Awaken Out Of Context

Robb Wolf is a co-founder of LMNT, a former research biochemist and the author of The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat. In this conversation, we talk about sodium, electrolytes and the questions that come up when you train hard while eating a low-carb diet. I ask him about my own experience with HYROX, the tension between feeling healthy and performing well, and how an ancestral approach to food fits the demands of modern sport. We also get into blood pressure, the paleo movement and how Robb eats today.

We then talk about building LMNT, why the company shares its electrolyte recipe, and Robb’s account of the maltodextrin controversy. From there, we get into online criticism, his changing views on fasting and what being fired from CrossFit’s nutrition-certification teaching role taught him about friendship and community. We finish with training, recovery, family and work, including how LMNT builds periods of rest into its schedule and why Robb thinks a few hours of focused work can be enough.

If this one's got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that.

The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x

Chapters:
00:00:00 Opening: LMNT and the sodium question
00:00:36 Robb’s current chapter and the growth of LMNT
00:04:25 POTS and Robb’s account of sodium’s role
00:06:36 Low-carb training and the origins of LMNT
00:11:13 Carbohydrates, heat and electrolyte needs
00:12:54 Sodium, retail pushback and who LMNT is for
00:17:09 Blood pressure, blood tests and individual context
00:22:38 Ancestral diets and modern athletic demands
00:27:37 What remains of the paleo movement
00:30:42 How Robb eats today
00:35:24 HYROX, low-carb diets and performance
00:43:17 The trade-off between health and competition
00:45:08 LMNT’s electrolyte ratio and DIY recipe
00:48:16 How LMNT became a business
00:53:11 Mid-roll
00:53:38 Robb’s account of the maltodextrin controversy
01:00:20 Transparency, criticism and online incentives
01:07:05 Why Robb changed his mind about fasting
01:13:45 Being fired by CrossFit and losing a community
01:17:51 Training, periodisation and recovery
01:21:52 Technique under fatigue
01:23:30 Work, health and family
01:29:56 LMNT’s work-and-recovery cycle
01:33:58 Deep work and judging output
01:36:49 Where to find Robb
01:37:32 Closing message

🎙️ MY STUFF

The Chapter System (the PDF):
https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x

All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com

Robb Wolf:
Substack: https://robbwolf.substack.com/
Website and books: https://robbwolf.com/
LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/
The Healthy Rebellion: https://join.thehealthyrebellion.com/

Mentioned in this episode:
LMNT’s DIY electrolyte recipe:
https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/best-homemade-electrolyte-drink-for-dehydration
LMNT’s Toxicology in Context series, including links to the other articles:
https://science.drinklmnt.com/did-you-know/toxins-vs-toxicology-why-dose-matters

Haydn Botts is an entrepreneur and the founder of Pattern Systems, where he builds AI systems and automations for businesses. In this conversation, we start with resilience and the three years of setbacks that forced him to rethink how he does business. From there we get into the danger of relying on one client, the difference between closing a sale and delivering real value, and why he would now rather lose a deal than sell something he doesn’t believe will help. We also talk about client relationships, recurring revenue and the effect that churn can have on a team.

We also explore ambition, family and what financial freedom would actually make possible. Haydn talks about wanting to travel with his children, experience different cultures and build a life that keeps his family together. The conversation moves through home ownership, status, caring for ageing relatives and the tension between working towards freedom and spending all your time working.

We also get into protecting company culture, choosing the right clients and giving your team a clear framework for making decisions.

If this one's got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that.
The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x
Chapters:
00:00:00 Trailer
00:01:04 Resilience and rebuilding after setbacks
00:04:05 Learning to put client value first
00:06:36 The risk of relying on one client
00:11:12 Sales, trust and knowing when to say no
00:13:47 Perceived value, status and honest selling
00:18:43 A decision-making framework for your team
00:21:06 Client churn and company culture
00:25:50 Choosing the right clients and protecting culture
00:28:08 Family, travel and a different version of success
00:33:28 Family, ageing and the cost of being busy
00:36:55 Questioning the dream of home ownership
00:40:10 Buying back time and the pull of work
00:42:01 Work as an escape and the plan to move abroad
00:44:23 Where to find Haydn
🎙️ MY STUFF
The Chapter System (the PDF):
https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x
All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com
Haydn:
Pattern Systems: https://patternsystems.ai
Socials: @hxydnbotts

Joshua Knobe is a Yale professor and experimental philosopher whose research explores identity, morality, human behaviour and the way we decide what makes someone their “true self.” In this conversation, we start with a deceptively simple question: what makes you, you? From there we get into why we see the “good” parts of people as more real, how relationships and first impressions shape identity, and how much of who we are changes depending on the people and situations around us.

We also explore alcohol and personality, the different versions of ourselves we present online and in person, whether authenticity is even possible, and why social media can distort the way we understand ourselves and other people. Joshua also talks about morality, spirituality, art, emotional expression and the strange point where documenting your life starts to become a performance.

If this one's got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that.
The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x

If you like this type of episode, you'll probably like any of the following: https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLGUpYukY0ZPc/videos

Chapters:

00:00:00 Preview
00:01:29 What Makes You, You?
00:03:11 Why We Think the “Good” Part Is the Real You
00:07:56 Why We Believe There’s Good Deep Down
00:11:38 The Different Versions of You
00:15:44 Why Your Best Work Feels Like the Real You
00:18:05 Alcohol and the “Real” You
00:23:33 Attachment, Shame and Self-Perception
00:29:31 Are You More Real In Person Than Online?
00:34:11 Why Men Communicate Differently
00:40:32 Religion, Spirituality and the True Self
00:41:34 Why Do We Like Sad Art?
00:48:46 When Pain Becomes Art
00:53:43 Travel, Distance and How We See Other Lives
00:56:55 Why Art Stops Being About the Artist
01:02:12 When Does Footage Become Art?
01:03:53 Can You Ever Be Authentic on Camera?

🎙️ MY STUFF
The Chapter System (the PDF):
https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x
All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com
Joshua Knobe:

Website:
https://campuspress.yale.edu/joshuaknobe/

Yale:
https://philosophy.yale.edu/profile/joshua-knobe

Experimental Philosophy:
https://experimental-philosophy.yale.edu/

Maurice Schweitzer is a Wharton professor whose research explores trust, deception, negotiation, decision-making and the way we manage how other people see us. In this conversation, we start with a deceptively simple question: what makes you, you? From there we get into how culture and travel shape identity, whether AI can deceive us, why humans lie, and the strange line between dishonesty and kindness.

We also explore the downside of goal setting, why ambitious targets can sometimes encourage unethical behaviour, and how easy it is to lose sight of the bigger goal while chasing the one directly in front of us. Maurice also talks about impression management, authenticity, prosocial lies, the cost of bad feedback, and his latest work on how the metaphors we use can shape the way we understand the world.

If this one's got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that.
The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x

Chapters:

00:00 What makes you, you?
02:51 How travel and culture change who we are
06:37 AI, context and what makes us human
11:30 Can AI be deceptive?
15:44 Why do humans lie?
20:22 British small talk and socially acceptable deception
22:50 Prosocial lies: when kindness and honesty collide
25:33 The hidden cost of polite dishonesty
30:58 Surprise parties, proposals and “good” deception
35:25 Can goals make us unethical?
41:26 Goal hierarchy, values and knowing when to stop
43:46 Work, travel and competing priorities
46:07 Impression management and authenticity
49:33 How metaphors shape the way we think

🎙️ MY STUFF
The Chapter System (the PDF):
https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x
All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com
Maurice Schweitzer:
Wharton: https://oid.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/schweitz/
X: https://twitter.com/me_schweitzer
Friend & Foe: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/205841/friend-and-foe-by-adam-galinsky-and-maurice-schweitzer/

If you’re going through a period of high stress and you can’t just take time off, this episode is about how to create genuine pockets of peace anyway. I’ve been experimenting with some ridiculously simple ways of switching off properly after work, and somehow I’ve ended up having some of the most peaceful moments I’ve experienced in years.

A lot of it comes down to removing stimulation; shutting the laptop, turning the phone off and basically doing nothing for a bit. That’s also led to some pretty strange moments of presence, including feeling weirdly connected to a dog and walking through the sea thinking the waves felt almost alive. It’s not about learning to tolerate an unsustainable life; it’s about finding peace while you’re working your way through a difficult chapter.

If this one's got you thinking about what chapter you're in right now, I built something for exactly that.
The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x

If you like this type of episode, you'll probably like any of the following: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09omZ7V629URAvyHG0KxIH_

Chapters:

00:00 Can stress and peace exist at the same time?
01:30 Making the most of limited downtime
02:54 “But you live in paradise”
03:31 Knowing when to stop working
04:45 The simplest way I’ve found to switch off
08:47 Getting your phone out of the equation
11:25 Replacing your phone with a journal
12:38 When ordinary life starts feeling vivid
13:48 “I felt like a dog”
15:55 When the ocean felt alive
17:56 Extreme work needs extreme rest
18:48 Don’t use this to tolerate an unsustainable life
19:26 Eustress, “dick stress” and losing the plot
20:00 Stress doesn’t have to disappear to feel peace

🎙️ MY STUFF
The Chapter System (the PDF):
https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x
All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com