Acta Non Verba

Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with bestselling author, high-performance coach, and podcast host Chad Hyams for a wide-ranging conversation about living with authenticity and taking massive action. Chad shares unforgettable stories from his time behind the scenes of the world's largest production show in Las Vegas, his TEDx experience, the philosophy behind his Question Ladder, and how a drunken bet in Cabo turned him into a marathoner. They explore love languages, physical totems of success, and why cooperation will always outperform competition.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
2:10: Chad recalls a dragon that forgot to breathe fire during the world's largest production show in Las Vegas.
7:17: Chad blanks on stage during his TEDx talk after making eye contact with his daughter in the audience.
25:30: Chad breaks down the Question Ladder and reveals which of the six question words is the most powerful.
34:50: A drunken bet in Cabo forces Chad to train for a marathon with zero running experience.
Chad Hyams is a bestselling author, high-performance coach, and host of the Win, Make, Give and Achieve Your Apex podcast. He is a dedicated husband, father, and cycling enthusiast who helps leaders kill the drift, master their routines, and take massive definitive action to reach their ultimate peak and fulfillment.
Chad is a TEDx speaker, a certified Spartan coach, and a former entertainment professional who worked behind the scenes on the world's largest production show in Las Vegas. He has authored two books: the children's book Ketchup Can't Hurt and the self-help business book Achieve Your Apex.
You can connect with him at chadhyams.com or by texting the word Chad to 59559.
Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.
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Marcus Aurelius Anderson breaks down the philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli, focusing on fortuna versus virtue, using excerpts from his upcoming book, Acta Non Verba: Transforming Adversity into Victory (out 10/13/2026). He explores how Machiavelli's concepts of luck and personal will apply to leadership, adversity, and resilience today, closing with reflective "Acta Non Verba" questions for listeners.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
1:31 – Marcus explains Machiavelli's core idea that fortuna (luck) and virtue (bravery, power, will) are the two forces that determine a prince's fate.
3:51 – A key quote from The Prince, Ch. 25: fortune controls only half of our actions; the rest is up to us.
5:54 – Machiavelli's warning that no principality is secure without its own army, since mercenaries can't be trusted in battle.
8:07 – Marcus reframes adversity as a gift from fortuna, meant to test princes (and us) on the path to greatness.
Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What could your mind do with just a few moments of silence? This week Robert Greene explores the liberation that comes from practicing enlightenment through silence, and how recognition of death tragedy help him manage adversity in his daily life. Listen in as we discuss why manipulation is part of our makeup, why recognizing our failings makes us better people, and how a near-encounter with death changed his perception of adversity.

Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, and The 50th Law. His highly anticipated fifth book, Mastery, examines the lives of great historical figures such as Charles Darwin, Mozart, Paul Graham and Henry Ford and distills the traits and universal ingredients that made them masters. In addition to having a strong following within the business world and a deep following in Washington, DC, Greene’s books are hailed by everyone from war historians to the biggest musicians in the industry (including Jay-Z and 50 Cent).

Greene attended U.C. Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

You can see a full collection of Greene’s work here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001IGV3IS/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=33a4f706-a8ef-4d25-8162-c1f038681070

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with Adam J. Johnson, a 13 year Army veteran, combat medic, drill sergeant, and discipline coach, for a raw conversation about identity, addiction, and discipline. Adam traces his path from a directionless ex athlete who gained weight up to 275 lbs, to a personal trainer struggling after the 2008 recession, to a 28 year old Army enlistee who became a decorated NCO and senior drill sergeant. He opens up candidly about years of secretly battling alcohol addiction while excelling professionally, the identity crisis that fueled it, and how he built consistent systems to finally break the cycle. The conversation covers his new book, Redefined: The Discipline, and its companion 90 day journal, both built around his five code RTD system for turning self-honesty into lasting discipline.
Episode Highlights:
3:29 — Adam recounts gaining 120 lbs after his football career ended, and the wake-up call that pushed him into fitness and nutrition.
15:04 — He shares his biggest life lesson in adversity: failing SFAS (Special Forces selection) after two years of dedicated training.
18:01 — A candid account of secretly battling alcoholism while performing as a squared-away platoon sergeant, living what he calls a double life.
34:57 — Adam explains the RTD system, showing how identity, consistency, and self-trust form the real foundation of discipline.
Adam J. Johnson spent over 13 years in the U.S. Army as a combat medic and drill sergeant, training thousands of soldiers to meet standards they didn't believe they could reach. A former college football hopeful and personal trainer, Adam overcame a personal battle with alcohol addiction to become a keynote speaker and discipline coach. He is the author of Redefined: The Discipline and creator of the RTD (Redefined: The Discipline) system, a five code framework built on identity, consistency, and self-trust. Adam offers keynote speaking, coaching, and free resources including a discipline reset guide and diagnostic tool at adamjjohnson.com.
Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marine veteran Akshay Nanavati joins Marcus Aurelius Anderson to discuss how he turned PTSD, addiction, and a suicide attempt into a life defined by extreme self-mastery. He survived 17 days in total darkness and dragged a 420-pound sled 500 miles solo across Antarctica, losing fingers to frostbite along the way. They discuss method acting as a tool for identity construction, the value of choosing your suffering on purpose, the "apex moment" that defines who you become, and why stillness may be the most important discipline of all.
Episode Highlights:
1:30 — Akshay describes surviving 100 days alone in polar regions and dragging a 420-pound sled 500 miles solo across Antarctica, calling it "the boldest Antarctic expedition of modern time."
15:08 — Every part of our identity is a construct rather than an inherent truth, which means we get to create ourselves instead of simply finding ourselves.
35:26 — Every worthy mission needs two whys: a selfish curiosity that drives you inward, and a duty to bring what you learn back to others.
40:39 — In his darkest moment dragging a stuck sled through Antarctic snow, a single quote turned his despair into what he calls his "apex moment," the instant of transcendence that defines who you become.
Akshay Nanavati is a Marine combat veteran who overcame PTSD, addiction, and a near-suicide to become one of the most extreme human-performance explorers alive today. He has run multiple ultra-marathons, spent 17 days in complete darkness, survived 100 days alone in polar regions, and completed a 500-mile, 60-day solo trek across Antarctica dragging a 420-pound sled. He combines lived experience with neuroscience, psychology, and spirituality in his book Fearvana, which was endorsed and forwarded by the Dalai Lama. He is an international keynote speaker and mental performance coach who helps leaders and teams break through limits and perform at their peak. His next book, The Work Is the Win, releases in spring 2026.
Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.