Intentional Wisdom

Phyllis Fagell wears many hats, including - licensed clinical professional counselor, certified professional school counselor, author and journalist. She is the author of two books:Middle School Matters – The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond – And how parents can help (2019) Middle School Superpowers – Raising Resilient Tweens in Turbulent Times (2023) In this conversation, Greg and Phyllis go deep on all the big issues that parents of middle schoolers stress about out: technology, puberty, relationships, and more. Check out the timestamps below: (6:31) – Managing the academic transition to middle school (10:52) – How to think about grades (14:44) – Managing procrastination (18:12) – When the teacher “doesn’t like” your kid (21:47) – Teaching kids to self-advocate (25:32) – The importance of keeping the conflict down at home (26:44) – Helping kids manage puberty and “the talk” (33:16) – Telling your kids about your own failures (34:55) – The pain of social relationships gone wrong (39:13) – How friend circles can and do change (43:10) – Helping kids develop empathy (44:56) – Technology and when to get a phone (maybe never?) (54:14) – Strategies for protecting kids’ mental health Make sure to follow Phyllis on:Twitter/X - @PfagellInstagram - @pfagell https://phyllisfagell.com/ Make sure to follow Greg on: Twitter/X - @gregorycampion Subscribe to his newsletter: gregcampion.substack.com Resources mentioned in the episode: Amaze.org – ways to talk to your kids about pubertyThis is So Awkward – Modern Puberty Explained (Natterson, Bennett)Boys & Sex, Girls & Sex (Ornstein)Growing up in Public (Heitner)Social Media Wellness (Homayoun)Cyberbullying.orgStress Busters Workbook (Hurley)The Emotional Lives of Teenagers (Damour)The Confidence Code for Girls (Kay, Shipman, Riley)How to Talk to Kids About Anything (Silverman)The Self-Driven Child (Stixrud, Johnson)The Addiction Innoculation (Lahey)  

Atomic Habits by James Clear is one of the most impactful books Greg has read in the last five years. But there's a problem. Most people who read self-improvement books retain little and put into practice even less. In this new "Explained" series, Greg dives deep into the best self-help books on the planet and helps to explain their key conclusions in terms you can not only understand but also implement in your own life. Make sure to subscribe to the Intentional Wisdom newsletter for a breakdown on this episode (and Greg's favorite quotes from the book): https://gregcampion.substack.com Episode Segments: (0:00) - Intro (01:28) - James Clear's backstory (07:31) - The story of British cycling and tiny improvements (13:12) - Forget about goals? (15:56) - 3 layers of behavior change: Outcomes, Process, Identity (20:28) - How I've 5x'd my own productivity with scheduling (23:13) - Why do we form habits? And are routines boring? (25:17) - 4 steps to a habit: Cue, Craving, Response, Reward (28:28) - Law 1 - Make it Obvious (30:42) - The power of time and location (33:31) - Habit-stacking and the Diderot Effect (36:02) - The massive impact of environment on our habits (40:13) - Why you can't rely on self-control (41:06) - Law 2 - Make it Attractive (45:27) - How our social environments shape us (53:33) - Law 3 - Make it Easy (and the idea of Motion vs. Action) (55:28) - The power of getting in reps (57:30) - Laziness, on-ramps and the two-minute rule (01:02:46) - Losing bad habits with commitment devices (01:06:39) - Law 4 - Make it Satisfying (01:09:18) - How to make habits IMMEDIATELY satisfying (01:12:52) - Habit-tracking, streaks & accountability partners (01:20:35) - The role your genes play in habit formation (01:24:59) - Improving habits with "the Goldilocks rule" (01:28:39) - Why identity needs to be pliable (01:30:23) - A nearly perfect Conclusion chapter? (01:34:52) - Wrap-up

Dr. Paddy Barrett, a Dublin-based cardiologist and thought leader on heart health, joins the podcast. They discuss topics such as understanding heart attacks, cholesterol metrics, and risk factors. They also touch on managing long-term health risks and the worth of the stress echo test in detecting coronary artery disease. The importance of assessing risk factors and health measurements is emphasized, along with the downside of certain tests.

