Two Percent with Michael Easter

#46: How to Learn Faster and Remember More | Jim Kwik

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with Jim Kwik, brain coach and author of the new book Limitless Daily, about how to learn faster, remember more, and use AI to get smarter instead of dumber. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open
(01:30) Jim's early learning struggles
(05:32) The question that changed Jim's approach to learning
(17:30) Problems with school systems and tech use
(23:00) Using AI to get smarter, not dumber with the BUILD framework
(29:56) Memory, boredom, and why you need room to think
(32:44) Improving reading speed and comprehension
(41:03) Choosing what is worth learning
(47:51) Daily practice and morning habits
(52:32) Rapid fire: brain supplements and cognitive performance
(57:49) Books and Limitless Daily

Get Jim's book, Limitless Daily: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761666/limitless-daily-by-jim-kwik/

Find Jim: https://jimkwik.com

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Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

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#45: Inside the North Tower on 9/11 | Chief Joseph Pfeifer

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with FDNY Chief Joseph Pfeifer, who led the first fire units into the North Tower on 9/11 and later gave the order to evacuate the towers. Chief Pfeifer later served as the FDNY Chief of Counterterrorism and Emergency preparedness, is a Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and wrote Ordinary Heroes, which examines what 9/11 taught him about crisis leadership, resilience, and the ordinary acts of heroism. They discuss:

(00:00) Introduction
(02:36) Racing to the North Tower
(09:20) Seeing His Brother in the Lobby
(12:10) The Second Plane Hits
(14:40) The South Tower Falls and the Evacuation Order
(19:20) Surviving the North Tower Collapse
(23:19) What Makes an Ordinary Hero
(32:54) Three Principles for Crisis Leadership
(36:57) Four Stages of Resilience
(46:48) The Threats Communities Face Next

This episode includes detailed discussion of the September 11 attacks, death, and trauma.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

#44: How to Recover From Trauma and Come Back Stronger | Elizabeth Smart

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael sits down with Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted at 14, survived nine months of captivity, and spent the decades after building her own path to recovery. She is the Founder of the Elizabeth Smart foundation and host of The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart, a true-crime podcast where she speaks with survivors of violent crimes about healing. Michael and Elizabeth discuss:

(00:00) Cold open
(07:28) The Science of Downward Comparison That Helped Her Survive
(12:23) The Emotional Whiplash of Being Found
(16:13) The First Time She Felt Safe
(19:18) Why Traditional Therapy Did Not Fit
(21:54) Refusing to Pretend It Never Happened
(28:04) Reclaiming Her Body Through Bodybuilding
(39:30) Sharing a Hidden Part of Her Life
(44:22) Putting Survivors at the Center
(47:03) Finding Reasons to Keep Going

This episode includes detailed discussion of child abduction, sexual violence, and trauma.

Read How To Be More Resilient: https://www.twopct.com/p/how-to-be-more-resilient

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:
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#43: Avoiding Anxiety Makes it Stronger & Relationship Rules | Dr. John Delony

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with Dr. John Delony, host of The Dr. John Delony Show and author of Building a Non-Anxious Life. They discuss:

00:00 Preview
00:54 Mental Health and Relationship Lessons from Thousands of Callers
09:09 Why The Problem People Describe is Never the Real Problem
12:45 What People Are Really Calling About
25:51 Lessons from a Homicide Detective
28:28 Why Punk Rock Teaches Stewardship
32:09 What Dave Ramsey Taught John
37:43 The Most Common Marriage Problems
50:21 Building a Non-Anxious Life
56:32 Why Doing Hard Things Helps

This episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts and addiction.

Read The 6 Rules of a Tougher Mindset: https://www.twopct.com/p/the-6-rules-of-a-tougher-mindset

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Joey Fischground. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:
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#42: A Trial Lawyer’s Rules for Hard Conversations | Jefferson Fisher

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael sits down with trial lawyer Jefferson Fisher, author of The Next Conversation, on why hard conversations are some of the most uncomfortable things we do and how to handle them with strength. They discuss:

00:00 Preview
01:41 The hardest conversation he's ever had
05:30 What to do before having a hard conversation
14:57 Don't win the argument, understand it
17:02 Let your breath be the first word
24:16 Stop over-apologizing
26:31 Five second rule of silence
31:02 Why brevity wins: say it in three sentences
44:50 Boundaries: lead with the no
51:24 When someone's grieving, just do the thing
54:05 Rapid fire: no is a complete sentence

Read Do Hard Things: https://www.twopct.com/p/do-hard-things

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:
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#41: Should You Take Peptides? A Doctor’s Evidence-Based Answer | Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with physician and competitive powerlifter Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum about what peptides are, why they suddenly seem to promise everything, and what the human evidence actually shows.

They discuss:

0:00 Preview
0:45 Michael FaceTimes Foster Kamer about peptides
8:28 What is a peptide?
13:00 BPC-157 and the evidence problem
19:40 Why pain relief doesn't prove peptides work
24:19 Promising peptides and unknown risks
35:29 Where people buy peptides
39:15 The FDA's peptide debate
43:38 Why peptides are suddenly everywhere
49:16 Would Dr. Feigenbaum prescribe peptides?

Read The 5 Supplements I Take: https://www.twopct.com/p/the-5-supplements-i-take

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:
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#40: A Navy SEAL’s Case for Being Humble and Obsessed | Eric Frohardt

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with Eric Frohardt about his twelve years on SEAL Team 6 as a sniper and assaulter—and what you can learn from it. They discuss:

0:00 Preview
0:39 How to stay calm under pressure
6:09 How farm work built resilience
9:17 The bet that started a SEAL career
17:02 How adults can train courage
19:45 Watching 9/11 from Guam
22:20 From the SEAL Teams to DEVGRU
26:13 Why preparation cannot guarantee the outcome
30:56 Rebuilding after losing your identity
43:21 Why adversity is a gift

Read Misogi Guide: Updated: https://www.twopct.com/p/misogi-guide-updated

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:
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#39: A Harvard Psychologist on Mindset and Not Following the Rules | Ellen Langer

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with Ellen Langer, the first woman tenured in Harvard’s psychology department and author of The Mindful Body, about how our thoughts and expectations shape aging, health, and performance. They discuss:
0:00 Preview
0:45 The experiment that changed how we see aging
4:29 How beliefs change the body
10:52 Placebo, nocebo, and imagined exercise
12:16 Mindfulness without meditation
17:31 Why certainty makes us mindless
24:44 How context changes physical performance
33:21 How rules and labels shape health
43:15 Why chronic does not mean constant
51:14 A better way to make hard decisions

Read The Brain Glitch That Makes Modern Life Feel Miserable: https://www.twopct.com/p/why-your-mind-is-hardwired-to-find

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:
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https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

#38: How to Use AI, Kill Complacency, Think About Health, and More | Tyler Cowen

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with economist Tyler Cowen, author of The Complacent Class, about how AI is changing our lives and what still matters for health, happiness, and ambition. They discuss:

0:00 Preview
0:48 Should we panic about the future?
6:04 How AI makes you smarter or stupider
7:36 Mental health, antidepressants, and young men
16:26 Why America stopped taking risks
19:33 The case for free-range kids
21:47 What hard travel teaches about happiness
28:45 Why exercise is a great investment
36:29 Why initiative now beats intelligence
45:05 What Tyler Cowen will never hand off to AI

Tyler Cowen is a professor of economics at George Mason University, the economist behind MarginalRevolution.com, and the author of nearly 20 books, including The Complacent Class. He also hosts Conversations with Tyler.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Joey Fischground. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:
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#37: How to Make Modern Work Less Miserable and What AI is Doing to the Workday | Cal Newport

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with Cal Newport, a Georgetown computer scientist and author of Deep Work and Slow Productivity, about why modern work rewards busyness over valuable work and how to reclaim your focus. They discuss:

0:00 Preview
0:42 Why modern work keeps us stressed
3:23 How busyness replaced real productivity
11:41 Why email and meetings destroy focus
24:58 Do fewer things, finish them faster
30:23 The three rules of Slow Productivity
44:15 Productivity myths from Austen to Kerouac
52:25 How Cal Newport schedules his work
55:24 How to say no without burning a bridge
1:09:15 How to use AI without weakening your thinking

Go deeper: https://www.twopct.com/p/the-real-reason-your-job-is-draining

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:
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#36: Lessons From The Most Dangerous Job: Hotshot Firefighting | River Selby

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with River Selby, author of Hotshot: A Life on Fire, about what seven years as a wildland firefighter taught them about grit, belonging, and why landscapes need fire. They discuss:

0:00 Preview
0:44 Becoming a hotshot firefighter
5:27 Proving they belonged on the crew
6:09 Why a hard childhood made a hard job easier
8:55 What 48-hour wildfire shifts are like
15:46 What fighting wildfires feels like
17:51 Why landscapes need fire
19:51 How fire suppression made wildfires worse
23:48 Leaving the fire crew
24:32 River Selby's life after firefighting

