Dr. Lisa Riegel reveals why 85% of New Year's resolutions fail by week 2 and the brain science that makes change actually stick. The NeuroWell Framework explains how your thalamus (Harold) and amygdala (Bob) hijack decision-making and what to do about it. In this conversation, Dr. Lisa A. Riegel, breaks down the neuroscience of self-regulation, the 4 states of awake, a 30-minute relaxation protocol, and her 8C Commitment Framework for making personal change last.

Dr. Lisa A. Riegel is a leadership strategist, educator, and author who helps organizations use neuroscience to build cultures of engagement, wellbeing, and sustainable change. She's the creator of the NeuroWell Framework and author of NeuroWell. With over 2 decades of experience across education, nonprofit, and community-based organizations, she translates complex brain science into practical tools leaders can use.

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• Your brain is a corporation: the thalamus (Harold) handles data, the amygdala (Bob) runs security, your prefrontal cortex is the CEO
• 85% of Americans ditch their New Year's resolutions by week 2
• A 30-minute relaxation alarm trains the vagus nerve to auto-regulate
• The "solution to pollution is dilution": you can't erase negative brain filters, but you can crowd them out
• Social anxiety is misdiagnosed 98.7% of the time, per NIH data Dr. Riegel cites
• Roughly 30% of Americans have undiagnosed blood sugar issues masquerading as mental health disorders
• AI cognitive offloading atrophies the exact brain region responsible for character, morals, and consciousness
• Celebration is the #1 underrated ingredient in the 8C Commitment Framework for sustained change

00:00 Intro

02:31 Your brain is a company (meet Harold & Bob)

05:12 The 4 states of awake: calm, alert, alarm, fear

07:53 Which protective filters to keep vs. dilute

08:11 Building your trigger sheet

13:08 The 30-minute relaxation alarm

16:24 Why 85% of goals fail by week 2

20:49 Why your proprioceptive system is broken

24:11 AI anxiety and the local expert crisis

34:10 The vault: workplace venting done right

36:01 Chronic stress, autoimmune disease & blood sugar

37:18 Social anxiety is misdiagnosed 98.7% of the time

42:28 Creativity is born of boredom

49:42 The 8C Commitment Framework

• Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vhShZwzwQsI
• Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/259

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What if the reason your wins never feel like enough isn't a motivation problem, but a decision you made at age 3 that you don't even remember?

Executive coach and former RAF pilot Will Steel joins Nick Urban to unpack how unconscious childhood decisions become the invisible architecture of an adult life.

Will trained in ontological coaching under Werner Erhard's lineage and now works with CEOs, Buddhist monks, imams, and aspiring heads of state. His core message: limiting beliefs aren't abstract thoughts you can affirm your way out of.

They're precise decisions made in specific moments, and they keep generating evidence to prove themselves right until you get to the exact words you said to yourself.

Will Steel is an executive coach, former RAF pilot, and author of Free to Lead. He helps leaders build authentic, high-performing teams by focusing on identity, purpose, and behavior. His work blends military discipline with deep ontological inquiry, and he won't coach anyone for less than 12 months because real identity work takes time.

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• Limiting beliefs form from silent decisions made in specific childhood moments, not from the events themselves

• Your behavior produces the exact evidence that proves your hidden decisions right

• "I am depressed" fuses you to a state, "I have depression" treats it like a stomach ache and releases identity

• Body symptoms often communicate unsaid words — sore throats, sprained ankles, and digestive issues can map to suppressed messages

• "Fly the airplane" is the RAF drill Will uses in boardrooms: wings level first, checklist second

• Subtraction beats addition when you're stuck, get the facts before adding more strategies

• Real coaching happens in the listening, not the prescribing

• Fitra is an Arabic word for true essence, the seed that grows into a perfect plant in any soil

00:53 Unidentified past decisions limit what's possible

02:13 How belief loops form and lock in

07:22 "You should have been a girl" — the 40-year story

12:44 What ontology actually is

18:08 "I am depressed" vs "I have depression"

22:00 Body symptoms as unspoken communication

33:04 Fly the airplane: the emergency drill for life

43:28 Why subtraction beats stacking skills

46:14 Coaching CEOs, monks, and imams

51:32 The scientist whose $600 rate hid an 11-year-old story

56:33 The art dealer and the $17 million question

1:05:15 What fitra means and why it matters

• Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eaBLmzfqf1s
• Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/258

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RNA microbiome testing reveals what DNA gut tests fundamentally miss. Your gut bacteria have 3,000+ genes each — DNA tests see zero of their actual activity. Dr. Momchilo (Momo) Vuyisich, Co-founder & CSO of Viome and former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist, explains why RNA-based metatranscriptomics is a quantum leap over DNA sequencing for understanding your microbiome and personalizing nutrition.

Dr. Momo Vuyisich spent 12 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory developing RNA-based technology for digitizing human biology. He co-founded Viome in 2016 with Naveen Jain, and the platform has since tested 500,000+ customers across 100+ countries. His personal journey with NEU5GC autoimmune sensitivity drove his mission to replace opinion-based nutrition with data-driven, personalized recommendations.

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• DNA microbiome tests show composition only — RNA tests reveal which of 3,000+ bacterial genes are actually active
• 16S rRNA sequencing cannot distinguish pathogenic bacteria from beneficial ones
• Akkermansia can protect or destroy your gut lining depending on fiber intake and gene expression
• Carnitine supplements may cause cardiovascular disease via the TMAO pathway in certain people
• Viome's biological aging clock shows keto and paleo dieters age faster on average
• No whole food is universally good or bad — personalization requires your own molecular data
• The gut microbiome stays stable for 5-6 months; test semi-annually
• Viome currently measures 25,000 of ~100,000 biochemical reactions powering the body
• Three randomized controlled trials validate Viome's personalized nutrition approach

00:00 Introduction

02:44 Why RNA is the single best molecule to study

06:16 RNA instability — why it took 6 years to develop

08:02 Why 16S sequencing is nearly useless

11:02 Akkermansia's 3,000 genes: help or harm?

17:37 Microbiome as a dynamic self-adjusting ecosystem

23:20 NEU5GC sensitivity & mammalian food reactions

25:50 Food sensitivities (IgG) vs allergies (IgE)

29:55 Viome's 3-part approach: seal gut, reduce inflammation, personalize

41:07 Biological aging clock: keto & paleo age faster

49:13 Dry fasting crashed mitochondrial function score

52:07 Machine learning identifies metabolic bottlenecks

1:00:23 Viome measures 25% of human biology, 10% actionable

• Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bB8Zj_9pIv8
• Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/257

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Are you busy all day but never finishing the work that actually matters? What if the problem isn't discipline — it's that you've never learned how to enter a flow state on demand?

Steven Puri joins Nick Urban to break down the science and practice of flow states. Steven shares the exact protocol he built after two decades in Hollywood and tech: how music at 60-90 BPM triggers focus, why rain sounds outperformed $100K of custom compositions, and the morning intention habit he calls the single highest-ROI practice for productivity.

Steven Puri is the Founder and CEO of The Sukha Company, a flow state productivity platform helping knowledge workers find their focus and do their best work. Before building Sukha, Steven served as VP at 20th Century Fox running the Die Hard and Wolverine franchises, EVP at DreamWorks Pictures for Kurtzman-Orci Productions (Star Trek, Transformers), and produced CGI for 14 films including Independence Day. He sold his first tech company, Centropolis Effects, at age 28. Steven lives in Austin, TX.

