619 Experience Your Ultimate Potential with Rich Roll

Mar 26, 2018

Rich Roll, a vegan ultra-endurance athlete and best-selling author, shares his inspiring journey from addiction to wellness. He discusses the true meaning of success and happiness, emphasizing the importance of pursuing personal passions over societal expectations. Rich reflects on his transformative 100-day rehabilitation experience, the challenges of transitioning from a corporate job to an authentic life, and how endurance racing fosters both physical and spiritual growth. The conversation highlights resilience, storytelling, and the value of living authentically.

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ANECDOTE

Financial Collapse After The Book

After Finding Ultra published, Rich and his family faced years of financial instability including repossessed cars and near loss of their home.
He calls that period their “divine moment” that forced reassessment of values and priorities.

INSIGHT

Story Is About Self-Actualization

Finding Ultra's core theme is self-actualization, not athletics or performance metrics.
Rich uses his story as a metaphor for universal potential and aligning actions with inner truth.

INSIGHT

Hardship Reframes Masculinity

Financial hardship tested Rich's identity as provider and man, revealing how vulnerability and partnership sustained him.
His wife's conviction to 'the only way out is through' was pivotal to his persistence and growth.

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“My desire was to figure out a way to impact the most number of people in the most meaningful way possible.”
Success can have a very tricky definition. You can have the ideal job, make a decent salary, have that sports car you always wanted, and still not really be successful.
To truly be happy, the ultimate meter for success, you need to be doing things that fill you up.
Finding your passion in the world can be the difference between struggling to get out of bed in the morning and being excited to get the day started.
Sometimes you need to stop and ask if you’re really chasing the life you want or chasing something someone else wants of you.
This is a lesson that was hard learned by my latest guest, Rich Roll.
Rich Roll has been on my show twice before, and it was a pleasure having him back.
He battled with an alcohol addiction that ruined his life from the age of 17 to the age of 31, when he finally went to a treatment center. Most people only spend 28 days there. He ended up spending 100.
When he got out, he changed his life. He pursued a career most people would consider ideal and made a great living. The problem was, it wasn’t the life he wanted and it took a toll on him physically.
After having a brush with death in his late 30s, he began living his life for him. Since then, he’s become a successful athlete, motivational speaker, podcast host, and all around incredible human being.
You can hear all about his incredible journey and his plans for the future, on Episode 619.
Some Questions I Ask:
What are some challenges you’ve experienced since this book originally came out? (8:25)
What’s the biggest lesson your wife taught you? (13:58)
Do you think your 45 year old self would be proud of your 51 year old self? (16:56)
Do you think you’ll be doing your podcast for another 5 years? (18:56)
Do you think you’ll do a race again at 60? (27:50)
If someone is looking to improve their life, what one aspect is the most important to start with? (35:48)
Food does something to our physical makeup? (38:57)
Why did you stay in the treatment center for so long? (39:56)
How has your relationship evolved over the last 20 years? (48:00)
What’s the big lesson that you try to teach your kids?
What’s the biggest lessons you learned from your parents? (53:57)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
The biggest personal challenge for Rich the last 5 or 6 years (12:32)
How Rich sees his story different now than he did when he first wrote the book (15:13)
The thing Rich is most proud of over the last 7 years (18:13)
The viking endurance race Rich did last year (21:10)
Rich’s long battle with alcoholism (42:13)
The journey of Rich’s marriage (46:34)
How being a recovering addict taught Rich about being compassionate to others (49:36)
The biggest challenge of being a parent (52:52)
The biggest challenge Rich is facing right now (54:38)
Plus much, much more

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