This episode includes discussion of childhood abuse, addiction, and suicide.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:
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#35: Why Meat Eaters Belong in the Animal Welfare Movement | Dan Shannon, Humane League CEO

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with Dan Shannon, who runs The Humane League and has been vegan for almost 30 years, about why meat eaters belong in the animal welfare movement and what actually improves animals’ lives. They discuss:

0:00 Preview
0:51 Why meat eaters belong in animal welfare
4:26 What life inside a battery cage is like
13:03 Why personal guilt is the wrong strategy
15:49 How animal welfare campaigns change corporations
18:33 How to eat fewer animal products
25:38 Which food labels actually mean something
29:36 Why cage-free eggs cost more
36:19 What 30 years of veganism taught Dan Shannon
38:22 How consumers can pressure companies

Read Protein Myths Part II: https://www.twopct.com/p/protein-myths-part-ii

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI: https://www.twopct.com

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:
https://substack.com/@michaeleaster

#34: Why Our Medical System is Broken and How to Take Back Your Health | Dr. Lucy McBride

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Michael speaks with Dr. Lucy McBride, a Harvard-trained physician and author of Beyond the Prescription, about why modern medicine overlooks the whole patient and how to become the CEO of your own health. They discuss:

0:00 Preview
0:52 Why patients feel dismissed
5:13 Why healthcare focuses on damage control
10:23 Why Dr. McBride left the system
15:58 The question she asks every patient
20:09 Where medicine ends and wellness begins
26:44 How to become the CEO of your health
38:46 What AI can and cannot do in the exam room
44:39 How to prepare for a doctor's appointment
48:19 Prenuvo scans, blood tests, and CGMs

Read The Comfort Crisis in the Doctor’s Office: https://www.twopct.com/p/the-comfort-crisis-in-the-doctors

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI: https://www.twopct.com

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:
https://substack.com/@michaeleaster

#33: Are the Blue Zones Longevity Hotspots Fake? | Dr. Saul Newman

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 08:10:00 -0000

The Blue Zones built an empire on one promise: copy how the world's oldest people live, and you can join them past 100. Saul Newman, a demographer at the University of Oxford, went looking for those long-lived people in the records. Most of them were not there.

Michael sits down with Newman, author of Morbid: Debunking Modern Longevity Science, to walk through what he found. When Japan audited its citizens listed as over 100, 82 percent were already dead: more than 230,000 people alive only on paper, including Tokyo's oldest man, dead in his room for 30 years while the family collected his pension. Greece's audit caught centenarians drawing pensions from the graveyard. And America's Blue Zone, Loma Linda, was picked after a magazine editor asked its founder to find one; by his own admission, it came from a freeway turnoff on the drive to Las Vegas.

Newman explains why age records break down exactly where longevity legends grow, how bad centenarian data quietly sets your pension and insurance rates, why Silicon Valley keeps buying immortality pitches as old as the first emperor of China, and what actually works if you want a longer, healthier life.

Learn more at twopct.com

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:
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https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/
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00:00 Cold open
01:24 Where the Blue Zones began
03:00 A magazine article becomes an empire
04:22 The nine behaviors
07:59 Two bad papers drag Saul in
10:04 Why errors explode with age
11:28 Japan audits its centenarians
12:39 Dead 30 years, still on the pension
15:44 Greece checks the graveyard
17:03 Loma Linda, found on a freeway exit
19:02 Costa Rica's paid discovery
20:59 The uncomfortable longevity answer
23:34 Hate mail and the Kremlin
26:46 The Blue Zones founder pushes back
28:17 What bad data costs your pension
30:39 The UN's garbage numbers
32:42 The world's oldest man problem
35:34 Silicon Valley's longevity grift
39:28 The odds double every eight years
42:22 What actually works
45:30 Kick the charlatans out
48:21 Making peace with 80 years
50:22 Outro

#32: Art is the Missing Pillar of Your Health | Daisy Fancourt & Jesse Albrecht

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:10:00 -0000

Most people can name four pillars of health: diet, exercise, sleep, and stress. Daisy Fancourt, the researcher behind a 146-page World Health Organization report on art and health and the author of Art Cure, argues there is a fifth: the arts. The evidence she lays out is striking. Regular arts engagement is linked to about half the risk of developing depression over ten years, slower biological aging as measured by epigenetic clocks (how fast your cells are aging), and a longer time free from dementia through what researchers call cognitive reserve (the brain's buffer against decline). In studies of surgery patients, recorded music reduced anxiety more effectively than anti-anxiety medication. And yet only 1 in 20 American adults did any art yesterday, compared to 57% who ate vegetables.

Then ceramic artist Jesse Albrecht tests the thesis from the inside. An Army medic in Mosul in the early Iraq War, he came home to a reintegration briefing that amounted to one VHS tape, spent years making dark, angry work about war, and learned the hard way that, in his words, we become what we focus on. A 2020 inpatient PTSD program at a Montana VA hospital turned his life and his work toward recovery and beauty. The episode closes with where to begin, and both guests agree on the answer: you start by starting.

*This episode contains descriptions of war violence and trauma and may not be suitable for children.

00:00 Cold open

00:41 Who is Daisy Fancourt?

02:01 Art is 40,000 years old, maybe older than language

03:34 The WHO report on art and health

05:54 The physical benefits: singing, dance, frailty

07:59 Reading and crafts slow biological aging

08:52 Art as the fifth pillar of health

10:57 Make it or consume it?

12:12 Kids, teens, and granny hobbies

16:35 Art in hospitals: music against medication

19:45 The HIV quilt and singing for lung health

21:34 Cognitive reserve and delaying dementia

22:57 Music and sleep

26:56 Only 1 in 20 adults did any art yesterday

29:34 What counts as art

31:35 The one pound to eleven pounds return

36:22 Who is Jesse Albrecht?

38:33 Mosul: this is bananas

43:59 Coming home to a VHS tape

46:03 Finding other veterans in the art world

50:43 Disillusionment and the dark decade

53:57 Two months at the VA: the 2020 turn

58:02 Is art healing? Jesse pushes back

61:57 How to start: start by starting

64:30 His one big quote about art

66:40 Outro

#31: The Science of Muscle and Protein | Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Most of us assume America's biggest health problem is obesity. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, a physician for 20 years and the founder of Muscle-Centric Medicine, argues we have spent 50 years fighting the wrong problem. We are not over fat, we are under-muscled, and obesity is a symptom of unhealthy skeletal muscle.

Michael pushes on where the argument is strongest and where it might miss. They get into whether you can have too much muscle, and why she believes GLP-1s could trade the obesity epidemic for a sarcopenia epidemic (too little muscle). They also cover the new dietary guidelines for protein, why your first meal of the day matters most, and the visceral "why" that keeps her Navy SEAL husband working 100-hour weeks. Her whole prescription fits in one sentence: lift hard, prioritize your protein, and get your mind right.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Cold open
00:01:36 - Not overweight, under-muscled
00:05:37 - How much muscle do you actually need?
00:10:39 - What end-of-life care taught her about muscle
00:15:12 - Never too late: building muscle after 60
00:19:47 - How often should you strength train?
00:19:56 - Get your mind right: friction and finding your real why
00:27:51 - The new protein rules and your first meal
00:36:17 - The protein-ification problem (and carb tolerance)
00:39:53 - Her professional take on GLP-1s
00:45:12 - The 30-second prescription

#30: Life Lessons From the World’s Most Dangerous Places | Robert Young Pelton

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Robert Young Pelton spent his early career as an advertising executive with 50 employees, a Rolls Royce, and a half acre on the ocean. At 40, he walked away from it to become a journalist and report from the world's most dangerous places. In the 30 years since, a Liberian rebel has put a bullet two inches from his ear, a Colombian death squad held him at gunpoint for ten days, and he’s arranged secret dinners between American generals and Taliban leaders. His method has never changed: show up, sit down, ask about their kids, and understand why people do what they do.

This conversation is packed with some of his wildest stories and lessons for a life well travelled. Robert shares why traveling is statistically safer than staying home. He also shares how the State Department uses their travel warnings for political reasons, rather than assessing how safe a region actually is. Plus, the rule he lives by at 70, happy and married for almost 50 years: the clock is ticking, so don't be afraid to reinvent yourself.

