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The Great Unlearn
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© Copyright 2020 Cal Callahan
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We grew up in a world we didn’t create. And one idea after the next—whether it was culture or society—we were told how to look, how to feel, and who to be. We were told that if we checked off the “right” boxes (think: career, car, money), we’d feel good, we’d be whole, and—naturally—we’d be set. But, turns out, there’s more to the story. On The Great Unlearn, Cal dives into unlearning and questioning what the world taught us, and—in the process—how to be the truest version of yourself, minus the bullshit. Whether it’s figuring out how to navigate a relationship, dealing with your emotions, diving into spirituality, or just feeling comfortable in your own skin, Cal and friends navigate the choppy waters of what it really takes to unlearn all the ideas we took for granted, and how to be the best version of what, sometimes, can be so hard to be: yourself.
166 Episodes
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With over 20 years in military intelligence, Chase Hughes is a leading expert in behavioral analysis. He has developed ethical, highly effective techniques to help individuals understand and apply human behavior and influence for success in both personal and professional life. His insights also empower others to recognize, navigate, and master persuasion and psychological operations with confidence.
One of Chase’s most groundbreaking discoveries is that the human brain has no firewall. This led to the development of Neuro-Cognitive Intelligence (NCI) — the premier system for influence, leadership, and behavioral mastery, trusted by top agencies and leaders worldwide.
Matt Christopherson is the founder of Opscotch, a wellness platform revolutionizing personal health through biomarker testing and expert-driven insights. But his own journey of self-optimization hasn’t been limited to business.
As the only runner to ever complete the RBC GranFondo (125kms) from Vancouver to Whistler, Matt set out on an extraordinary journey, not just to test his endurance but to reclaim his sense of self – pushing his limits physically and personally during a transformative time in his life.
Shawn Wells is a globally recognized nutritional biochemist and supplement industry leader, known as "The World's Greatest Formulator" for developing over 1,000 products and holding 40+ patented ingredients.
Beyond his expertise in biohacking, anti-aging, and health optimization, Shawn has overcome personal health struggles, including Epstein-Barr, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and a pituitary tumor, making him a beacon of resilience. His journey took a transformative turn through a profound medicine experience, allowing him to release emotional trauma by accessing deep forgiveness and heal feminine wounds that shaped his relationships — all which were intimately tied to these physical manifestations.
Ajit Nawalkha is the former CEO of Mindvalley, the current co-founder of Evercoach, Dharma Coaching Institute, and Global Grit, and the host of Master Coaching with Ajit, which happens to be one of the fastest-growing podcasts for self-coaches and professional coaches.
Ajit reveals the key qualities and steps to becoming a master coach, guide, or leader across any field — emphasizing curiosity, presence, and the power of building authentic, trustworthy relationships. He explains how developing advanced skills can amplify impact and fulfillment in both life and business.
1Kristin Weitzel, founder of SHERPA Breath and Cold, explores the transformative potential of combining breathwork and cold therapy to strengthen your nervous system and enhance overall well-being. Drawing from her personal journey of using breathwork to heal from medical trauma, Kristin provides unique insights and evidence into these powerful practices.
She also discusses the optimal timing for cold plunges, the effects on both women’s and men’s hormones, and how these tools can elevate mental, physical, and emotional health. Join us for expert advice and actionable tips to stretch your capacity and thrive.
As a former trader, hosting The Great Unlearn has been a deeply healing way to navigate life beyond a career that, while outwardly successful, became a significant part of my identity. This journey has led me to explore new ways of being through plant medicines, unlearning patterns that limit growth, cultivating deeper presence, and practicing tools for more meaningful relationships — and everything in between. Thank you all for being part of this ongoing exploration. Looking forward to expanding and diving even deeper with The Great Unlearn this year.
Kimberly Van Der Beek shares her process with unlearning and reclaiming her spiritual truth, having begun to explore her spiritual gifts a decade ago through psychic dreams. She’s now practicing energy medicine and holds the vision of a future where these ancient practices are seamlessly integrated into modern healthcare—trusting that our collective will move beyond its limited perception of human potential to unlock our boundless capacity for healing.
Jason Ross is a dynamic force in strategic growth within the e-commerce industry. As the founder and CEO of JackThreads, he transformed the brand from a solo venture into a leading e-commerce and lifestyle destination, achieving $100 million in annual revenue—all before platforms like Shopify revolutionized the online retail space.
After selling a majority stake, JackThreads faced challenges that proved insurmountable, leading Jason to make the difficult decision to step away. He reflects on the valuable lessons learned through the experience.
