Two Percent with Michael Easter

Brian Driscoll became acting director of the FBI through what he believes was a clerical error in 2025. He was then asked to hand over the names of thousands of FBI employees who worked the January 6 investigations, which would have placed their careers and safety in jeopardy. He resisted and became a legend in the bureau. Brian told Michael what pushing back cost him, and why he calls "it is what it is" the most accepted form of surrender. They discussed: (00:00) Cold open(00:51) Becoming accidental FBI director(04:37) The illegal vetting call he failed(09:43) The request for the names of thousands of agents(18:04) From 9/11 to investigating the mob in NYC(32:22) Inside the elite Hostage Rescue Team(39:48) Lessons from elite teams: Be brilliant at the basics(49:05) How he protected the FBI(55:35) Fired with no reason given(59:44) How he led the FBI through crisis(66:48) Why standing up was worth being fired(71:41) The motorcycle journey afterward(76:56) Starting over Sponsors:Vuori: Get 20% off your first purchase at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.MacroFactor: Try MacroFactor free for 14 days in the Apple or Android app store with code TWOPCT.Lagoon: Go to lagoonsleep.com/TWOPCT and take the 60-second sleep quiz to find your perfect pillow. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of us think of quitting as a path to failure. Michael speaks with Lindsay Crouse, the former New York Times writer, editor and producer, lifelong distance runner and author of The Case for Quitting, about when perseverance backfires, how to tell meaningful suffering from the pointless kind, and the signs it's time to walk away. They discuss: (00:00) Cold open(00:54) Good sisu and bad sisu(06:30) The Olympic Trials goal she missed(13:12) When perseverance backfires(20:54) Where quitting pays off(24:22) Should you quit your job?(27:24) Type A minds and never enough(32:05) Where we quit too much(35:08) Who pays when you quit?(37:09) Bill Withers' golden toilet seat(42:23) Do we all need a rumspringa?(46:55) Why Lindsay left the Times(49:25) Signs it's time to quit Get Lindsay's book, The Case for Quitting: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-case-for-quitting-the-surprising-benefits-of-opting-out-lindsay-crouse/5d08b49f272f6816Find Lindsay: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaycrouse/ Sponsors:Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.MacroFactor: Download MacroFactor in the app store and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael speaks with Brady Holmer, the exercise scientist and 2:24 marathoner behind the Substack Physiologically Speaking, about which fitness trends hold up. Brady explains why he stopped taking creatine, which numbers on your wearable to ignore, and why endurance athletes now eat the carbs of three Cokes an hour. They discuss: (00:00) Preview(00:35) Why Brady stopped taking creatine(03:26) Creatine is oversold for the brain(09:14) The wearable numbers to ignore(12:47) The problem with HRV(16:14) What wearables get right(18:49) Carb maxing: three Cokes an hour(24:56) What Lance Armstrong said about carbs(28:11) Race weight and eating enough(32:57) Why carb timing matters(36:33) Why Brady is eating less protein(38:57) Mile record or two-hour marathon?(41:35) The second running boom(45:58) More strength or more cardio?(48:15) Training with a newborn Subscribe to Brady's Substack, Physiologically Speaking: https://www.physiologicallyspeaking.comFind Brady: https://www.instagram.com/brady.j.holmer/ Sponsors:Lagoon: Go to lagoonsleep.com/TWOPCT and take the 60-second sleep quiz to find your perfect pillow. Use code TWOPCT for 15% off any pillow.MacroFactor: Download MacroFactor in the app store and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free.Vuori: Get 20% off your first purchase at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael speaks with Tamar Haspel, The Washington Post's Unearthed columnist and author of To Boldly Grow, about her case for why we should stop eating lettuce. Starting with the explosive diarrhea story behind her column, they examine lettuce's food-safety risks, the healthy reputation of salads, and how to eat well when nutrition advice conflicts. They discuss: (00:00) Preview(00:52) Lettuce and foodborne illness(05:11) Lettuce, water and food waste(09:07) The salad health halo(12:39) Lettuce backlash and staple crops(20:51) Potatoes, corn and other staples(26:34) What food policy can change(31:00) Restaurant portions and home cooking(33:46) Italy's meals versus American snacking(39:54) Dietary guidelines and protein(44:34) The case for diet soda(47:37) The blind egg taste test(51:20) Food dyes and food beliefs(55:42) Eating well with uncertain science Get Tamar's book, To Boldly Grow: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688423/to-boldly-grow-by-tamar-haspel/Find Tamar: https://www.tamarhaspel.com Download MacroFactor in the Apple or Google app store. Get 14 days free with code TWOPCT. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael speaks with Christian Craighead, a former SAS soldier and author of One Man In, about the afternoon he singlehandedly fought off a major terror attack in Nairobi and what it teaches about acting while afraid, leading people, and being ready before anything happens. They discuss: (00:00) Preview(00:38) Entering a terror attack with no backup(07:11) How a hard childhood shaped Christian's resolve(12:34) Why the top Special Forces operators look like accountants(23:20) Christian's moves against the terror attack(27:53) Why danger brings intense focus(33:57) How to lead in a crisis(43:34) The importance of clear instructions(46:44) Adapting and maintaining momentum under pressure(53:41) Taking responsibility in ordinary life This episode includes descriptions of childhood abuse, terrorism, injury and death. Get Christian's book, One Man In: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/One-Man-In/Christian-Craighead/9781982177331 Find Christian: https://theministryofdefence.com/pages/about Download MacroFactor in the Apple or Google app store. Get 14 days free with code TWOPCT. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Preview00:54 Mental Health and Relationship Lessons from Thousands of Callers09:09 Why The Problem People Describe is Never the Real Problem 12:45 What People Are Really Calling About25:51 Lessons from a Homicide Detective28:28 Why Punk Rock Teaches Stewardship32:09 What Dave Ramsey Taught John37:43 The Most Common Marriage Problems50:21 Building a Non-Anxious Life56:32 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:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Preview0:45 Michael FaceTimes Foster Kamer about peptides8:28 What is a peptide?13:00 BPC-157 and the evidence problem19:40 Why pain relief doesn't prove peptides work24:19 Promising peptides and unknown risks35:29 Where people buy peptides39:15 The FDA's peptide debate43:38 Why peptides are suddenly everywhere49:16 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:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Preview0:45 The experiment that changed how we see aging4:29 How beliefs change the body10:52 Placebo, nocebo, and imagined exercise12:16 Mindfulness without meditation17:31 Why certainty makes us mindless24:44 How context changes physical performance33:21 How rules and labels shape health43:15 Why chronic does not mean constant51:14 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:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Preview0:42 Why modern work keeps us stressed3:23 How busyness replaced real productivity11:41 Why email and meetings destroy focus24:58 Do fewer things, finish them faster30:23 The three rules of Slow Productivity44:15 Productivity myths from Austen to Kerouac52:25 How Cal Newport schedules his work55:24 How to say no without burning a bridge1:09:15 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:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Easter/100063709885769/https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Preview0:51 Why meat eaters belong in animal welfare4:26 What life inside a battery cage is like13:03 Why personal guilt is the wrong strategy15:49 How animal welfare campaigns change corporations18:33 How to eat fewer animal products25:38 Which food labels actually mean something29:36 Why cage-free eggs cost more36:19 What 30 years of veganism taught Dan Shannon38:22 How consumers can pressure companies Read Protein Myths Part II: https://www.twopct.com/p/protein-myths-part-ii 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. 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 Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Easter/100063709885769/https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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/@michaeleasterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://facebook.com/easter.michaelhttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6https://x.com/Michael_Easter 00:00 Cold open01:24 Where the Blue Zones began03:00 A magazine article becomes an empire04:22 The nine behaviors07:59 Two bad papers drag Saul in10:04 Why errors explode with age11:28 Japan audits its centenarians12:39 Dead 30 years, still on the pension15:44 Greece checks the graveyard17:03 Loma Linda, found on a freeway exit19:02 Costa Rica's paid discovery20:59 The uncomfortable longevity answer23:34 Hate mail and the Kremlin26:46 The Blue Zones founder pushes back28:17 What bad data costs your pension30:39 The UN's garbage numbers32:42 The world's oldest man problem35:34 Silicon Valley's longevity grift39:28 The odds double every eight years42:22 What actually works45:30 Kick the charlatans out48:21 Making peace with 80 years50:22 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. I share similar insights around health and wellness here:https://substack.com/@michaeleasterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://facebook.com/easter.michaelhttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6https://x.com/Michael_Easter Chapters:00:00:00 - Cold open00:01:36 - Not overweight, under-muscled00:05:37 - How much muscle do you actually need?00:10:39 - What end-of-life care taught her about muscle00:15:12 - Never too late: building muscle after 6000:19:47 - How often should you strength train?00:19:56 - Get your mind right: friction and finding your real why00:27:51 - The new protein rules and your first meal00:36:17 - The protein-ification problem (and carb tolerance)00:39:53 - Her professional take on GLP-1s00:45:12 - The 30-second prescription Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices