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Every year, the same script. The same triggers. The same patterns playing out like clockwork. We white-knuckle our way through, hoping this time will be different. It won’t be. Not unless you change.
Adam Skolnick and I tackle what it takes to control the controllables—and release everything else.
Adam is a veteran journalist who has covered sports, human rights, and the environment for The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, and Men’s Health. He’s the author of One Breath, and the ghostwriter behind David Goggins’ bestsellers Can’t Hurt Me and Never Finished.
His debut novel, American Tiger, is out this week. One that begins when a nine-year-old girl sees a tiger behind a Target in suburban Los Angeles. Nobody believes her. Not even her father, the local game warden. What ensues is far more than a tiger hunt. It is a father-daughter story for the ages, driven by a child’s quest for identity, her father’s buried grief, and the innate wildness that lives in all of us.
We explore what it means to stand in your strength like a lighthouse—casting your light, completely detached from whether anyone needs it. The wall of pleasantry. Extreme neutrality. Why boundaries are an act of self-care, not selfishness. We unpack rock bottom—not as disaster but as a decision. Why shame can’t survive the light. And the case for holding your goals loosely enough to notice when life is pointing somewhere unexpected.
Note: Let’s show Adam some love—order American Tiger and subscribe to his Substack for more on the book, upcoming events, and the path to publication.
“The best thing for you is to honor yourself by setting boundaries so that you can show up as your best self. It’s actually a service you’re providing to everyone.”
- RICH ROLL
Today, we discuss:
- Surviving Family Holiday Gatherings
- Rock Bottom as Launchpad
- Goals, Resolutions & Direction
- Adam’s Debut Novel American Tiger
- Our Favorite Films of 2025
For those who prefer a visual experience, the conversation is available on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Peace + Plants,
Listen, Watch, & Subscribe
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Thank The Team: I do not do this alone. Send your love to Jason Camiolo & Dan Dake for producing, audio engineering, & creative direction; associate producer Desmond Loh; Blake Curtis & Morgan Mcrae for video editing, graphics by Bryan Lawrence & Alejandro Ribadeneira; portraits by Liz Viggiano; copywriting by Ben Pryor; social media management by Shaina Savoy; and theme music by Tyler Piatt, Trapper Piatt & Hari Mathis.
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