteve’s Books: How To Try Again | Level Up Your LifeSteve’s Substack | Threads | Instagram | YoutubeShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis FritschPublished by: Vim PangantihonMusic by: Thomas Cepeda