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• Flow takes 15-23 minutes of uninterrupted focus to enter — short gaps between meetings don't count
• Music at 60-90 BPM, non-vocal, with long melodic stretches is the evidence-based sweet spot
• Rain sounds beat custom-composed focus music because they trigger unconscious memory associations
• Your physical workspace creates mental triggers — one location per type of deep work
• Before touching your phone each morning, name the ONE thing that moves your life forward
• Standard Pomodoro (25/5) often interrupts flow — try 50/10 cycles instead
• Social media platforms deploy casino game designers to maximize your time on app
• A father of two completed his PhD with just 60 focused minutes per weeknight

00:54 Steven's background: Hollywood, startups & flow state discovery

02:58 What is a flow state? Csikszentmihalyi's research explained

11:05 How "Sukha" got its name on a honeymoon in Bali

18:35 Music for flow: the 60-90 BPM sweet spot

22:32 Why rain sounds crushed $100K of custom music

29:54 Social media is engineered to steal your focus

35:27 The #1 morning habit for peak productivity

37:13 Default mode network: why great ideas come when you're not trying

42:17 Physical space = mental space (the $5 million villa story)

47:32 Time blocking & Pomodoro customization

52:05 How a dad finished his PhD in 60-minute flow sessions

• Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KhesUIwp0pI
• Full episode show notes: http://outliyr.com/256

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You don't have a motivation problem. You have a TRUST problem. And the fix is so embarrassingly simple, you'll laugh at it — but it works. Acusio Bivona lost his relationship, his business, his friends, and nearly his mind... all in 5 months.

What he built from the wreckage? A 90-day protocol that's helping founders go from total system failure to operating at a level they didn't know existed

Acusio Bivona is a Human Performance Architect and founder of The Resurrection Protocol. After 10 years as a personal trainer in Los Angeles, he experienced 5 catastrophic life events in 5 months and used the rebuilding process to design a coaching methodology for high-achieving men. His approach fuses spiritual philosophy with physiological interventions to reverse burnout and restore command-level energy.

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• System failure is when health, career, relationships, and purpose break down simultaneously — and recognizing it early changes the recovery trajectory
• Unbreakable Promises are commitments so small you laugh at them, yet your brain registers the win regardless of size
• Self-trust works like a bank account: $1 deposits (kept micro-promises) compound over time into genuine confidence
• Cold Resonance removes friction instead of adding force — producing more output with zero waste, like a superconductor
• The anterior midcingulate cortex literally grows at any age when you choose voluntary discomfort
• Protocol Zero stabilizes the first 48 hours after crisis using a 7-day digital blackout and immediate Unbreakable Promises
• Start with the body — fitness delivers the most tangible, visible results and builds momentum for everything else
• 20 minutes of daily silence with zero input is one of the highest-ROI habits for self-awareness

03:05 Reframing adversity as divine intervention

06:22 Kaizen philosophy: action breeds clarity

08:52 Unbreakable Promises explained

12:03 Hot Fusion vs Cold Resonance

15:02 Why fitness is the non-negotiable first pillar

20:21 Anterior midcingulate cortex: the "do hard muscle"

25:45 Attachment theory: anxious to earned security

28:53 What system failure actually looks like

32:56 You are your own primary care doctor

34:02 Solitude, silence, and meditation twice daily

37:37 Flow state and detaching from outcomes

43:34 Protocol Zero: first 48 hours after crisis

44:47 Digital blackout: 7 days off social media

47:07 Freedom app for enforcing the blackout

• Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fwwwR6ULiSc
• Full episode show notes: http://outliyr.com/255

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Ever feel exhausted no matter what you try, or notice new symptoms you can't explain since 2020?

Dr. Evan Hirsch reveals the Toxic Five framework, the hidden combination of heavy metals, chemicals, molds, infections, & nervous system dysfunction that are the real root causes of chronic fatigue, long COVID, & autoimmunity.

Dr. Evan Hirsch is a board-certified MD and the founder of EnergyMD, where he specializes in treating chronic fatigue syndrome and long COVID. He has spent over a decade helping thousands of patients identify and address the root causes of their low energy. Dr. Hirsch resolved his own chronic fatigue syndrome using the same Toxic Five framework he now teaches. His 4-step process uses 100% natural tinctures and supplements, increased one drop at a time, to systematically detoxify at a rate each individual can tolerate. He operates online as a health coach and hosts the EnergyMD Podcast.

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• About 36% of everyone who has had COVID develops persistent symptoms, making it a trillion-dollar annual problem most people don't even realize they have

• The Toxic Five (heavy metals, chemicals, molds, infections, nervous system dysfunction) cause 80% of the deficiencies that functional medicine typically treats as primary problem

• Over 90% of chronic fatigue cases can be identified through patient history & symptoms alone, saving thousands in unnecessary lab work Illness operates on 3 levels: lifestyle fixes, replacing deficiencies (adrenals, mitochondria, thyroid), & full Toxic Five removal for stubborn cases

• Biofilms shelter infections & toxins in a toxic matrix. COVID disrupts these biofilms, releasing dormant infections like Bartonella & Babesia

• A free 4-step mindset practice (gratitude, vision, belief flipping, empowering questions) combined with vagal toning rewires the nervous system

• Peptides, stem cells, ozone, & other advanced biohacks work best after 6-12 months of Toxic Five treatment, not before

00:55 Why most people have long COVID and don't even know it

03:10 The Toxic Five that are secretly draining your energy

04:19 How your pet could be making you sick & the symptoms to watch for

07:47 The 3 levels of illness and what to do at each one

13:59 The one-drop method that prevents detox disasters

30:01 A free daily practice that rewires your nervous system

34:06 Why peptides, stem cells, and biohacks keep failing you

• Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Jmmu-U4wmyg
• Full episode show notes: http://outliyr.com/253

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Ever feel tired & anxious even when your labs look “normal”?

Dr. Scott Sher explains how mitochondrial dysfunction & metabolomics reveal what’s really happening at the cellular level & why optimizing your mitochondria changes energy, focus, & resilience.

Dr. Scott Sherr is an integrative hyperbaric medicine specialist and co-founder of Troscriptions, the company behind the first commercial pharmaceutical-grade methylene blue product. He provides worldwide hyperbaric consultation, education, and advocacy. With nearly 6 years of clinical experience using methylene blue troches, he has developed protocols bridging mitochondrial dysfunction and nervous system recalibration. Dr. Sherr also co-founded Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMe/HOPe), a nonprofit training clinicians in a 7-module framework for cellular health optimization. He is the founder of OneBase Health, developing next-generation sensor and app technology for health monitoring.

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• Your body operates as a holobiont—an ecosystem of human cells & microbes. True optimization requires influencing the entire internal network
• Data driven personalization beats influencer hype. Use targeted labs to build & adjust your own supplement stack over time
• Every organ system depends on cellular function. Optimize cells first before pursuing advanced protocols
• Metabolomics provides real time snapshots of unique biochemistry, guiding interventions based on actual needs
• Aim for optimal young adult biomarker ranges instead of settling for average aging norms
• Mitochondrial capacity drives cognition, recovery, & disease resistance. Most chronic issues trace back to energy dysfunction
• Chronic sympathetic activation locks the body in survival mode, draining cellular reserves & accelerating breakdown
• Short term mitochondrial support & stress downregulation create space for sustainable long term lifestyle upgrades
• Balanced excitatory & inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA & glutamate support mood stability, anxiety regulation, & recovery
• Deep parasympathetic recovery unlocks greater cognitive & athletic return than constant stimulation or overwork

01:01 Holobiont concept: Why Dr. Sherr reframes biohacking as “biont hacking”

06:01 Sympathetic spiral of doom: How chronic fight-or-flight drains mitochondria

14:04 HRV as a nervous system barometer

21:25 Mitochondria beyond the textbook

41:00 Five root causes of mitochondrial dysfunction

48:50 Methylene blue as a mitochondrial bridge

50:58 GABA-glutamate imbalance in brain signaling

53:26 Obligatory pairs for GABA support

01:07:37 The parasympathetic edge for performance & recovery

• Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SImTojIu2aY
• Full episode show notes: outliyr.com/252

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Be an Outliyr,

Nick