*This episode is not suitable for children as it contains descriptions of violence.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Intro (cold open)
00:01:55 - Who is Robert Young Pelton?
00:03:09 - The closest he ever came to death
00:04:45 - From living in a car at 16 to the Inc 500
00:07:30 - Why he left it all in his 40s
00:10:53 - Setting up interviews with the Taliban
00:12:36 - How to read people
00:14:50 - Working with Steve Jobs
00:16:21 - Context is everything in war
00:18:36 - Coming home from war zones
00:20:14 - Are government travel warnings accurate?
00:21:59 - What actually kills travelers
00:24:59 - The most dangerous country on Earth
00:28:06 - Trust your spidey senses
00:29:31 - How to talk to anyone
00:31:33 - The FBI and a lost passport
00:34:15 - Kidnapped in Colombia
00:42:58 - The decompression window
00:45:46 - Why take the risk at all?
00:49:54 - What he packs: cash, gifts, and a dummy phone
00:54:20 - Where you should actually go
00:57:06 - Do not wait to reinvent yourself
00:58:18 - Outro

#29: Summitting Everest and a Case for Adventure | Dr. John Kedrowski

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Most people will never even think about climbing Mount Everest. Dr. Jon Kedrowski has been on seven Everest expeditions and reached the summit four times. Along the way he survived the 2015 earthquake that killed 20 people in front of him at base camp, a storm that killed seven climbers on the night of his first summit push, and a lightning strike that destroyed his tent on a Colorado peak while he slept on the summit.

Jon sat down with Michael to explain his Everest Ready philosophy: build a body and a mindset that could take on the hardest thing imaginable at any moment. When you put yourself into hard challenges again and again, suddenly the everyday small stuff stops rattling you.
They get into how he decides when to walk away from a mountain (including a deadly K2 winter expedition), why traffic jams have become Everest's real danger, and why a first ascent of an untouched peak felt better than reaching the top of the world.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:
00:00 Cold open
01:52 "Because it's there" is BS
02:51 The first ascent that beat Everest
04:46 Stop putting off your own projects
08:19 Seven expeditions, four summits
10:18 The Everest Ready mindset
13:39 Walks that make people open up
15:19 Patience and character on expeditions
17:59 Making 3,100 hard miles fun
21:31 Every Colorado 14er by 18
25:00 FKTs and the outdoor pissing contest
28:47 The earthquake that changed everything
30:53 Seven died on his first summit push
34:35 Walking away from K2
40:30 Why K2 is harder than Everest
42:45 Navigation is good for your brain
46:05 Lightning struck his tent
48:25 A meteorologist on Everest
50:46 Is Everest getting safer or deadlier?
53:09 Traffic jams in the death zone
57:18 Train mountains with mountains
58:53 The ideal mountaineer's build
01:00:56 Expedition eating
01:04:46 Always say yes

#28: What High-Stakes Poker Tells Us About Making Better Decisions | Maria Konnikova

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Maria Konnikova earned a PhD in psychology at Columbia studying human decision-making. She then took her research into the most unforgiving laboratory there is: the poker table. From playing her first hand of poker in 2017, to training under the legendary Erik Seidel, and becoming a poker champion, Maria sits down with Michael the day before playing in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, to share the secrets to making winning decisions.

They break down why the best hand wins only 12% of the time and what that means for skill and luck in your own life. Maria explains the illusion of control, winner's tilt, and how to actually read tells (watch the hands, not the face). She also covers why a 1% edge matters more than you think, how to avoid the risk of ruin, and when to walk away from a bad investment, a bad job, or a bad friendship.

Maria is the author of “The Biggest Bluff: How I learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win.” Her other books include The Confidence Game and Mastermind.

She also writes The Leap, a weekly Substack about decision making.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

#27: The Best No B.S. Self-Improvement Books | Alex Wieckowski (Alex & Books)

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Summer is peak reading season, so it only made sense for Michael, author of “The Comfort Crisis” & “Scarcity Brain,” to sit down with Alex Wieckowski of Alex & Books, the man who has read two books a week for the past decade. Together they build a list of some of their favorite books, including one hidden gem from Tolstoy, “A Calendar of Wisdom.” Alex tells the true survival story that made complaining impossible for him. He also reveals the classic novel that scared him into cleaning up his habits.

Then they play overrated or underrated with the biggest self-improvement books ever written: Atomic Habits, Man's Search for Meaning, 12 Rules for Life, The 4-Hour Workweek and more. Alex then reveals the skill that helps him remember every book he reads, turning its lessons into actions. They also get into lifting weights with Alex Hormozi, the trap of "next book syndrome," and whether AI will ever replace real writing.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:

00:00 Cold Open

00:50 Welcome to Two Percent + Meet Alex (Alex & Books)

01:32 How to Pick Your Next Book

02:08 Hidden-Gem Self-Improvement Books (Tolstoy & The Power of Myth)

05:56 The Forgotten Highlander: The Wildest True Survival Story

08:26 Why Evolution Kept Anxiety & Depression

10:47 The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Novel That Fixes Habits

13:35 East of Eden & Having Agency

14:39 Pure-Entertainment Picks (Disappointing Affirmations & A Confederacy of Dunces)

18:42 Overrated or Underrated: Atomic Habits, Man's Search for Meaning & More

24:52 The Cult Question: The Elephant in the Brain & The True Believer

28:11 Books for Athletes: Mindset & Zen Shooting

31:18 How to Actually Remember What You Read

34:28 A Day With Alex Hormozi (and Getting Called Weak)

36:49 What Self-Improvement Gets Wrong: "Next Book Syndrome"

39:52 The Comfort Crisis Lessons Alex Uses Daily

40:54 Will AI Replace Books?

42:23 Wrap-Up

#26: Sports That Protect Your Brain From Dementia | Dr. Tommy Wood

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:34:00 -0000

It turns out that tennis might be one of the best things you can do to protect your brain from dementia as you age. For this episode of Two Percent, Michael Easter sits down with neuroscientist Dr. Tommy Wood, author of The Stimulated Mind, to explain why sports that make you think while you move are amazing for your brain. The list includes tennis, pickleball, martial arts, and even strongman competitions.

They get into why the world's most physically active elders in an Amazonian tribe have some of the lowest dementia rates ever measured. They also cover what "open-skill" sports actually do to your brain on an MRI scan, and how modern exercise got so boring the moment we split the body from the mind. Then Michael opens the mailbag for an AMA. He shares how to stay fit while traveling and names the single best exercise if you could only pick one. Finally, he settles a debate that has haunted him since college: what is the actual difference between a sport and a game?

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro: could a sport protect your brain?
01:24 - Michael's high-school tennis career
02:40 - Dr. Tommy Wood on movement and the brain
04:57 - What "open-skill" sports actually are
06:37 - How we invented exercise and made it boring
08:52 - Hunter-gatherer elders and the world's lowest dementia rates
11:54 - Tommy's own sport (strongman) and the social factor
13:59 - The first-ever Two Percent AMA begins
14:18 - AMA: staying fit while traveling
16:40 - AMA: the one exercise you'd do forever
19:09 - AMA: the revamped Two Percent shop
20:30 - AMA: how often to train your VO2 max
23:30 - AMA: if humans evolved to run, why the injuries?
28:00 - Dept. of Ridiculous Questions: sport vs. game
29:27 - Outro

#25: Why Numbers, Scores, and Metrics Make Life Worse | Thi Nguyen

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Ever feel like you're winning at life on paper, hitting your steps, your salary goals, your sleep score, and somehow still feel worse? This episode explains why.

Host Michael Easter sits down with the thinker who's lived rent-free in his head for five years: C. Thi Nguyen, a philosophy professor at the University of Utah and author of The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game.

They dig into a phenomenon Nguyen calls "value capture." The moment you start chasing a number, the metric quietly takes over the goal you actually cared about. He walks through vivid examples like how his weight tracker made him eat worse, and why a friend quit rock climbing because it lowered his step count. From there, they zoom out to how this applies to playing video and board games, and how you can in fact use metrics and 'games' to make your life happier, so long as you don't get obsessed. They also discuss longevity culture, and the single question a student wrote on her phone that pulled her out of five years of depression: “Is this the game you really want to be playing?”

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Joey Fischground. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:

00:00 — Cold open

00:38 — The thinker who lives rent-free in Michael's head

02:24 — The weight-loss story that started it all

05:08 — How calorie tracking made him eat worse

08:41 — What "value capture" actually means

09:32 — The friend who quit rock climbing over his step count

11:31 — Grades: why the best students get B's

17:03 — Learning outcomes & how institutions warp us

19:19 — Why chasing a salary backfires

20:02 — It's not the apps — it's a 1,000-year-old story

22:36 — Why modern wine got worse (Robert Parker)

25:18 — The clothes that fall apart in two months

27:43 — Why numbers capture us: portability vs. sensitivity

30:33 — Scores as "clarity devices"

33:10 — What a game actually is

35:50 — The marathon & the cab

38:03 — Goal vs. purpose: the magic circle

41:41 — Striving vs. achievement play

48:35 — Why your sleep score is lying to you

54:39 — We've all become "pickup artists"

56:00 — Doctors, education policy & Men's Health

58:41 — Seeing Like a State: the forest that collapsed

1:00:32 — What this says about longevity culture

1:03:24 — The man whose resolution was to drink more

1:04:53 — Why joy doesn't need a medical justification

1:07:38 — So what do you actually do about it?

1:09:26 — "Is this the game you really want to be playing?"