Dr. Ashley Lucas, founder of PHD Weight Loss, discusses topics like defining metabolic health, measuring visceral fat, stabilizing blood sugar, CGM brands, developing meal plans, optimal protein intake, cow's vs. oat vs. almond milk, and the importance of supplements like omega-3, copper, magnesium, and vitamin D.

Host of Intentional Wisdom, Greg Campion, has just completed 365 days of not drinking. In this solo episode (a first!!), he tells you all about the up's and down's of his experience and provides tips for you if you're on a similar journey. Episode segments: (02:19) – Why Greg decided to quit drinking (09:57) – Why communicating your decision is an important step (11:57) – When your friends and family start making it EASIER to avoid alcohol (13:26) – Why Greg’s experience is NOT the same as someone who has struggled with addiction (17:00) – Weighing the costs and benefits of alcohol (20:25) – Non-alcoholic beverages & the placebo effect (23:30) – The growing social acceptance of N/A beverages (27:21) – No alcohol = better sleep (29:47) – No alcohol = better, more frequent workouts (33:02) – But don’t you want to “enjoy your life?” (37:40) – Done drinking forever? Here's the link to the Tim Ferriss / Rich Roll interview covering addiction that Greg mentioned in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54pVG0nhOUSLNe6k7azrmE?si=6VQzBSDjSqeWrPAQLvFpRw A word from our sponsor (and Greg): This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Company. My listeners and newsletter readers know I love Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic brews. I love the quality and the variety. And I love that you can have them delivered straight to your door from AthleticBrewing.com But did you know that Athletic is also a Certified B Corp donating up to $2 million annually to protect and restore outdoor spaces around the globe through their Two for the Trails program? Personally, I love that this is a company that gives back to the community. It’s a real reflection of the culture they’ve built there. And supporting hiking trails and maintaining outdoor spaces is a very cool cause that I feel great about supporting when I drink Athletic. Try Athletic Brewing Non-alcoholic Brews for yourself! Use code WISDOM to get 15% off your first order at athleticbrewing.com Near beer. Exclusions and conditions apply. Athletic Brewing Company. Fit For All Times. -- Don't forget to follow Greg on Twitter @gregorycampion and subscribe to his bi-weekly newsletter: https://gregcampion.substack.com Link to (very) raw transcript of this conversation: https://share.descript.com/view/C3JZ7pYvggA If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing Intentional Wisdom wherever you get your podcasts.

Nicolas Cole is one of the most prolific writers on the internet. He’s also an author who has written numerous books and an entrepreneur who has started and run several businesses including Ship30For30 – an online cohort-based educational business that has taught thousands of people to write online. The focus of this conversation is how and why you might want to consider building an audience online. 90+% of people online are in consumption mode only and potentially leaving a lot of opportunities on the table by not growing an audience themselves. In this conversation, Cole and Greg dive into the details of audience building, including: how to pick a topic to write about, how to find time to do it, what platforms to publish on and even how AI might help you do all of this. If you are someone who has a lot of ideas and value in your head but has never translated that into content for others to consume – this episode IS FOR YOU. Episode Segments: (05:07) - Are audiences STILL undervalued? (14:27) - How to make opportunity FIND YOU through content creation (18:00) - How Ryan Holiday followed the data to a successful niche (22:31) - How narrow to go with your niche (30:00) - The "For Who, So That" framework (38:22) - Creator audits & always listening for data points (40:25) - What platforms to publish on?!?!? (47:45) - The time and effort it takes to find your audience (52:31) - When and how to outsource content creation (59:56) - Why the impact of AI on writing is misunderstood (01:07:06) - One thing Cole has figured out in life Be sure to follow Cole on Twitter @nicolascole77 And check out his new book: The Art & Business of Ghostwriting This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Company. Try Athletic Brewing Non-alcoholic Brews for yourself! Click on the link below and use code WISDOM to get 15% off your first order at athleticbrewing.com. Near beer. Exclusions and conditions apply. Athletic Brewing Company. Fit For All Times. https://athleticbrewing.com/pages/media?utm_source=intentional%20wisdom&utm_medium=paidadv&utm_campaign=intentionalwisdom_podcast_hostread  Don't forget to follow Greg on Twitter @gregorycampion and subscribe to his bi-weekly newsletter:  https://gregcampion.substack.com  If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing Intentional Wisdom wherever you get your podcasts. (Very) rough transcript of this conversation: https://share.descript.com/view/xoQMnBFZn9o

