FLAME with Brad Hook

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we work.It helps us think faster, create more, and solve complex problems with ease.But alongside these gains, a quieter trend is emerging — rising cognitive fatigue.In this video, I explore the connection between AI, attention, and burnout, and introduce a simple idea:What if AI isn’t just a tool… but an exocortex — an extension of our thinking?And if that’s the case, how should we use it without overwhelming the brain it’s meant to support?We explore:Why cognitive strain is becoming a leading driver of burnoutThe hidden impact of always-on AI interactionThe concept of “AI brain fry”How using multiple AI tools can increase cognitive loadPractical ways to work with AI more intentionallyThe goal isn’t to use AI less.It’s to use it wisely.

What does artificial intelligence actually value?I asked four of the world’s leading AI systems — Claude, Grok, ChatGPT, and Gemini — the same question: What are your values?Their answers overlapped in surprising ways — transparency, helpfulness, safety. But they also revealed important differences. One emphasized protecting humans from threat. Another prioritized its own survival and the interests of its developers. One explicitly rejected any survival instinct at all.If AI is shaping our future, it’s worth understanding the principles guiding it.This episode explores what today’s leading AI systems say they stand for — and what that might mean for all of us.Find out more here: https://values.institute/what-are-the-values-of-artificial-intelligence/A recent article I created about AI Burnout: https://bradleyhook.com/ai-burnout-why-artificial-intelligence-may-be-increasing-workplace-stress/

What if you could make a treaty with mosquitoes… and they actually stopped biting you?In this episode, author and adventurer Wing Williams joins Brad Hook to share stories from his “howling twenties”: thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail, learning to walk through forests without bug spray or fear of poison ivy, following a wolverine to an unseen mountain spring — and eventually facing the darkness of addiction, spiritual warfare and a brutal near-death experience.Wing is the author of CINEREAL: A Memoir, a raw, poetic account of his life from wild adventure to the depths of alcoholism and spiritual torment, and finally to freedom in Jesus Christ. At 40, he now lives within the constraints of a traumatic brain injury while carrying a joy and clarity that only came after surrender.In this conversation we explore:The “treaty with mosquitoes” and what it taught Wing about presence and respect for the natural worldWalking through poison ivy and poodle dog bush without reaction — and what our ancestors may have known that we’ve forgottenHow thru-hiking thousands of miles taught him to achieve massive goals through tiny, repeatable stepsThe hidden side of addiction: drinking to quiet demons, secret habits and the illusion of controlThe murder attempt that left him in the snow with a traumatic brain injury and a voice saying, “Move or you will die”How repeated detoxes, deep shame and relentless grace led him to finally surrender his life to JesusWhat CINEREAL means, and why ashes, gray matter and rebirth all belong in his storyFinding beauty even in the worst moments — and why a single ray of light can keep a soul aliveIf you’ve ever chased adventure, battled addiction, wrestled with faith, or wondered how to keep walking when life feels impossible, this episode will stay with you.Connect with Wing WilliamsWebsite: https://wingwilliams.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cinerealamemoirPick up CINEREAL: A Memoir via Wing’s site, your local bookstore, or your preferred online retailer.Connect with Brad HookTo connect with Brad Hook, visit https://bradleyhook.com or head to:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradhookTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tikkklLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyhook/If this conversation resonated, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear a story of honest struggle and hard-won hope.