1:12:07 — Hobbes: whoever defines success rules you

1:13:40 — Why conspiracy theories feel so good

1:16:07 — Three board games everyone should play

#24: Why Our Brains Lie About How Bad Things Are (and How to Stop It) | Cara Lai & Roy Baumeister

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000

If you turn on the news right now, you'll be hit with a sea of negativity, and it can convince you the world is falling apart. It isn't. Host Michael Easter sits down with two guests to explain why our minds are literally built to outweigh the bad, and how you can bias yourself back toward the positive.

First, meditation teacher Cara Lai offers a tip to instantly disarm anxiety: ask yourself "what if what's happening right now is exactly what's supposed to be happening?" She also shares what a year alone in the woods battling Lyme disease taught her about suffering. Then Roy Baumeister, one of the most cited psychologists alive and author of the landmark paper "Bad Is Stronger Than Good." joins to discuss the negativity bias. Why does one critique drown out a sea of compliments? Why do bad days carry over while good days don't? He explains the 5-to-1 ratio of positive experiences to negative experiences that predicts whether a relationship lasts, plus the evolutionary reason we're wired this way. And finally, the Boston Marathon study that will change how you watch the news for good.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:

00:00 — Cold open

00:47 — Why your mind is built to focus on the negative

02:55 — Kara Lai: "What if this is exactly what's supposed to happen?"

08:19 — The bubonic plague & the limits of our perspective

10:40 — Why letting go of control gives you real agency

13:38 — Catastrophizing the small stuff (the supermarket meltdown)

18:34 — "The worst thing that ever happened became the best"

20:28 — A year alone in the woods: Lyme disease & surrender

27:10 — Why the hardest moments are the most transformative

33:53 — What's really underneath your anger

37:37 — From an Adult Swim cartoon to meditation

42:05 — Barefoot running, polar plunges & "healthy addictions"

51:06 — How to actually start meditating

54:08 — Roy Baumeister: "Bad Is Stronger Than Good"

56:56 — Loss aversion & why one bad trait sinks an impression

59:25 — Why bad days carry over and good days don't

1:00:34 — Only 6% think the world is improving

1:01:07 — "If it bleeds, it leads"

1:02:30 — How one bad thing ruins a perfect night

1:03:34 — The Gottman 5-to-1 ratio

1:05:22 — Why one criticism drowns a sea of compliments

1:06:28 — "Don't read the comments"

1:09:28 — Why we evolved this way: "Life has to win every day"

1:12:15 — Las Vegas, gambling & losses disguised as wins

1:15:46 — What to do when life feels relentlessly bad

1:18:14 — The Boston Marathon study that changes everything

#23: Daily Habits to Keep Your Brain Sharp as You Age | Dr. Tommy Wood

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Cognitive decline as you age is not inevitable — but whether you keep your edge depends almost entirely on what you do right now. Host Michael Easter sits down with Dr. Tommy Wood, a neuroscientist and performance consultant who works with Formula 1 teams. His book, The Stimulated Mind, changed how Michael thinks about staying mentally sharp.

They get into why sleep may be the most important factor in preventing cognitive decline, why retirement may be the most dangerous thing you can do to your brain, and the science behind "super agers" who keep their 50s brains into their 80s. Then they confront the question of A.I.: is it quietly making us dumber? They also cover the surprising exercise that beats the gym for your mind: dancing. And finally, they explain why you should be willing to suck when trying new things.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:

00:00 — Cold open

00:45 — Why Michael had to read this book

02:06 — Lab science vs. the real world

04:05 — What F1 driving teaches about performance

06:50 — The one thing: you get stronger when you sleep

09:34 — The traffic-light system for busy seasons

12:48 — Cognitive decline isn't inevitable

13:14 — Super agers & the Seattle Longitudinal Study

16:26 — Michael's mom & the retirement trap

17:36 — Why retirement is the worst idea for your brain

20:52 — Information overload & the brain

21:33 — The Google effect

24:50 — AI: cognitive orthotic or prosthetic?

27:36 — How AI dropped one class's average from 80 to 60

30:43 — Why writing it down beats voice memos

31:50 — Dancing: the best exercise for your brain

34:41 — The activities your brain is wired for

36:08 — Nutrition, supplements & brain health

38:44 — B vitamins + omega-3: what actually works

41:20 — How much should you eat?

42:33 — The off-road Ironman & not quitting

45:42 — Neuroplasticity, explained

46:39 — Your brain is a prediction machine

48:47 — Be willing to suck

49:32 — Wrap

#22: Why Sports Fandom is Good for Us | Leander Schaerlaeckens & Dr. Daniel Wann

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Every four years, Americans suddenly remember soccer exists. The World Cup is here and it may be the single biggest sporting event in human history: 48 teams, 104 games over 39 days, and a final that draws north of a billion viewers.

Host Michael Easter sits down with two guests to make the case. First, soccer writer Leander Schaerlaeckens, author of The Long Game, on why this World Cup is bigger than ever. He also shares his take on if the USMNT can actually make a deep run, the players you need to know, and why America took so long to get good at the world's game. Then psychologist Dr. Daniel Wann, who has studied sports fans for 40 years, explains why caring about sports is one of the most underrated things you can do for your mental health.

The World Cup and fandom might be exactly what a lonely, divided country (and world) needs right now.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:
00:00 — Cold open
01:39 — Why 2026 is the biggest World Cup ever
03:55 — The case for Team USA
06:49 — Team USA's real odds (and avoiding Argentina)
07:44 — Why America took so long to get good at soccer
10:36 — The players you need to know
14:38 — Pay-to-play & Ricardo Pepi's backstory
16:34 — How to fix U.S. soccer (Texas vs. Spain)
19:24 — Which U.S. athletes would've been great at soccer
21:09 — Who to root for ("bench Ronaldo")
25:21 — From 1950 dishwashers to 2026: how programs rebuild
27:09 — Prediction: who wins it all
28:09 — Dr. Daniel Wann: the psychology of fandom
33:34 — The four psychological needs fandom meets
38:41 — "Watch football while I eat ice cream"
42:09 — Do the connections have to be in person?
45:08 — Why sport is unlike any other fandom
47:42 — Collective effervescence & the Miracle on Ice
51:37 — Why sports are the great unifier
53:50 — Are stadiums secretly public health?
1:00:17 — Can you overdo it?
1:02:07 — How to become a fan
1:04:35 — Wrap

#21: Why Health Became the New Religion | Alan Levinovitz

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Why do people lose their minds over seed oils, raw milk, carnivore diets, and long Covid? Alan Levinovitz isn't a doctor or a health journalist — he's a religion scholar. And from that vantage point he noticed something you can't un-see: the way most of us think about health functions exactly like a religion, complete with ideas of purity, contamination, salvation, and tribes that turn on you the moment you question the doctrine.

Michael Easter sits down with Alan to unpack his explosive WIRED piece on long Covid and the vicious backlash it triggered. They get into why so many of our fiercest health arguments aren't really about data at all — they're about identity. Alan shares more points to illustrate his thesis, like the “guru” who mailed strangers his own feces to prove a health theory, and how the term "natural" in wellness circles became a stand-in for "holy."

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:

00:00 — Cold open

00:52 — Why we think about health like a religion

02:11 — The WIRED long-Covid piece and the backlash

03:57 — $2 billion, five years, and still no biomarker

09:07 — "Natural" is just a secular word for "holy"

10:31 — Why people really choose natural childbirth

14:44 — The man who mailed his poop (and RFK Jr.'s shirtless pushups)

16:27 — How to weigh evidence vs. personal experience

19:56 — Why one study means almost nothing

23:28 — Why people get so vehement about health

31:28 — A hunter-gatherer village gets electric light

35:02 — "A lot of caves with a lot of trolls in them"

42:14 — Fear, danger, and why CPS takes long-Covid kids

46:59 — How debilitating long Covid actually is

51:53 — The "web of belief": why raw milk leads to anti-vax

1:12:18 — 20 people "overdose" by touching nothing

1:15:50 — We called them lazy. Then came Ozempic.

#20: Why the Steroid Olympics Flopped and the Truth About Peptides | Chris Gayomali & Sam Eagan

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000

What if you juiced a roster of athletes to the gills with performance-enhancing drugs and let them compete for a million-dollar prize? That's the Enhanced Games — the billionaire-backed "Steroid Olympics" held in Las Vegas — and the results were not what investors expected.

Michael Easter sits down with journalists Chris Gayomali and Sam Eagan, hosts of the Superhuman podcast, who were embedded with the founders, athletes, and scientists during the games. Despite being hyped as the future of human performance, almost no world records actually fell. In many cases, non-enhanced athletes beat the juiced ones. Within about a day, it became clear the event was really a marketing engine for selling testosterone and peptides to the public, and a glimpse of how we're increasingly being sold a frictionless, "enhanced" version of ourselves, all with the swipe of a credit card.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Joey Fischground. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Intro

00:04:29 - What the Enhanced Games actually are (the "steroid Olympics")

00:07:00 - "It took me a full day to realize this is an ad"

00:08:00 - The real business model: Hims with a WWE marketing layer

00:13:13 - Peter Thiel, transhumanism, and how it started

00:16:17 - The "44% of Olympians dope" stat — and the cherry-pick

00:18:28 - Doped so much he got slower in the water

00:21:04 - Inside the "wellness Coachella" in the desert

00:23:48 - The money: $250K to win, $1M for a world record

00:28:03 - The event: almost no records, and the clean athletes won

00:31:16 - The banned super suit and the Barry Bonds problem

00:36:04 - The IOC's own-goal: "I don't believe in paying athletes"

00:38:07 - The stock crashes 75% — and the spin that followed

00:40:08 - What they actually sell you (peptides, testosterone, NAD+)

00:41:49 - Why the "study" proves almost nothing

00:51:00 - Is removing life's friction making us weaker?