Dr. Hal Hershfield is a Professor of Marketing, Behavioral Decision Making and Psychology at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. He focuses his research at the intersection of psychology and economics; and his work has been published in the NY Times, Harvard Business Review, and Wall Street Journal, among others. Dr. Hershfield is the author of a new book titled Your Future Self - How to Make Tomorrow Better Today, which he and Greg discuss in detail in this conversation. In the book, Dr. Hershfield explores deep questions on identity, like: Are we the same person throughout our entire lives? How can we connect more with our Future Self? And how might such an improved connection lead to improved behavior today when it comes to things like our fitness, nutrition and finances? Episode segments: (04:10) - Hal's fascination with connecting with our future selves (08:17) - Are we the same person for our entire lives? (12:15) - How Brazil's most notorious serial killer became a different person (17:27) - How one of your 5 key personal traits will change in the next 10 years (18:41) - Why the closeness you feel with your future self matters... A LOT! (25:05) - The "end of history" illusion or why you're not "fully baked" even though it feels that way (29:49) - Writing a letter to (and from) your future self (33:52) - Hollywood make-up artists and Hal's crazy experience "becoming" his future self (40:42) - How to use commitment devices to encourage behavioral change (47:52) - Better parenting by being more present (with the help of a "K-Safe") (54:22) - The irony of being too focused on the future and missing the present Link to (very) raw transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/51r2mYKG8om Be sure to follow Hal on Twitter @HalHershfield and Instagram @Hal.Hershfield - This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Company. My listeners and newsletter readers know I love Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic brews. I love the quality and the variety. And I love that you can have them delivered straight to your door from AthleticBrewing.com But did you know that Athletic is also a Certified B Corp donating up to $2 million annually to protect and restore outdoor spaces around the globe through their Two for the Trails program? Personally, I love that this is a company that gives back to the community. It’s a real reflection of the culture they’ve built there. And supporting hiking trails and maintaining outdoor spaces is a very cool cause that I feel great about supporting when I drink Athletic.  Try Athletic Brewing Non-alcoholic Brews for yourself! Click the link below and Use code WISDOM to get 15% off your first order at athleticbrewing.com Near beer. Exclusions and conditions apply. Athletic Brewing Company. Fit For All Times. - Don't forget to follow Greg on Twitter @gregorycampion and subscribe to his bi-weekly newsletter: https://gregcampion.substack.com  If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing Intentional Wisdom wherever you get your podcasts.

At first glance, Brooke LeBlanc is not exactly the typical persona you’d expect to see for someone calling themselves sober. She’s young, she’s successful – in fact she is the CEO of a start-up in the non-alcohol space (Edge)– and she’s incredibly active. But that’s kind of the point. Brooke has emerged as one of the leading voices in a new wave of sobriety. She has made the choice – as many others have - the forgo alcohol in her life, and that one healthy choice has had an incredibly positive impact - helping to drive success in other parts of her life – including in her professional, personal and even athletic pursuits. In this episode, Greg and Brooke discuss: (03:44) - Brooke's viral essay on sobriety (link below) (06:15) - Alcohol as a way to fit in (10:17) - The moment Brooke decided to quit alcohol (13:32) - Sobriety as an identity (18:12) - How people reacted to Brooke's sober identity (23:47) - Alcohol as a ritual in our lives (and how to manage that) (27:24) - The ever-growing list of substitutes for alcoholic beverages (30:17) - Lessons learned from 1000 days sober (35:17) - The incredible benefits from cutting out alcohol (personal, professional, athletic) (40:23) - Two device nerds compare notes (Whoop, Eight Sleep, Oura, etc.) (44:13) - Brooke's new business (Edge) combining sobriety, accountability & technology (46:55) - Exceptions to not drinking? (50:04) - One thing Brooke has figured out in life Be sure to follow Brooke on Twitter @brookeleblanc and Instagram @mbrookeleblanc Here's the mirror.xyz post the started it all for her: https://mirror.xyz/0x5D4f6a9f6a0dA05d317BC6a1D86B738d37AAC8b9/ZYQGheeBXQN4WbGx5HEt6XZKk_GC2w02hfaN5AJ1mgY Very rough transcript of this episode: https://share.descript.com/view/CMeeGKtXY77 This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Company. Try Athletic Brewing Non-alcoholic Brews for yourself! Click on the link below and use code WISDOM to get 15% off your first order at athleticbrewing.com. Near beer. Exclusions and conditions apply. Athletic Brewing Company. Fit For All Times. https://athleticbrewing.com/pages/media?utm_source=intentional%20wisdom&utm_medium=paidadv&utm_campaign=intentionalwisdom_podcast_hostread Don't forget to follow Greg on Twitter @gregorycampion and subscribe to his bi-weekly newsletter: https://gregcampion.substack.com If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing Intentional Wisdom wherever you get your podcasts.