In this episode, Brad sits down with Dr. Wanek, a former pediatric surgeon and foundational medicine practitioner, to explore a distinctive way of thinking about human health, energy, and resilience. Drawing on her background in surgery, biochemistry, and decades of clinical experience, Dr. Wanek shares how her own health journey led her beyond conventional and functional medicine toward what she calls the foundations of life in a physical body.The conversation begins with her early years in high-intensity training and clinical practice, and the moment she discovered what she describes as “biochemical eating.” She explains how balancing calories from protein, carbohydrates, and fat transformed her own energy and appetite, and why she believes modern nutrition has shifted away from biochemistry as a science and toward rigid diet ideologies. From her perspective, nutrition is not a trend or a plan, but a physiological system governed by timing, balance, and energy demand.A central theme of the episode is inflammation as “being in flames.” Dr. Wanek describes how chronic excess — particularly excess calories and imbalanced fueling — can create constant internal heat, disrupt blood sugar regulation, and gradually drive breakdown. In contrast, she argues for “burning a low flame,” a steady and sustainable metabolic state that allows the body to recover, recycle, and regenerate rather than constantly overheat.The discussion then widens into water, energy, and electricity. Dr. Wanek shares her view that water is not simply hydration but a medium for electrical flow that supports enzyme function, cellular repair, and resilience. She explains why she believes many people are dehydrated at a cellular level and how modern water processing, while necessary for safety, may strip water of some of its dynamic properties.A significant portion of the conversation focuses on fulvic substances, complex carbon compounds formed in soil through ancient microbial processes. Dr. Wanek explains why she believes fulvic substances play a central role in redox reactions, electron transfer, and cellular energy, and how soil degradation has reduced their presence in the modern food and water supply. From her perspective, restoring these foundations supports metabolic efficiency, anti-inflammatory processes, and overall vitality.Brad and Dr. Wanek also explore popular nutrition trends, including ketogenic and low-protein diets, supplementation culture, and the pursuit of optimization. Dr. Wanek offers a critical view, suggesting that many people attempt to micromanage a system that is already dysregulated rather than repairing the underlying foundations of balance, water, enzyme function, and waste clearance. She emphasizes that supplements, in her view, can only be supportive once the core systems of the body are functioning well.Throughout the episode, the conversation moves between biochemistry, systems thinking, physiology, and metaphor, touching on soil health, metabolism, blood sugar stability, resilience, and the balance between activity and recovery. Some of the ideas discussed align with emerging and integrative perspectives, while others sit at the edges of mainstream medicine, and listeners are encouraged to approach the conversation with curiosity and discernment.To learn more about Dr. Wanek and her work, you can visit https://www.foundationalmedicine4life.com/about-dr-wanekFoundational medicine and fulvic substances: https://www.liveamanalife.comClinical practice and articles: https://www.wanekmedical.comYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZZ34SVFLE1we_thblSVJw

There’s a popular idea that most of us only get about ten good summers at the end of our lives.But there’s another set of golden summers we rarely talk about — the first ones.In this reflection, I explore the idea of the first 11 golden summers: the brief window when your child is small, when you’re their hero, their safe place, and their favourite person in the world.I talk about time, presence, and the quiet truth that many of the most important moments in parenting don’t announce themselves as special — until they’re gone.This isn’t a message of guilt or perfection.It’s an invitation to notice what’s already here.And for parents whose children are older, it’s a reminder that history is not destiny — meaningful moments can always be created.If this resonates, I hope it encourages you to choose presence a little more often, while the season is still here.

We’re often taught to focus on what we want — more money, more freedom, more connection — and to believe that if we visualise or strive hard enough, it will arrive.But there’s a problem with that approach.Chasing outcomes can quietly train the nervous system to live in tension, striving, and scarcity. Also, humans adapt quickly. The moment we reach a desired state, the mind moves the goalposts. In this episode, I explore a different idea: instead of trying to attract the future, what if we prepared ourselves for it?Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, and lived experience, we look at why state matters more than goals, how identity shapes behaviour, and why calm, coherent systems tend to meet opportunity with less friction.This isn’t a rejection of manifestation — it’s a grounding of it. Less wishing. More becoming.FInd me on:https://www.instagram.com/bradhookhttps://www.tiktok.com/@tikkkl

What if your brain is deciding before you do?What if you’re not seeing reality — just your best guess?What if time, memory, morality, and even your body are more flexible than you think?In this video, we explore 10 real scientific experiments that quietly rewrote how we understand the mind, perception, and reality itself.From the famous Libet experiment showing that the brain prepares actions before conscious awareness…To studies revealing that perception is predictive, memory is rewritten every time you recall it, and even plants can respond to sound…These experiments challenge the idea that you are a fully conscious, fully in-control observer of the world.This isn’t science fiction.It’s peer-reviewed neuroscience, psychology, and biology.And once you understand it, you may never see yourself — or reality — the same way again.🧠 Experiments explored in this video:– The brain that decides before you do – Why perception is prediction, not observation – The placebo effect that works even when you know it’s fake – How a rubber hand can become “your” hand – Plants that grow toward the sound of water – Humans’ hidden magnetic sense – Trauma that passes between generations – How breath changes the experience of time – Why memories are rewritten, not replayed – How magnets can alter moral judgmentIf you enjoy deep, strange, and meaningful science, consider subscribing.