01:00:06 - "$250 shoes are the testosterone for your feet"

#19: The Science of Rapid Weight Loss | Tyler Minton

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000

UFC fighters routinely lose 10 to 20 pounds in the 5 days before a weigh-in — then put it all back on in the 24 hours before stepping into the Octagon. It is one of the most extreme metabolic feats in sports, and almost no one talks about what it actually teaches us about everyday fat loss.

In this episode, Michael Easter sits down with Tyler Minton, the nutritionist behind some of the UFC's top fighters and current advisor to Naval Special Warfare. Tyler nearly died from his own weight cut years ago preparing for a fight, which sent him on a long quest for knowledge to rebuild how elite combat athletes prepare. He breaks down the exact protocol fighters follow and why the old "eat less, run more" model destroyed careers. Finally, they discuss the science behind UFC weight cutting and what it reveals about crash diets, GLP-1s, and why most diets cause rebound weight gain.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:00 - "I Nearly Died" — The Weight Cut That Started Everything

00:03:22 - How Tyler Got Into Fighting and Stumbled Into Nutrition

00:07:15 - "Eat Less, Run More" — The Old-School Playbook

00:11:50 - What 10% Over Really Means on Fight Week

00:13:30 - Where the Lost Weight Actually Comes From (Mostly Water)

00:17:12 - The Full 5-Day Cut Protocol — Fiber, Sodium, Fat, Water Loading

00:24:05 - How Much Weight Fighters Lose in One Sauna Session

00:27:04 - The Female Fighter Calendar: Cutting Around a Menstrual Cycle

00:29:46 - Refeed: Electrolytes, Ice Cream, and Projectile Vomit Warnings

00:35:28 - Why Crash Diets Cause Rebound Weight Gain

00:37:35 - The GLP-1 Rant: Why Most People Are Using Them Wrong

00:41:56 - Calories, Macros, Quality — The 3 Rules of Weight Loss

00:46:42 - The Aesthetics / Performance / Health Triangle

00:52:32 - 70% of Americans Overweight, 70% of Food Ultra-Processed

00:53:24 - What Max Holloway's 170 lb Camp Looks Like

00:56:10 - UFC 250 White House Lawn Picks: Gaethje, Pereira, O'Malley

#18: How to Recover When Life Punches You in the Face | Meisha Tate

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Miesha Tate became UFC women's bantamweight champion by choking out Holly Holm in the fifth round at the MGM Grand. Two weeks after the highest moment of her life, she realized the title hadn't fixed anything. The next loss almost ended her. She packed her dog into a Kia, drove up the coast, and rebuilt herself layer by layer. She came back to fighting on her own terms, synced to her hormonal cycle for the first time in 15 years, and called the comeback the best fight of her life.

In this episode, Michael Easter sits down with Miesha and they go deep on what she learned walking onto an all-boys high school wrestling team. They unpack her first MMA fight where she fell in love with fighting, despite a broken nose. Then they get into why winning a world title left her contemplating suicide. They explore what Gabor Maté's books changed for her. And they name the single biggest mistake she made for 15 years of her career: training from a male model of fighting instead of from a women’s biological reality, hormonal cycle and all.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:

00:00 — Cold open: ready to die, prepared as a man, hit in the face

02:33 — The choke-Robby joke

03:00 — Why she joined the all-boys wrestling team at 14

06:40 — Redefining what a "win" looks like

11:00 — How she found MMA in a college dorm hallway

14:35 — Her first MMA fight: three weeks of prep, 50 bucks, broken nose

19:25 — The blood pool on the mat: "I'm going to kick her ass"

21:24 — Her corner threw in the towel

23:30 — The walkout: "It's almost like a possession"

27:00 — When the toxic relationship started drowning the focus

29:30 — The lie she told herself: "The title will fix everything"

32:00 — The Holly Holm fight, round by round

36:30 — "She was punching the air because she was dreaming"

37:10 — Two weeks. The title didn't fix anything.

38:00 — Amanda Nunes, Hashimoto's, and a horrible weight cut

40:35 — Why getting punched is how some fighters wake up

42:49 — Failure as a teacher: how the brain actually learns

46:12 — Parenting two fighter kids: the coin at the bottom of the pool

51:30 — The best fight of her career, the first one she prepared for as a woman

53:00 — Why training to a male hormone model wrecks female athletes

58:00 — Amenorrhea and the year-long recovery

1:02:00 — 80% of autoimmune disease is in women. Why.

1:04:13 — Advice to men: shut up and do more in the luteal phase

1:06:22 — Packing the car and driving up the coast after retirement

1:08:24 — "I was honestly contemplating taking my own life."

1:09:30 — Gabor Maté, eczema gone, the healing layer by layer

1:12:00 — The decision to come back as a fighter (and as a woman)

1:14:30 — Her message to women: do the hard thing

1:16:35 — Justin Gaethje at Freedom 250

#17: The Power of the Heat and Sauna | Ashley Paulson & Bill Gifford

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:29:00 -0000

When it gets hot, most of us hide indoors with the AC cranked, the workouts moved inside, and the thermostat parked at 72°F all summer long. But humans evolved in the heat, and the new science says we can still use it to get stronger, healthier, and (maybe most surprisingly) happier. In this episode, Michael Easter sits down with two of the best people in the world on the subject of heat.

Ashley Paulson, the Badwater 135 course record holder (a 135 mile race through Death Valley), finished in 21 hours and 44 minutes, beating the old record by 2.5 hours. She shares what 120°F at 11 p.m. actually feels like and the mindset that lets her thrive in it.

Then Bill Gifford, author of Hot Wired: How the Hidden Power of Heat Makes Us Stronger, talks about how your body adapts in 4 to 5 sessions of sauna treatment. Michael closes with a hydration playbook and the 1960s WHO research that nailed the perfect summer drink.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:
00:00 — Cold open: 11 p.m., 120°F, and the 40% depression stat
00:54 — Welcome to 2% and what this episode is
02:28 — Ashley Paulson and the Badwater 135
04:41 — Starting a 135 mile race at 11 p.m. in 120°F
05:13 — Breaking the course record by 2.5 hours
06:34 — What running in 120°F actually feels like
07:24 — How to heat-train (and why she trained in the sauna)
11:11 — The all-liquid fuel plan (ketones, protein, 70 to 90g carbs an hour)
13:36 — The pants confession
16:31 — Cheating accusations and the camera that proved her record
24:26 — Heat training advice for the rest of us
28:50 — 100 miles on a treadmill in 12:47
33:11 — Why you have to be willing to suck before you get great
36:30 — Rapid fire: Alpha Flys, punk rock, and an ice table for dinner
39:30 — Bill Gifford and *Hot Wired*
40:25 — The Blister Boys in Tampere, Finland
43:51 — The Las Vegas garage gym (and how heat adaptation works)
47:25 — The 4 to 5 sessions that change your physiology
48:44 — Hydration, thirst, and the 19 hour desert march study
51:50 — The sauna study that cut depression by 40%
54:01 — Dry sauna versus hot tub: there is no difference
55:13 — The runner who used his car as a sauna
56:32 — Why ice baths are mostly a fad
59:17 — Stop drinking Gatorade Zero this summer

#16: Thinking Patterns of CEOs, Tech Founders, and the Top 0.01% | Dr. Julie Gurner

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Dr. Julie Gurner has a two-year waiting list. The Wall Street Journal calls her the real-life Wendy Rhoades (the psychologist from the show Billions). Though her clients are CEOs, founders, billionaires, and elite operators, she actually started her career inside a supermax prison. In this episode, Michael Easter sits down with Dr. Julie Gurner to unpack what actually separates the top 0.01% from everyone else: audacity, what-if-it-goes-right thinking, and using anger as fuel. She also explains why "be humble" might be the worst career advice you have ever received.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

— CHAPTERS —

00:00:00 - Cold open & intro

00:01:47 - From Supermax Prison to billionaires: Julie's origin

00:08:49 - Audacity, imaginary rules, the side path

00:11:10 - What if it goes right?

