Behind The Human with Marc Champagne

Why is it that we chase longevity like it’s a number, yet ignore the daily behaviors that are aging us from the inside out? Most of us think longevity is about adding years. But what if it’s really about removing what no longer serves you at the cellular level and at the identity level? Renee Fitton — registered dietitian, longevity specialist, and one of the leading voices in fasting-mimicking science (VP at Prolon) — breaks down the biology of renewal… and the psychology that quietly shapes our habits. Show Partners:Get your MENTAL FITNESS BLUEPRINT here! A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip SaunasPersonal Socrates: Better Question, Better Life Connect with Marc: https://konect.to/marcchampagne Timestamps: 00:00 — The question that opens every interview: “Who are you?” 03:00 — Perfectionism, ambition, and living in the imperfect 07:00 — Personality tests, self-work, and using tools like ChatGPT for reflection 11:00 — Preparing for the Hoffman Process: deep psychological self-work 15:00 — How to prepare your body for intense personal growth 16:00 — Alcohol, sleep, and energy management before a retreat 18:00 — Why plant-based nutrition supports repair and rejuvenation 21:00 — Growth mode vs repair mode: the biology behind it 23:00 — Autophagy explained: your body’s cellular vacuum cleaner 25:00 — What is the fasting mimicking diet? 29:00 — Why prolonged fasting (3+ days) activates deep repair 31:00 — The mental shifts that happen during fasting 33:00 — Behavior change, food psychology, and identity 34:00 — Type 2 diabetes study: self-initiated behavior transformation 37:00 — Why five days can change your long-term habits 39:00 — Why water-only fasting feels harder 41:00 — How often should you fast for longevity? 44:00 — Gratitude journaling as a daily mental fitness tool 46:00 — The power of daily movement for emotional regulation 47:00 — Renewal at the cellular and personal level * Special props 👇 Music: Clouds - Joakim Karud See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why is it that the stories that change our lives rarely begin with certainty, but with curiosity and risk? Marc sits down with author, ghostwriter, and screenwriter Platte Clark to explore why storytelling isn’t just an art form—it’s a survival tool. From abandoning law school for philosophy, to writing bestselling fiction, to ghostwriting more than two dozen books for thought leaders, Platte shares what he’s learned about creativity, courage, and the quiet mental practices that make meaningful work possible. This episode dives into the tension between art and business, the myth that creativity must be strategic to matter, and why naivety may actually be the greatest creative advantage we have left—especially in the age of AI. Show Partners:Get your MENTAL FITNESS BLUEPRINT here! A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip SaunasPersonal Socrates: Better Question, Better Life Connect with Marc: https://konect.to/marcchampagne Timestamps: 00:00 — The question that opens every interview: “Who are you?” 02:10 — Discovering the identity of a humanist 04:20 — Leaving law behind for philosophy and meaning 07:30 — Falling in love with learning (and being a lifelong student) 10:15 — Writing the first book without knowing the rules 13:40 — Why quitting your job to write is usually a bad idea (and why he did it anyway) 17:00 — The bird and the sword: a metaphor for creative balance 20:45 — Why writing the book is the easy part 24:30 — Ghostwriting, abundance, and unexpected opportunity 28:10 — Advice to first-time authors: protect your naivety 31:40 — AI, storytelling, and what machines can’t replace 34:50 — Mental fitness, breathwork, and creative recovery 38:30 — Music, movement, and engineering the creative environment 41:20 — Who reads the first draft (and why honesty matters) 43:10 — Why every human has a story worth telling 45:00 — Final reflections on humanity, story, and meaning * Special props 👇 Music: Clouds - Joakim Karud See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if grief isn’t something you heal from…but something that teaches you how to love differently? Marc sits down with medium and spiritual guide Michelle Murphy to explore grief not as a problem to solve, but as an experience that reshapes identity, presence, and love itself. Michelle shares what she’s learned from over 20 years of guiding people through loss—why grief lives in the body, why time doesn’t “fix” it, and how moments of joy after loss often arrive wrapped in guilt. Together, they unpack the difference between missing someone and missing their presence, the danger of spiritual bypassing, and how love continues even when