PRIORITIZE HEALTH

APR 11, 2026Chris Williamson

#1083 - Michael Smoak - 16 Brutal Life Lessons for Ambitious People

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Extraordinary lives require massive trade-offs
“Behind every extraordinary life is a series of trade-offs, sacrifices, and unseen costs.”
— Michael Smoak
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Fear of judgment stunts personal growth
“Fear of judgment is the number one fear that holds people back from their potential.”
— Michael Smoak
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Success often brings unavoidable loneliness
“The path to being the best version of yourself should feel somewhat lonely.”
— Michael Smoak
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Ambition demands specific opportunity costs
“Most of the things you want in life have a massive opportunity cost attached to them.”
— Michael Smoak
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Prioritize physical health above all else
“You should always prioritize physical health as the foundation for everything else.”
— Michael Smoak

APR 7, 2026WaitWhat

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Leadership must embrace mental health initiatives
“If it's not embraced at the leadership level, I think things can get muted or it's just another benefit.”
— David Ko
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Vulnerability is a critical leadership strength
“I do try to practice what I preach. And the biggest thing that I do is I try to be very vulnerable in front of them.”
— David Ko
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Executives face immense hidden stress levels
“Many of them said, no, they didn't feel safe yet to have these conversations in more of a public format.”
— David Ko
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Mental health is a global systemic movement
“It's really not just about one individual, one company. It's really more about how do you create more of a movement.”
— David Ko
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Calm users drive constant CEO pressure
“I am the most stressed out CEO you will ever meet... because every second of every day, someone is turning to us for help.”
— David Ko

MAR 30, 2026Nick Bare

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BPN is shifting toward Whey Protein Isolate - Nick is prioritizing isolate over concentrate because it offers superior digestion and lower lactose for athletes with sensitive guts.
“My gut just doesn't function like it once did. And I'm finding that my body just prefers Whey Protein Isolate, much better than traditional Whey Protein Concentrate.”
— Nick Bare
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The core strength line is getting a tactical rebrand - In June 2026, BPN will relaunch its foundational supplements as a cohesive 'Pre, Pump, and Post' collection with updated formulas like Alpha GPC.
“We are re-branding flight to be called pre. And there's a reason behind it. So we're bringing back our strength products in a meaningful way.”
— Nick Bare
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Mass retail expansion requires a slow-play strategy - BPN is exploring a ready-to-drink energy drink but will prioritize local distributors and high sell-through velocity over rapid national scaling to avoid retail liability.
“I'm viewing this as a long-term brand building opportunity to make a bigger splash into retail. This energy drink wouldn't be something that we focused distribution on our website.”
— Nick Bare

APR 4, 2026Ben Greenfield

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Plasmapheresis acts as a preventative blood oil change - this long-standing medical technology is being pivotally used to filter out toxins and inflammatory markers before chronic illness develops
“Historically, they have never used it for preventative care.”
— Brigham Buhler
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Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are driving drug prices higher - these middlemen, owned by major insurers, negotiate rebates that effectively act as kickbacks, incentivizing high list prices for common drugs
“Rather than negotiating down the cost of prescription drugs, they legitimately began to negotiate up the cost of prescription drugs... because they negotiated rebates.”
— Brigham Buhler
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Modern medicine functions as a sick care monopoly - because insurance companies now own the pharmacies and the providers, the system is financially incentivized to manage chronic symptoms rather than pursue total wellness
“The problem with the health care system is it's a sick care system that is monetizing chronic disease.”
— Brigham Buhler

MAR 16, 2026Nick Bare

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Protein is a total-body requirement - Beyond just muscle repair, protein is fundamental for hormone production, enzyme function, immune support, and long-term bone health.
“If you want to perform better, recover stronger, and build a body that lasts, you have to start by getting the fundamentals right.”
— Nick Bare
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Daily consistency is non-negotiable - Because the human body has no way to store excess amino acids for later use, you must meet your protein targets every single day to avoid tissue breakdown.
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Leverage the metabolic advantage - High protein intake drives better body composition by increasing satiety and utilizing a higher thermic effect of food compared to fats or carbs.
“If you want to perform better, recover stronger, and build a body that lasts, you have to start by getting the fundamentals right.”
— Nick Bare