00:14:11 - The repetitive reflex

00:19:06 - Haunting agitation: the whisper that becomes a scream

00:25:18 - Why money does buy happiness

00:27:57 - Survival mode and the J.K. Rowling story

00:30:59 - Helping people get out of their own way

00:33:28 - In defense of billionaires

00:35:49 - Stoicism's blind spot: anger as fuel

00:38:14 - Bezos got laughed at for wanting to go to space

00:40:13 - Losing a dog, loving fleeting things

00:42:57 - Why "be humble" is bad advice

00:45:36 - Reframe, lean into your quirky self

00:50:12 - Farmhouse in Amish country: the cognitive break

00:52:42 - The moment that unlocked Julie's range of vision

00:56:28 - The whole game is exposure

00:57:18 - Five years from now

#15: Dr. Andy Galpin Made Me His Lab Rat During an 850-Mile Hike | Dr. Andy Galpin

Thu, 28 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000

A year ago, Michael Easter walked 850 miles across southern Utah in 45 days — about a marathon every day. Dr. Andy Galpin turned him into a lab rat, studying his body before, during, and after his 45 days in the desert. What he found surprised both of them.

In this episode, Michael sits down with Dr. Andy Galpin — the world’s top performance scientist and co-founder of Absolute Rest. He is the guy MVPs, Cy Young winners, and Hall of Famers call when something isn't working. They go deep on what 850 miles in 45 days actually does to a human body, what wearables get right and where they fail, and the 5-pillar exercise protocol that makes a body ready for anything.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Joey Fischground. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Cold open

00:02:13 - Why Andy turned Michael into a lab rat

00:04:44 - What blood, urine, saliva, and stool tell you about a body

00:07:30 - The results: red blood cells up, metabolism down

00:12:10 - The testosterone crash: 750 to 650, free test cut in half

00:16:12 - Why hormones didn't recover even 45 days later

00:19:30 - The 80/20 of elite performance

00:25:15 - What wearables are actually good for

00:32:25 - Pro athletes vs. you

00:35:30 - The sleep apnea crisis nobody is talking about

00:40:50 - The didgeridoo study and the $20 device that fixes apnea

00:44:00 - The anti-Achilles exercise protocol

00:48:30 - The toughest athletes Andy has ever worked with

00:50:55 - Where to find more from Dr. Andy Galpin

#14: The Psychology of Adventure | Jay Carson & Sinhue Xavier

Tue, 26 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Adventure has been engineered out of modern life, and we're paying for it in ways we don't even realize. In this episode of Two Percent, Michael Easter sits down with two guests who have decentered optimization.

First up: Jay Carson, a former Clinton communications director and Hollywood writer (House of Cards, The Morning Show). Jay signed up for a 14-day Boulder Outdoor Survival School course in the Utah desert after a Covid power outage made him realize he had no idea how to take care of himself. He's now an instructor at the school. He shares what happened when his house burned down in the January 2025 LA fires, and why the BOSS course is the reason he survived the hardest year of his life.

Then: Sinhue Xavier an ex-North Face ski mountaineer mentored by Conrad Anker and Alex Lowe who recently sold his house to travel the American West out of a truck. He explains why the best journeys aren't on Instagram, why "the most efficient route" is almost always the wrong one, and how to find real adventure in your own backyard.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

#13: How a Hollywood Legend Got Fit at 60 | Brian Koppelman

Thu, 21 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000

What does it take to get genuinely strong, healthy, and creatively alive in your late 50s — while having one of the most demanding jobs in Hollywood?

Brian Koppelman is the writer behind Rounders, Ocean’s 13, and the seven-season hit show Billions. He also helped discover and promote the singer songwriter Tracy Chapman. At 57, he walked off a tennis court mid-match, certain he was about to faint, and decided to completely rebuild his body. Three years later he’s deadlifting 300 pounds, racing up seven flights of stairs with a weighted pack, and producing some of the sharpest creative work of his career.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Chapters:
00:00 Cold Open
02:39 Turning 60 and Racing Up 7 Flights With a Pack
05:50 Tufts, Tracy Chapman, and Trusting Yourself Over Experts
10:45 Poker, Harvard Kids, and Reading the Room
15:55 Rounders Rejection and How to Be Wrong On Purpose
20:05 Tribalism, the Turkish Get-Up, and Good-Faith Arguments
25:44 Ocean’s 13, a 5% Shot, and How to Prepare Like You Mean It
31:51 Writer’s Block, The Artist’s Way, and Beating Resistance
38:00 ADHD, Adderall, and the Morality of Medication
43:30 Screenwriter Overhears: Curiosity as a Creative System
46:42 Billions, Hedge Funds, and Studying Worlds You Don’t Belong To
50:46 The Polygamist Hitchhike and Finding Common Ground
53:05 TM Meditation with Bob Roth
57:12 The Tennis Court Crisis Point
1:02:18 The Doctor Visit, GLP-1, and Committing to Lift Weights
1:06:43 From 65 lb Deadlifts to 300 lbs at 60
1:09:46 Comfort Crisis, the Hailstorm Bike Ride, and Readiness
1:13:29 Reaching Out, Generosity, and the Long Game
1:16:50 Lightning Round
1:20:31 Outro

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

#12: How to Eat Healthy Without Going Broke | Dr. Nick Norwitz & George Kamel

Tue, 19 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000

What happens when you eat 8 cans of sardines everyday for 30 days? For one doctor, his omega-3 levels hit numbers usually only seen in dolphins, his body fat dropped below 7%, and a smell he couldn't shake put a strain on his relationship.

Host Michael Easter sits down with Dr. Nick Norwitz (Oxford PhD, Harvard MD) to break down the science of the sardine diet. Then, George Kamel (Ramsey Network, author of Breaking Free from Broke) explains how he went from $40K in debt eating only Lean Cuisines to a paid-off mortgage in his early 30s, as well as the best grocery store to shop at in 2026 for healthy food on a budget. Spoiler Alert: it’s Costco, and it’s 21% cheaper than Walmart and 40% cheaper than Whole Foods.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:

https://substack.com/@michaeleaster

https://instagram.com/michael_easter/

https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/

https://facebook.com/easter.michael

https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

https://x.com/Michael_Easter

Chapters:

00:00:00 — Cold open

00:01:18 — Intro: Two of America's most overlooked foods (and stores)

00:03:00 — Nick Norwitz on the 1,000-sardine month

00:09:00 — The two surprises: the smell and the cold resistance

00:16:00 — Dolphin-level omega-3s

00:21:00 — Sardines as a food: nutrition, mercury, BPA, supplements vs. real fish

00:38:00 — Practical takeaways and the 3-foods desert island answer

00:43:00 — George Kamel on the Costco crown (21.4% cheaper than Walmart)

00:48:00 — Inside the Costco brain: Kirkland, returns, scarcity scavenger hunt

00:59:00 — How Costco actually makes money

01:03:00 — George's $40K-to-millionaire arc on Lean Cuisines

01:12:00 — Rapid-fire: tipping, credit cards, BNPL

01:19:30 — Why Costco is a metaphor for a free life

#11: Why Most Habit Change Fails (And How to Get Good at Feeling Bad) | Ryan Soave

Thu, 14 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Sobriety isn't just "not drinking"—it's learning how to live without needing relief on demand. In this episode, Michael Easter sits down with therapist Ryan Soave (18+ years sober) for a sweeping conversation on why addiction often acts like a solution to deeper pain, how fear and shame quietly run the show, and what it takes to break the compulsion loop for good.

They dig into habit change that actually sticks, how to rebuild identity and community, and practical ways to regulate your nervous system so you don't have to numb yourself.

Ryan Soave is a licensed mental health counselor, transformational coach, and person in long-term recovery. He has spent nearly twenty years and over ten thousand clinical hours working with people navigating trauma, addiction, and the survival patterns that quietly run their lives. His approach brings together modern neuroscience, body-based therapies, and ancient wisdom traditions, all built around one idea: most of us confuse discomfort with threat and spend our lives reacting to things that aren't actually dangerous. Learning to feel bad is the first real step toward living well. Ryan has sat on both sides of the therapeutic relationship, which shapes everything about how he works.

To go deeper with Ryan or learn more about his work:

Website: ryansoave.com

Free course: Sign up for "How to Feel Bad (and Love Your Life)" at ryansoave.com

Book a one-on-one consultation: ryansoave.com

Instagram: @Ryan.Soave

YouTube: @rjsoave

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:

https://substack.com/@michaeleaster

https://instagram.com/michael_easter/

https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/

https://facebook.com/easter.michael

https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

https://x.com/Michael_Easter

Chapters:

00:00:00 Cold open

00:02:11 Sober at Phish / fun without substances

00:03:47 Relearning fun + giving up one thing for everything

00:06:04 The order water moment (social anxiety + self-obsession)

00:07:22 Sober wedding story + being a model for others

00:11:00 Walk us up to your sobriety + early roots

00:20:24 Addiction is not the problem, it's the solution

00:25:33 What people do when they decide to get sober

00:33:04 Defining addiction + signs it's out of control

00:36:55 Fear, shame, and emotion-driven behaviors

00:39:39 Fixed beliefs and the Michael Jordan analogy

00:49:56 Where Ryan starts with a new client

00:52:18 Nervous system regulation + the space between stimulus and response

01:03:09 When healthy behaviors become compulsion (exercise / triathlon)

01:14:17 Process addictions (food, sex, money, gambling)

01:23:33 Michael Singer / falling in love as distraction

01:26:55 Social media, Pascal, and the Yoga Sutras

01:39:22 Good at feeling bad + how antidepressants get prescribed

01:44:04 Addiction redirected as a superpower

01:46:30 Purpose vs. what you do

01:48:23 Community, 9/11, Tribe, and the bar

01:55:27 Power greater than yourself

01:59:38 Final two questions (30-day stop test + dream live show)

02:04:13 Michael's outro

#10: Why Dogs Make Us Healthier & Happier | Sam Alaimo & Dr. Nancy Gee

Tue, 12 May 2026 10:49:00 -0000

Dogs don’t just make us happy—they change how we live. Michael Easter talks with former Navy SEAL and writer Sam Alaimo about why dogs pull us back into the present, create purpose, and help us rebuild after our toughest moments.