World-renowned cosmetic surgeon Dr. Cameron Chesnut has revolutionized the art of patient care with a comprehensive approach that blends meticulous concierge-level preparation, minimally invasive regenerative techniques, and unparalleled recovery strategies including the implementation of opioid-free anesthesia protocols.
At just six years old, Lauren Pronger’s journey into holistic wellness began with her father’s cancer diagnosis, sparking a profound curiosity about healing. This passion was further shaped by her family’s travels abroad, where they explored Western medicine in search of answers. Later, as a devoted caregiver and support system for her children and husband during his NHL injuries, Lauren experienced burnout, prompting her to refocus on her own health and well-being. This transformative journey inspired the creation of Well-Inspired Travels and her latest venture, the SUPERWELL Living Method, designed to help others go beyond wellness and thrive.
Chris Pronger, a celebrated hockey icon and member of the exclusive Triple Gold Club, Hockey Hall of Fame, and recognized as one of the NHL’s Top 100 Players, showcases how his championship mindset drives his success as an entrepreneur and speaker. Drawing on his illustrious career, he shares strategies for cultivating championship culture in everyday life, building resilience, and leading with intention. Dedicated to empowering driven leaders, Chris provides practical insights to help teams and organizations reach their full potential.
Thomas Aksnes' journey from overcoming debilitating childhood illnesses to leading global healthcare innovation is a testament to resilience and determination. Following years of ineffective treatments, a life-changing prognosis at 19 propelled him to take charge of his health. Through self-healing, he developed the HEALTH framework—Hippocrates, Education, Assessment, Locating, Targeting, Homeostasis—and founded Health Optimizing clinics. These clinics tackle health challenges at their root by piecing together the intricate "jigsaw puzzle" of the human body.
By integrating cutting-edge medical advancements far ahead of conventional timelines, Health Optimizing delivers truly holistic solutions that surpass traditional methods.
Jon Vroman, founder of Front Row Dads, joins us as he dives into the art of cultivating connection and harmony in relationships. We discuss the unique, yet parallel, challenges we’ve experienced in our relationships and the strategies that have helped us navigate difficult seasons.
We also explore Front Row Dads, a community he founded on the realization that being a dedicated family man is not a role one steps into only after work—it is the primary work. This conversation will inspire listeners to prioritize family and relationships with purpose and presence.
Paul Chek guides us from the child archetype to self-realization, showing how challenges — what he calls the "pain teacher" — lead to wholeness. Paul explains how money and addiction can reveal our inner selves, while myths and the hero’s journey shape culture. With insights from over 40 years of helping people heal and overcome crises, Paul introduces his “Spirit Gym” course to help people solve life’s toughest problems and uncover their truest selves.
We explore the needs of men and women with Dr. Robert Glover, an experienced therapist, coach, speaker, and educator with over 40 years of experience in relationship dynamics. As the author of the impactful book “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, Dr. Glover has helped thousands of men worldwide transform their lives and achieve their goals in relationships, sex, and careers.
Chris Dufey joins us for a refresh on living a fulfilling life, where we explore the balance between earning money and finding meaning. We challenge the idea of a one-size-fits-all approach to success, highlighting that it’s a deeply personal journey. As someone with a coaching background, Chris reflects on moving away from telling others what to do, toward guiding them to trust their own unique process.
Luke Storey and I had the privilege of hosting a live podcast at the Be Here Fall Equinox retreat. In this conversation, Luke shares his journey of writing his first book, A Horse Named Lonesome, and how he learned to embrace the natural rhythms of his creative process.
We conclude our conversation with a q+a from retreat guests.
Daniel Solomons and Shawn Wells join us for a fascinating discussion on the harmful effects of a substance consumed by 90% of the global population: caffeine. In response, they have created an alternative drink called UPDATE—the first product using paraxanthine, an extract of caffeine that offers positive immediate and long-term cognitive benefits.
Chase Reeves—digital creator, brand consultant, and close friend—opens up about his life journey following the sudden loss of his brother and the separation from his marriage partner, the mother of his children. In the midst of these significant life transitions, Chase finds himself in a period of personal reinvention.
With over a decade of experience in Christian faith, men's work, relationships, and parenting, Chase reflects on these areas while exploring how he’s created more room for joy, connection, and self-acceptance during challenging times.
After years of observing clients and exploring different cultures, Aaron Alexander has found that the healthiest people don't live in the gym—they integrate simple, natural principles from The Align Method into daily life.
Aaron has distilled ancient techniques into practical, movement-based practices that anyone can use throughout the day to build strength, boost flexibility, and decongest the body physically, emotionally, and energetically to unlock its natural healing potential.
Ron White is back, celebrating over a year since the Comedy Mothership (one of my favorite evening spots) opened. He discusses how his relationship to Joe Rogan drew him out of retirement for the Mothership, his interactions with emerging comedians, and a significant personal event from this year that's set to shift the direction of his life.
Marcus Filly, founder of Functional Bodybuilding, shares his expertise on boosting and sustaining vitality through simple nutrition and exercise techniques. After years of rigorous CrossFit training and chasing peak performance, Marcus encountered major life changes and burnout, which ultimately became a valuable learning experience for himself and others.
In response, he created Functional Bodybuilding to support athletes and individuals aiming for their best physical and mental well-being, all while embracing the process. Marcus now emphasizes personalized programming and believes that lasting success is not achieved through strict limitations.
Starting his entrepreneurial journey at just 17, from selling carbon bikes to owning frozen yogurt franchises, diving into the startup that was Orange Theory, and dabbling in real estate (to name a few), Pavel Stuchlik's story is nothing short of inspiring.
Years of relentless effort eventually led to severe burnout and autoimmune issues, prompting Pavel to step away from the constant grind. He embarked on a global quest for inner peace, realizing the consequences of his relentless pursuit of power, wealth, and growth.
Pavel's journey has been a rollercoaster of successes and setbacks, yet his perspective remained that every challenge was a lesson, sometimes in disguise.
Dr. John Lieurance is a Chiropractic Neurologist and Naturopath. His approach aims to keep the body clear of any infections, as his belief is that many conditions stem from toxins and infections within the body. He’s developed cutting-edge systems and technology for treating those who have experienced mold and heavy metal toxicity, autoimmune conditions, neurological disorders and chronic inflammation, to name a few.
Dr. John shares his recent experiments with new healing modalities, his prostate protocol for keeping healthy and healing any imbalances, and treating anxiety and ADHD
For 30 years, Mike Murphy has been unlocking the perfect recipe to manifest one’s dreams and transforming it into tangible success – The Creation Frequency. His business enterprises have generated wealth that moves beyond himself – whether supporting those battling against illness or addiction, or anyone looking to reach a deeper understanding within themselves through wellness retreats.
Now, through his Love From Margot Foundation and Mountains of Hope, he devotes himself full-time to ensuring that all who seek an improved life can find the path toward reaching their desires.
Salim Najjar has spent the last decade experimenting with ancient modalities and modern technologies to better understand the human experience. His journey has led him to studying one particular metric as the ultimate marker for longevity, creativity, and higher happiness: HRV (aka Heart Rate Variability). HRV is a measure of our relationship to stress, and chronic stress is the root cause of dis-ease and aging.
Salim has developed protocols for regulating the nervous system, creating resilience, and bridging the relationship between stress and recovery.
Chris Dufey had always been motivated by financial success, stemming from a background where money was scarce. Despite achieving his financial goals, it never felt sufficient. In his pursuit of "enoughness," he realized he had been neglecting what truly mattered: his wife, daughters, health, and friendships.
Upon realigning his priorities with his core values, Chris integrated his professional mission with a stronger focus on family cohesion. This transformative journey posed challenges, yet he remained mindful of his personal patterns, staying committed to meaningful work. All which began with turning inward.
Hal Elrod has faced numerous crises throughout his life. Despite being pronounced dead after a car accident, he miraculously emerged from a coma six days later. He battled deep depression during a financial crisis and healed from a rare form of leukemia.
In the midst of these challenges, Hal developed a transformative set of rituals that became the foundation of his bestselling book, "The Miracle Morning." These rituals, which he continues to practice, played a crucial role in his journey towards healing from cancer. This conversation is deeply emotional and offers insight into the power of vulnerability and belief.
If any conversation is going to test our willingness to unlearn deeply ingrained beliefs, it’s this one. Brandon Joe Williams, an insightful legal mind and advocate for freedom, joins us to embark on a digestible and nuanced exploration of attaining genuine financial autonomy by questioning and dismantling the constraints imposed by conventional legal systems.
Throughout this episode, expect to uncover eye-opening truths about legal principles, gain fresh perspectives on wealth, and discover new strategies for navigating taxes, among many other insights.
Michael Chernow is a father, husband, serial entrepreneur, podcast host, coach and athlete. He’s spent the last two decades devoted to recovery from an addiction that had nearly taken his life. His story of making the shift to a sober life is one of miracles, as I imagine is the case for many who walk this path. His sense of fulfillment has been built on life-enhancing habits he's maintained since deciding to live substance-free. He is creator of Kreatures of Habit, an overnight oatmeal with vegan protein—a habit-stacking staple for me.
Michael shares his return back to himself and how he continues to cultivate a life of deeper meaning.
Boyd Varty, Lion Tracker, Storyteller, Life Guide, shares his wisdom on embracing our wild selves. We recently celebrated his 40th birthday on the South African coastline—hiking across the landscape, leaping from cliffs, and engaging in meaningful and revealing fireside conversations. Along this journey, there was one primary aspect that we all felt truly touched by: the awakening of our unique wild self.
Danny Miranda brings the raw truth in this conversation. But what exactly is truth? It's a subjective concept, unique to each individual. However, it remains constantly accessible to us all. Truth empowers us to express ourselves genuinely, act with integrity, and foster genuine connections with both ourselves and others.
At 28, Danny has experienced financial success and pursued a never-ending quest for "more." He's sought approval through external validation from exercise, parties, and gambling. Yet, none of these distractions could mask his underlying lack of self-love. It wasn't until he confronted this truth that he committed to nurturing his highest self, one brief moment of meditation at a time.
Eben Britton, a former NFL player, has undergone the journey of reimagining his identity after it was defined by external achievements. In this conversation, Eben dives into how he has created contentment, trust and purpose in the present moment – in all its forms, circumstances and emotions.
What drives you daily? Consider finding comfort in those moments of stagnation or slow progress. Perspective is personal, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach.
Join Eben’s group mentorship program, Life in Flow, for weekly Live group calls, exclusive content and 1:1 access to Eben.
As the founder of The Lifestyle Investor and a master of low-risk cash flow investing, Justin’s ethos is to “create wealth without creating a job.” He excels at simplifying complex financial strategies, structuring deals, and disciplined investment systems that consistently yield profitable results.
This conversation came to me during a time of my own financial reevaluation. We all have our own version of financial stress so I hope this conversation will feel as inspiring for you as it was for me to bring more attention and balance to finances.
Adam Chin is the Co-Founder of Enlifted and genius behind course development and education.
Adam shares here about the pillars of a well-lived life: health, wealth, relationships, and self. He walks us through the 4-step language process to bring our visions into our reality—whether that be a wellness goal, financial, career, relational, you name it.
I had the privilege of working with Enlifted on my language process in December 2023 and it moved a lot of stuck energy and made way for greater expansion. Listen until the end to hear my live process.
David Sutcliffe spent 20+ years as an Actor in Hollywood and loved every minute of it… until he didn’t. Now what? He was met with the common predicament of feeling the pull to pivot from the known to the unknown. If you’ve been tuning in for a while now, you know this is how The Great Unlearn came to be – my journey from certainty to uncertainty.
After years in the industry, David no longer felt that lust for acting and as life would have it, he was presented with an opportunity to explore elsewhere. David now serves as a Somatic Practitioner and Psychotherapist where he leads both men and women in their own human evolution.
In my first ever interview-style solocast, my dear brother Ty Ward architects the flow beautifully to pull through the threads of my last 3 years in “the tunnel”. During this period of time, I was trudging through my dark night of the soul. Our family unit was working through challenges, finances were feeling rockier than I’m comfortable with, and my resistance to being with stillness and uncertainty became so loud, yet I powered through — at the expense of my health and relationships — like I have been “comfortably” doing for most of my life.
Now, on the other side of my tunnel phase, I felt the call to share my experience from this season and what it felt like within my relationship to self and those closest to me, the ways I tried so hard to escape it all, and what ultimately allowed for me to sink into the messages that I was meant to tune into.
Lance Armstrong shares the unseen struggles in the cycling world, going from hero to zero in an instant, meeting and defeating cancer, and through it all, how he chose to rebuild a life of integrity and meaning.
5 years ago he devoted himself to a 5-day intensive experience at Onsite Nashville where he began to peel back the layers of his emotional pain; that for so long were covered with bandaid after bandaid. He emerged from this retreat with a revived understanding of himself and responsibility for the life he continues to choose.
This conversation and connection energized a lot within me. Dan Martell is a serial entrepreneur, author of “Buy Back Your Time”, and coach to 1000+ SaaS founders in reclaiming their freedom. A big part of my journey has centered around the myth that my financial success brings life success — and in my body, this didn’t feel like the case once I reached that level in my career. Dan’s approach to creating a fulfilling, liberating life honors the ultimate insight — we are each here to walk our own unique path, and walking that path, whatever that may be, is what we must do.
Republishing this conversation with my soul brother and fan favorite, Boyd Varty. If you aren't familiar yet, Boyd is co-owner of Londolozi Game Reserve where he grew up amongst the wilderness and leads a life that implements and demonstrates the wisdom of the natural world.
In this episode we talk Story—how they either create ease or constriction, how to witness ourself in one, and how to alchemize thoughts, patterns and behaviors based on being witness to our own energetics. Boyd leads us through an intimate experience of him sitting with his egoic mind, allowing as many unfiltered thoughts to rise to the surface, what they feel like and eventually re-patterning and re-enforcing a more supportive and loving way of being.
Adam Schell developed Brain Supreme, a transformative microdose supplement blending together the magic of mushrooms, nootropics, adaptogens, and ergogenics to support neurological wellness. Mushrooms have been utilized since the beginning of time to cure many ailments and support one’s mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. I personally have enjoyed experimenting with different blends for focus, presence, play, and simply supporting my flow state energy.
Jared Pickard, founder of Be Here Farm + Nature, shares the journey of Be Here so far and the official launch of the website—peep below to shop all the incredible products. Be Here continues to be an advocate for sustainability and ethicality through mindfully formulated skin and body products.
Along the journey of developing his brand, one component that has shown immense support is prioritizing genuine hangs through men’s groups. Having experienced the depth and openness that has come from these he has curated a 12-week men’s group guided by many leaders across the states. Tune in for the full deep dive.
Mark England, co-founder and head coach at Enlifted, returns for a deeper dive into the power of language—offering us unique and practical steps in bringing awareness and change to the sabotaging voice in our head. He is joined by Kimberly Kesting, partner in business and host of the Get Enlifted podcast, who shares her own personal experiences with shifting reality simply by shifting the way she speaks of it.
It's been so fun to be involved in the wave of Gel Blaster, founded by today's guest, Colin Guinn. Gel Blaster began as a self-funded company and eventually evolved to partnering with friends—keeping true to fun being the name of the game.
Gel Blaster began as a portal to a healthier world for our younger generations. With all of the new technology, social media, video games etc, encouraging our kids to continue being active and in nature seems more important than ever. Gel Blaster does exactly this with the bonus of using sustainable materials. Not to mention, Gel Blaster HQ is incredibly elevated in their approach to employee moral—tune into this episode to hear how every company to level up their company energetics.
Doug Lynch, cofounder of Zenkai and president of Filium, delivers the secret sauce for professional and spiritual success. After playing 15 years of professional hockey, he was ready to begin a new chapter that would put him in the driver’s seat of his day-to-day life. After years of rediscovering his new sense of self and recreating a life outside of being an athlete, he found himself enthralled in the world of sustainability, eventually leading to the development of Zenkai and Filium technology—clothing that can transform lives, industries, and the planet.
Ting Ting Guan brings her serene nature to the podcast today as she shares about her meditative movement practice, the GuanJing Method. The GuanJing Method increases vital energy flow in the body, releases tension, and establishes balance and health through visualization and intentional movement patterns. It's rooted in Ancient traditional meditation and Eastern Qi practices — designed specifically to ease modern-day stressors.
In the spring, I was able to join in on another Bee the Wellness retreat. Bee the Wellness hosts retreats around the world consisting of farm-to-table meals, intentional and playful time in nature, live music and dancing, costumes, speakers, and coaching experiences. The retreats are really an integrative experience and conduit to sinking into the joys of life.
We hosted a panel with some of the retreat facilitators who shared powerful lived experiences that are sure to inspire and encourage others along the journey through life. Connect with these incredible humans below.
Del Bigtree is a television producer, host of The HighWire, and CEO of Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN). He is well-known in the world for his courage in researching and exposing scientific fraud. Today, he shares the path of discovering this destiny of his—beginning with producing The Doctors, which later became a major moral conflict.
For more on Del's research and work, check out Episode 96 where he shares many of his comprehensive findings and how the past 3 years have impacted his work.
Justin Frandson is an Athleticism Performance Coach using nerve health to strengthen and heal injury and misalignments in the body. He practices on the premise that the body is electric and through light therapy and static stretching, our cells are able to communicate to one another more efficiently and in turn, allows the body to heal itself.
This conversation is for both athletes and those who aren’t — waking up the nervous system and preparing our body for movement so that we can feel better and perform better on a daily basis.
Chad McLean is a military veteran and founder of Mental Joe Apparel. 3 years ago he had explored ketamine-assisted therapy which supported his mental wellbeing immensely and allowed him to part from SSRI's.
Chad shares his struggles with mental health and self-esteem throughout his life, his intense experiences in military camp and how he reclaimed his life back by acknowledging and tending to his inner woundings.
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Thanks for the content you're putting out🙏Thanks for being so real, just found you recently but I'm definitely enjoying your insight.