form disappears. Show Partners:Get your MENTAL FITNESS BLUEPRINT here! A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip SaunasPersonal Socrates: Better Question, Better Life Connect with Marc: https://konect.to/marcchampagne Timestamps: 00:00 — The question that opens every interview: “Who are you?” 02:00 — Being a medium: why it’s not something you can turn off 04:30 — Grief as an embodied experience (lungs, breath, nervous system) 07:15 — Why grief isn’t linear—and never really ends 10:30 — The isolation of grief and the healing power of being seen 13:45 — The four-year cycle: anniversaries, acceptance, and new reality 17:20 — “Grief is the price we pay for love” 20:10 — Why joy after loss often brings guilt 23:40 — Missing someone vs. missing their presence 27:00 — Spiritual bypassing and toxic positivity in grief 30:15 — What actually helps people who are grieving 34:50 — Love as continuity, not absence 38:30 — Final reflections on patience, presence, and living forward * Special props 👇 Music: Clouds - Joakim Karud See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if success isn’t personal at all — but mathematical? Kyle Austin Young reveals why so many intelligent, capable people fail to reach their goals — even when they do everything “right.” Drawing from his own experience of repeated layoffs, personal burnout, and rebuilding his life through consulting, Kyle introduces a powerful framework for rethinking success through probability rather than motivation. Kyle explains how overwhelm, survival mode, and mental clutter don’t just affect our wellbeing — they distort our ability to make good decisions. Together, Marc and Kyle explore how success diagrams, probability hacking, and intentional reflection can radically improve the odds of achieving meaningful goals — personally and professionally. This is a conversation about slowing down, reclaiming agency, and learning how to design success instead of hoping for it. Show Partners:A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip SaunasPersonal Socrates: Better Question, Better Life Get in Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthehuman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-champagne-🧠💪-14767b17/ Website: https://www.mchampagne.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 — The question that opens every interview: “Who are you?” 03:10 — From layoffs to consulting: redefining security 07:05 — The treehouse moment: why we miss what’s right in front of us 11:30 — Presence, overwhelm, and the cost of survival mode 15:20 — What is a success diagram? 18:45 — Why motivation lies and math tells the truth 23:40 — The danger of averaging probabilities 28:50 — Probability hacking: reducing risk creatively 34:10 — Why most advice is actually harmful 39:30 — Designing goals instead of chasing validation 44:00 — Mental fitness, clarity, and decision-making 47:30 — Non-negotiable practices for a clear mind 50:00 — What makes life meaningful now * Special props 👇 Music: Clouds - Joakim Karud See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why is it that in the face of the most powerful tool humanity has ever created, so many capable people feel overwhelmed instead of empowered? Marc sits down with serial entrepreneur and AI consultant Mike Schwarz to explore what’s really happening beneath the AI conversation. This isn’t a discussion about tools or trends — it’s about fear, acceleration, mental overload, and the growing divide between those who adapt and those who freeze. Mike shares what he’s seeing inside the top 1–5% of AI adopters, why most people are stuck using AI at the surface level, and why mental fitness may be the defining advantage of the next decade. Show Partners:A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip SaunasPersonal Socrates: Better Question, Better Life Get in Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthehuman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-champagne-🧠💪-14767b17/ Website: https://www.mchampagne.