John Wilson is the Club Ambassador for the Charleston Battery, a professional soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina. John’s story is a fascinating one – which started out in a small-town in South Carolina where he accidently found his way to soccer – not a particularly common sport among the black community in rural South Carolina at the time. From there he went on to do some pretty amazing things, including playing for the #1 college team in the country at the time – Clemson University - where he won an ACC championship – and later getting drafted into the MLS where played for multiple teams and won an MLS Cup before finding his way back to South Carolina where he’s become a staple in the community and specifically the soccer club for many years now. In the conversation, John and Greg cover everything from his background, to his views on youth sports, to lessons he’s learned dealing with injury, failure and even an identity crisis. Episode segments: (04:12) – Accidently finding his way into soccer (07:23) – Encountering racism in a traditionally white sport (16:16) – When work feels like play (aka How to become great at anything) (19:04) – From weakness to strength; how stuttering impacted John (24:46) – From dream to reality; how John found his way to Clemson (the #1 ranked team in the country at the time) (32:59) – Being a fish out of water in a new world (35:58) – Youth sports – focusing on fun and embracing failure (48:28) – “You’ve got a chance to make it as a pro.” (53:07) – Setbacks, setbacks and more setbacks (57:41) – Getting injured and thinking he was done (01:01:09) – The power (and danger) of identity (01:02:56) – Redemption, another shot, and embracing the Charleston Battery (01:11:22) – Life after John’s playing days For more on John, be sure to follow him on Instagram @JohnAWilson25 Link to (very raw) transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/ZsjvpwhmcVO Don't forget to follow Greg on Twitter @gregorycampion and subscribe to his bi-weekly newsletter: https://gregcampion.substack.com If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing Intentional Wisdom wherever you get your podcasts.

Matt Wilpers is one of the “OG” Peloton instructors. He’s known for his super-positive and supportive style on the Bike, Tread and Row, and his analytical approach to all things training. He is also a seasoned coach who runs his own very successful fitness coaching business, helping athletes of all types achieve their goals. In this conversation, Matt and Greg discuss Matt’s incredible journey to align his career with his passion for helping others—especially in the realm of health and fitness. They dive into tactics for stress management and Matt was kind enough to share some of the challenges he’s personally faced with mental health in the past, and the tactics he's used to address them head-on. They also get into the weeds on Power Zone training and Matt even designed up a training program for Greg on the fly. Full episode segments: (03:28) – What’s behind Matt’s positive coaching style (06:45) – An analytical approach to training, customized to the athlete (11:24) – Pivoting from Goldman Sachs to pre-med to Peloton (23:37) – How Matt & Peloton have changed over the last six years (34:52) – How Matt learned to deal with stress, anxiety & panic attacks (43:16) – Matt’s sleep routine (44:39) – Understanding Power Zone training and its benefits (51:45) – Comparing & contrasting Power Zone and Heart Rate Zone training (01:01:27) – Matt (kindly) designs up a training program for Greg on the fly (01:15:35) – Rapid fire on Matt’s personal routines (01:27:41) – One thing Matt has figured out in life Be sure to follow Matt on Instagram @mattwilpers and Twitter @mattwilpers and visit his website: mattwilpers.com Link to (very raw) transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/jnYVGHwCezk Don't forget to follow Greg on Twitter @gregorycampion and subscribe to his bi-weekly newsletter: https://gregcampion.substack.com If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing Intentional Wisdom wherever you get your podcasts.