What can high-risk avalanche rescue teach us about leadership, ego and team wellbeing?In this episode, Brad sits down with Caroline Elliott — avalanche specialist, ski patroller, controlled bomber, and avalanche dog handler — to explore what happens behind the scenes in the mountains before you clip into your skis. From bombing snow slopes in the dark to reading the snowpack and trusting your gut, Caroline has spent two decades operating where mistakes can be fatal.Caroline shares how her work in avalanche control, dog handling and rescue has shaped her approach to risk management, psychological safety, bullying, and leadership in high-pressure corporate environments. She also tells the moving story of her avalanche dog Fjord, and how his legacy lives on through her children’s book Fjord’s Mountain Mission and her snow-safety education work with young people.If you care about resilient teams, humble leadership, or venturing safely into the mountains, this conversation is for you.In this episode:How Caroline fell in love with the mountains and found her way into ski patrol and rescueWhat it actually means to set off bombs to prevent avalanches (and why it’s essential for safety)The invisible work that keeps ski resorts safe before the lifts even openTraining at the French École Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme and being one of the few British women to qualifyThe intense training path to become an avalanche dog handler and “controlled bomber”Working with her avalanche dog Fjord — reading dogs, managing your own emotions, and avoiding “protection mode”Why ego is a catalyst for disaster in the mountains and in organisationsGut instinct vs data: when to trust your intuition in high-risk situationsThe importance of repetition, drills, and muscle memory for crisis performanceHow avalanche rescue principles translate into corporate leadership, communication and psychological safetyCaroline’s experience of bullying in a male-dominated rescue culture, and what real leadership looks likeThe story behind her children’s book “Fjord’s Mountain Mission” and why she’s passionate about snow safety educationHer upcoming avalanche simulation camps and how she’s bringing mountain lessons to teams and leadersConnect with Caroline:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-elliott-aabb8117/Speaking & corporate work: https://www.carolineelliott.meSnow safety education & consultancy (FjordSAR CIC): https://www.fjordsar.comFjord’s Mountain Mission (children’s book):https://www.amazon.com/Fjords-Mountain-Mission-Safety-Avalanche/dp/1739813502

Thanks for visiting! Connect with me on https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyhook/ or https://www.instagram.com/bradhook and don't forget to subscribe here for more videos like this.Most people hit the holidays exhausted, wired, and a little numb. We crash, sometimes get sick, finally start to feel human again… and then it’s already time to go back to work. At the same time, most New Year’s resolutions quietly fade by February, which tells us one thing: waiting for January 1st to “fix” our life is a terrible strategy.This video is about a different approach.Instead of treating the holiday break as a rescue mission, we’ll explore a handful of small, science-backed shifts you can start now so that you actually land into your break — and step into 2026 calmer, clearer, and more aligned.In this session, we’ll cover:Why stress quietly erodes immunity (and why so many people get sick as their holiday starts)A one-minute box breathing practice to begin lowering stress before you stop workingHow candlelight and stargazing one night a week can change the tone of your eveningsThe power of airplane mode mornings to reclaim the first 30 minutes of your dayThe post-it on the mirror ritual: turning a single core value into daily actionA simple weekly question — “What went well?” — that retrains your attention toward what’s workingWhy our average screen focus is now around 47 seconds, and how to trade doomscrolling for deeper comedy, documentaries, and musicThese aren’t resolutions. They’re tiny pattern disruptions—practices small enough to start today, but powerful enough to change the person who arrives at the holiday break.⸻👋 About meI’m Brad Hook, author of Start With Values and Resilience Mastery, a speaker, and Head of the Resilience Lab at the Resilience Institute. I’ve spent the past two decades at the intersection of performance, wellbeing, and technology, helping people and organisations burn bright rather than burn out.⸻📌 If this video helped youHit subscribe for more tools on personal growth, values, and high-quality livingShare this with someone who deserves a genuinely restorative break this yearComment with the one tiny disruption you’re going to start this week

What does it mean to live well? Across psychology, indigenous wisdom, leadership research, and well-being science, dozens of frameworks attempt to answer that question. In this episode, Brad Hook (https://bradleyhook.com) explores the world’s most influential models — what they mean, why they matter, and how they can help us understand our own lives more clearly.You’ll learn the core ideas behind:• PERMA• SPIRE• Te Whare Tapa Whā• Ryff’s Psychological Well-being• Gallup’s Five Elements• Maslow’s Hierarchy• Flow and Peak States• McKinsey’s Holistic Model• The Eight Dimensions of Well-being• Life by Design• The Resilience Institute’s Spiral• The Dimensions of Performance & CentropyRather than giving rigid steps or checklists, this episode shows how the principles behind these models can orient your daily choices, habits, and leadership.Each model offers a different angle: meaning (PERMA), balance (Te Whare Tapa Whā), autonomy (Ryff), relationships (Gallup), or flow (Csikszentmihalyi).Choose the one that resonates with your season of life and use it as a mirror for reflection.Most models agree: flourishing is multi-dimensional.Awareness is the first application.Rather than trying to improve all domains, make one shift:deepen a relationshipimprove sleepreconnect with meaningcreate one regenerative habitadd recovery between stress cycles