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 — The question that opens every interview: “Who are you?” 00:02 — Mike’s journey from dot-com entrepreneur to AI founder 00:06 — Why most AI adoption is still surface-level 00:09 — The growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else 00:13 — Neurodivergence, hyper-focus, and rapid adaptation 00:17 — Fear, stress, and overwhelm as the real blockers 00:20 — AI as a change-management problem, not a tech one 00:24 — Automation, professional services, and job displacement 00:29 — The runaway train metaphor for AI acceleration 00:33 — Leadership responsibility during massive uncertainty 00:37 — Mental fitness as a survival skill 00:39 — Using AI to free time, not erase meaning 00:41 — Final reflections on adaptation and humanity * Special props 👇 Music: Clouds - Joakim Karud See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How different would your life look today if you stopped preparing for “good enough” and started preparing for “extraordinary”? In this conversation, entrepreneur, investor, author, and extreme-preparation evangelist Randall Kaplan opens up about the surprisingly painful origins of his work ethic: childhood bullying, a debilitating stutter, and a long journey toward becoming a clear, confident communicator. Randall shares the exact mental frameworks he used to transform his life — from landing a book deal through a cold email, to becoming a TED speaker, to interviewing some of the world’s most accomplished leaders on his podcast. We explore extreme preparation, the habits that separate average performers from exceptional ones, and why “no” is often just the beginning of the road to “yes.” Timestamps: 00:00 — The question that opens every interview: “Who are you?” 02:00 — How photography and beaches shaped Randall’s creative identity 04:30 — Building Sandee: cataloging 100,000+ beaches around the world 06:15 — How a cold email landed Randall a book deal 08:00 — Childhood bullying, stuttering, and the start of extreme preparation 10:30 — The breakthrough moment at the McDonald’s drive-thru 14:00 — How speech therapy reprogrammed his mind and confidence 15:30 — The emotional weight and triumph of giving a TED Talk 17:00 — Studying the top TED Talks and dissecting what works 19:00 — Cutting a 70-minute keynote into 18 minutes 21:15 — Why the painful story had to stay in the talk 22:00 — The team behind the TED Talk: coaches, comedians, voice experts 26:00 — The Roger Love experience and knowing when not to change 28:00 — The balance between outside coaching and trusting your intuition 30:00 — Extreme preparation in interviewing: The EPT “torpedo question” 32:00 — Why most people aren’t prepared — and how to stand out instantly 35:00 — Randall’s research process: thousands of pages, distilled 37:00 — “If you’re early, you’re on time; if you’re on time, you’re late.” 38:00 — When life derails your plans: broken schedules and mental resets 40:00 — Gratitude walks and the 40,000-foot reset 42:00 — Never send an email when angry — Randall’s practice 46:00 — Why AI should assist your preparation, not replace it 47:00 — The small details that cost people opportunities 50:00 — A coaching story: preventing a $3M mistake 52:00 — The doctor who went from zero net worth to $10M in a year 54:00 — The difference between success and stagnation: making a plan 56:00 — Closing wisdom: “Why you must do what no one else does” **** Get your copy of Personal Socrates: Better Questions, Better Life Connect with Marc >>> Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | * A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip Saunas. 🧠 x 🥵 = 😃 * Special props 👇 Music: Clouds - Joakim Karud See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What changes when you stop looking at someone for what they’ve done—and start asking who they are? Marc sits down with Diane Kahn, founder of Humans of San Quentin, who has interviewed more than 3,000 incarcerated individuals around the world. Diane shares how a single question—“How are you?”—can break open years of silence, shame, and survival. Together, they explore the unseen stories behind incarceration, why nearly everyone she meets inside was a victim first, how media narratives distort our understanding of “criminals,” and what it truly means to approach another human being with compassion. This episode challenges assumptions, expands empathy, and reveals the healing power of being seen. Timestamps: 00:00 — “Who are you?” 01:00 — From teacher to prison educator 04:00 — The moment her perception of “prison” shattered 05:45 — Who we’re really locking up 07:00 — Why the media is feeding us the wrong story 10:00 — The power of asking: “How are you?” 15:00 — Building trust inside a hyper-surveilled environment 17:00 — Planting seeds of change 18:00 — Lives saved through storytelling 20:00 — Teaching empathy to the next generation 22:00 — The big lesson: We are all kinder than we think 28:00 — Holding space for thousands: Diane’s mental fitness practices 35:00 — The final message: vulnerability and second chances **** Get your copy of Personal Socrates: Better Questions, Better Life Connect with Marc >>> Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | * A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip Saunas. 🧠 x 🥵 = 😃 * Special props 👇 Music: Clouds - Joakim Karud See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.