Then researcher Dr. Nancy Gee (director of a human–animal interaction center) breaks down what the science actually says about how and why pet ownership contributes to our health and wellbeing.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Joey Fischground. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:

https://substack.com/@michaeleaster

https://instagram.com/michael_easter/

https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/

https://facebook.com/easter.michael

https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

https://x.com/Michael_Easter

Chapters:

00:00:00 Dogs, Sobriety, and Purpose

00:15:00 Presence, Minimalism, and Choice

00:35:00 Loneliness, Health, and the Data

01:00:05 Heat, Hydration, and Safety

#9: The Power of Constraints & Why More Freedom Makes Us Miserable | David Epstein

Thu, 07 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000

What if everything you believe about freedom is wrong?

Author David Epstein joins Michael Easter to break down why constraints — not freedom — drive better work, better wellness, and better creativity. Epstein is the bestselling author of Range and The Sports Gene, and his new book Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better argues we have it backwards on freedom.

They discuss why General Magic collapsed under unlimited possibility while Pixar dominated, why your brain is literally built to prevent you from thinking, and the simple sleep hack that made David a morning person for two years without an alarm clock.

This is the playbook for thinking slow, acting fast, and finally figuring out what to stop doing.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:
https://substack.com/@michaeleaster
https://instagram.com/michael_easter/
https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/
https://facebook.com/easter.michael
https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6
https://x.com/Michael_Easter

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Cold open
00:01:35 - The General Magic disaster: a $200M company that built nothing
00:06:32 - Tony Fadell, the iPod, and prototyping inside a literal box
00:08:40 - Why Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham on a 50-word bet
00:14:07 - What too many resources actually does to a team
00:17:51 - Stop adding, start subtracting (the genetics lab post-it system)
00:20:08 - The wellness mistake: foot on the brake, hammering the gas
00:21:25 - The sleep-in-workout-clothes hack that killed David's alarm clock
00:23:58 - Why managers matter (and Pixar's popsicle sticks)
00:31:37 - Think slow, act fast: the 0.5% rule from 16,000 projects
00:36:51 - Why "more freedom" is actually making people miserable
00:41:53 - The year 2000 and why medicine "stopped working"
00:46:55 - The Taylor Swift / Chiefs stat trap (and how to spot a fake fact)
00:49:10 - The Sports Gene origin story and the Kalenjin runners
00:54:08 - Roger vs. Tiger and the death of the 10,000-hour rule
00:58:26 - Why hiring for breadth beats hiring for the perfect resume
01:02:18 - The writer who blew David's mind (and inspired Inception)

#8: Subtraction Mindset: Get More By Doing Less | Leidy Klotz

Tue, 05 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000

A 3-year old beat a PhD engineer at an engineering problem while playing legos—and that single moment kicked off a decade of research that exposed one of the strongest, most underrated biases in the human brain: we almost never subtract.
This week, Michael sits down with Dr. Leidy Klotz — University of Virginia engineering professor, former pro soccer player, and author of Subtract, which explored why your brain defaults to adding when removing is the better answer.

His new book In a Good Place, unpacks why open offices steal your focus, the science of the “home field advantage” and why the spaces you live in might be quietly running your life (and even affecting your lifespan).

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:
https://substack.com/@michaeleaster
https://instagram.com/michael_easter/
https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/
https://facebook.com/easter.michael
https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6
https://x.com/Michael_Easter

#7: Paths Out of Addiction: Fantanyl, Meth, Marching Band, & Hope | Sam Quinones

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000

100,000 Americans die of drug overdose a year. One solution, today's guest discovered, is rather dorky...

Sam Quinones spent 12 years reporting on America’s drug crisis and how heroin, fentanyl, meth have reshaped the country. In this episode, he unpacks how Mexican cartels replaced poppy fields with chemicals, lowered the price of meth by 90%, and unintentionally created a schizophrenia crisis. Since then, Sam has been on a mission to find the antidote to modern day addiction. And he found it in an unlikely source: the tuba. Yes, the musical instrument. Sam explains why marching band may very well be the best anti-drug program in America and how we can help our children avoid a life of addiction and suffering.

Even if you don't want to play the tuba—and you don't—the lessons from marching band can help anyone build a better life. This episode is about the value of hard work without fanfare, the power of community, and how to find hope in a broken world.

Sam is the author of Dreamland, The Least of Us, and his new book The Perfect Tuba: Forging Fulfillment from the Bass Horn, Band, and Hard Work.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Joey Fischground. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:
https://substack.com/@michaeleaster
https://instagram.com/michael_easter/
https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/
https://facebook.com/easter.michael
https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6
https://x.com/Michael_Easter

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:29 - Who is Sam Quinones
00:03:37 - The shredding of community that fueled addiction
00:07:14 - How drugs became faster, stronger, cheaper
00:11:28 - The 2008 P2P shift and the rise of meth psychosis
00:15:13 - Why gambling, porn, weed and meth all changed at once
00:19:51 - Why Sam wrote a book about tubas
00:24:57 - Marching band as the opposite of addiction
00:30:42 - How to keep your kid away from drugs
00:31:17 - The Texas border town where band beat the cartels
00:36:18 - His next project: a Chalino Sanchez biography

#6: Find Joy in Any Job | Dr. Mim Ari & Robin Greenfield

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Is work supposed to feel this miserable? In this episode, Michael Easter sits down with two people who answer the question from opposite ends of the spectrum: one who found deep fulfillment inside the system, and one who walked away from it entirely.

First, Dr. Mim Ari, an internist and associate professor at the University of Chicago, breaks down what it actually means to be a "deeply fulfilled workist." She explains why we anchor on the negatives, the 10:1 positive ratio that should reframe your day, how AI scribes are quietly changing medicine, and why intrinsic motivation beats external validation every time.

Then, Robin Greenfield, who once aimed to be a millionaire by 30, talks about why he gave it all up. He shares the moment he realized the American Dream was "the world's nightmare," his 100-change checklist for breaking free of consumerism, what it was like to walk NYC in a 135-pound trash suit, and the three months he spent owning literally nothing in Griffith Park.

Michael closes with the very first Two Percent AMA, including the one phone hack that has saved his work-life balance, the truth about exercise recovery, an update to The Comfort Crisis on autophagy, and the inaugural "Department of Dipshit Questions."

Robin’s 100-step guide to living happier: https://www.robingreenfield.org/100
(Note: We don't endorse all of these practices, but they're worth reading to understand Robin's thinking).

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:
https://substack.com/@michaeleaster
https://instagram.com/michael_easter/
https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/
https://facebook.com/easter.michael
https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6
https://x.com/Michael_Easter

#5: What Science Says About Alcohol & Social Media | Taylor Lorenz & Dean Stattmann

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Everyone has a vice. Drinking, smoking, social media, diet soda. And the modern wellness internet will tell you that if you want to live a long, healthy life, you need to cut every single one of them out. But is that actually true?

In this episode of Two Percent, we take a nuanced look at vices and whether some of them might actually enhance your life when you use them the right way. We don't have to live like monks to live a good life.

First up is Dean Stattmann, a GQ reporter who spent three months sober and wrote a now-viral piece titled "Why My 2026 Resolution Is to Start Drinking Again." His Whoop scores got better, but his friendships, his marriage, and his mood got worse. Dean explains what alcohol actually does for human connection, what anthropologists call "costly signaling," and why moderate drinking might not be the villain the internet has made it out to be.

Then Taylor Lorenz, author of Extremely Online and host of the Power User podcast, joins to argue something that sounds heretical in 2026: social media is not addictive. We break down the real science on dopamine (spoiler: it's probably cortisol), the recent California Meta verdict, Section 230, KOSA, looksmaxing, Clavicular's overdose, and what's actually driving the teen mental health conversation.

Finally, Michael opens up about his own personal vice, a five-a-day habit, and explains why the science on aspartame, cancer, and the gut microbiome isn't nearly as scary as the internet would have you believe.

Substack Post from Dr. Vinay Prasad: https://www.drvinayprasad.com/p/alcohol-good-or-bad-why-reductionist

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:

#4: The Science of Whole 30, Food Addiction, and Why Weight is the Wrong Metric | Melissa Urban

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Melissa Urban — founder of Whole 30 and author of The Whole30 (updated 2024) and The Book of Boundaries — sits down with Michael Easter for one of the most honest conversations on this feed yet. Two sober people (Michael 10+ years, Melissa 24+ years) unpack the parallels between drug addiction and food behavior, why the first time Melissa went to rehab didn't stick, and the single question that rewired every habit in her life: "What would a healthy person with healthy habits do?"

They dig into the science of elimination diets, the 17 years of data behind Whole 30, why Melissa publicly reversed her position on seed oils in 2024 (and took the heat for it), how food becomes the fastest socially acceptable distraction from our feelings, and why you can white-knuckle any elimination program and end up exactly where you started. Plus: integrity over followers, mountains as church, and why "does this feel gross?" is the best business rubric Melissa's ever used.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Cold open & intro
00:03:34 - Trauma, heroin & the first rehab
00:08:39 - "What would a healthy person do?"
00:12:22 - Origin of Whole 30 & food as a drug
00:22:00 - The science of elimination diets
00:33:10 - Behavior change & why willpower fails
00:39:52 - Seed oils reversal & integrity
00:48:43 - Community, partnerships & mountains as church
00:55:06 - Book rec & closer

#3: Marathon Tactics and the Upsides of Ultraprocessed Foods | Brady Holmer & Dr. Mike Roussell

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000

The 130th Boston Marathon is this Monday. To mark the occasion, Michael sits down with Brady Holmer — a science writer, runner, and 2:24 Boston finisher — to go deep on what the race actually feels like, why super shoes might be saving you 5-8 minutes, how to fuel a marathon without your gut exploding, and whether anyone can qualify for Boston.

Then Dr. Mike Roussell, a PhD nutritionist from Penn State who works with NBA players and busy execs, breaks down the ultraprocessed food debate that's tearing through the nutrition world. Are ultraprocessed foods actually evil? Or are they sometimes the healthiest option? He walks through a mind-blowing ultraprocessed food study, why fiber is the most underrated nutrient, and a practical framework for using UPF without letting it wreck your diet. Plus his surprisingly nuanced take on GLP-1 drugs.

After that, Michael heads to the Two Percent Kitchen with the most ridiculous endurance recipe you've ever seen.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:

https://substack.com/@michaeleaster

https://instagram.com/michael_easter/

https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/

https://facebook.com/easter.michael

https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

https://x.com/Michael_Easter

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Cold Open

00:00:52 - What's Coming in This Episode

00:03:04 - Brady Homer: Running Boston in 2:24

00:16:12 - Super Shoes: Do They Actually Work?

00:21:50 - Race Day at Boston (The TSA Process)

00:30:44 - Marathon Fueling Deep Dive

00:37:38 - Can Anyone Qualify for Boston?

00:44:30 - Ultra Processed Foods: The NYT Debate

01:05:31 - The 30-Day Minimally Processed Food Challenge

01:16:31 - GLP-1 Drugs & Death Row Meal

#2: Hunting, Hard Things, and the Mindset That Gets You Through Storms | Donnie Vincent

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000

In this episode of Two Percent, Michael sits down with backcountry bow hunter and filmmaker Donnie Vincent to unpack what months in remote wilderness teach you about stress, calm, and competence. Donnie was featured heavily in Michael’s bestselling book, The Comfort Crisis, and now he joins Michael for the first time on mic since the book’s release.

They talk about the ethics and emotional reality of hunting, why sourcing your own food changes your relationship with life, and how modern convenience hijacks the ancient “search” that once made humans thrive. Donnie shares stories from Alaska—about storms, solitude, and the kind of discomfort that forces growth.

The two discuss the importance of building resilience when nothing's certain, staying present in wild places, and how you can get the same benefits of a hunt without ever picking up a bow – all it takes is choosing experiences that are hard and honest.

HOST

Michael Easter

PRODUCERS

Dana Brawer

Joey Fischground

Robbie Hiser

EDITOR

Nick Pomeroy

HEAD OF VIDEO

Maria Paz Mendez Hodes

KALEIDOSCOPE - EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Julia Nutter

Kate Osborn

Mangesh Hattikudur

IHEARTMEDIA - EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Katrina Norvell

Nikki Ettore

THEME MUSIC BY

Heat Manager

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:07:18 - The First Kill & What It Feels Like

00:12:30 - The Ethics of Hunting in a Modern World

00:16:54 - What Hunting Gives You Beyond Meat

00:20:00 - The Frozen Pond Duck Story

00:28:16 - 5 Months Alone Counting Salmon in Alaska

00:33:00 - The 1,000-lb Bear & "Don't Quit Until the Magic Happens"

00:46:17 - "Make Films Like No One Will Watch Them"

00:52:00 - How Authenticity Changed Hunting Culture

01:01:06 - Fantastic Places Are in Your Mind

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:

https://substack.com/@michaeleaster

https://instagram.com/michael_easter/

https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/

https://facebook.com/easter.michael

https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

https://x.com/Michael_Easter

#1: Humans are Built to Walk Farther Than You Think | Dr. Melissa Ilardo and Foster Kamer

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000

Walking shaped humans into who we are—and it’s one of the simplest ways to improve health, mood, and longevity right now. In this episode of Two Percent, Michael sits down with evolutionary geneticist Dr. Melissa Ilardo and writer Foster Kamer to explore what endurance science says about how far humans can actually go, why the brain often quits before the body, and how small daily choices compound into massive long-term outcomes.

We cover the real research behind step counts (including why the 10,000 number is a myth), the minimum effective dose that meaningfully improves health, and how to make walking effortless by stacking it into things you already do. Plus: persistence hunting, sleep differences that change performance, and what ultra-endurance reveals about mindset.

HOST

Michael Easter

PRODUCERS

Dana Brawer

Joey Fischground

Robbie Hiser

EDITOR

Nick Pomeroy

HEAD OF VIDEO

Maria Paz Mendez Hodes

KALEIDOSCOPE - EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Julia Nutter

Kate Osborn

Mangesh Hattikudur

IHEARTMEDIA - EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Katrina Norvell

Nikki Ettore

THEME MUSIC BY

Heat Manager

Chapters:

0:00 Cold Open

0:45 Introduction: Welcome to 2%

2:16 Why Is It Called 2%?

3:03 Today's Topic: Walking

3:35 850 Miles Through the Utah Desert

6:08 The Long Walk Movie Setup

7:59 Interview: Melissa Allardo (Evolutionary Geneticist)

9:23 Persistence Hunting: We Literally Outrun Animals

10:31 Biggest Hurdles: Nutrition, Footwear & Sleep

12:03 Sleep Genetics & Natural Short Sleepers

13:57 Training vs. No Training

15:10 How Far Humans Used to Walk (Hadza 20K Steps)

16:07 Why Women Outlast Men in Ultra-Endurance

17:21 Pregnancy Is a Marathon Every Single Day

18:39 Mindset & The Central Governor Theory

21:27 Immune System Suppression During Endurance

22:25 Finding Joy in Movement

24:38 Practical Takeaways from the Movie

27:07 Interview: Foster Kamer (The Grief Walk)

30:37 The Friendship & The Loss

32:06 The Walk Begins

33:24 Crossing Every Bridge in NYC

43:39 The Long Island City Connection

44:01 Coming Home (24-25 Miles)

45:36 The Insight: Pushing the Edge

47:53 Year 2: The George Washington Bridge

52:17 The Lesson: New Things Are Possible

53:54 Walking as Processing & Pilgrimage

56:10 How Many Steps Do You Actually Need?

56:56 The 10,000 Steps Myth (Invented by a Pedometer Company)

57:34 The Real Numbers: 7,000 vs 12,000 Steps

59:07 How to Actually Get Your Steps

1:00:26 Closing: Have Fun, Don't Die

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI.

GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL.

I share similar insights around health and wellness here:

https://substack.com/@michaeleaster

https://instagram.com/michael_easter/

https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/

https://facebook.com/easter.michael

https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

https://x.com/Michael_Easter

Coming April 7: Two Percent with Michael Easter

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:10:00 -0000

From New York Times bestselling author and journalist Michael Easter comes a twice-weekly deep dive into the science of living better by doing things the hard way. Building on the insights of his #1 Substack and acclaimed books, Easter balances rigorous evidence with a healthy dose of skepticism to cut through the noise of the modern wellness industry. Whether he’s interviewing elite explorers and Harvard biologists or deconstructing the truth about longevity and metabolic health, this isn't a show for "biohacking" perfectionists—it’s a grounded, often humorous guide for real people looking to build resilience and agency in an increasingly comfortable world. From ancient wisdom to cutting-edge research, listen to Two Percent to discover why the antidote to modern malaise is often found in the challenges we’ve been taught to avoid.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.