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#752 - 1.75m Q&A - Growing Pains, Social Anxiety & Dating Problems

Modern Wisdom

Fri Mar 01 2024



  • Chris Williamson's 1.75m Q&A Episode Analysis:

  • Chris celebrated reaching 1.75 million YouTube subscribers by engaging with questions from platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • He revealed feeling pressure and heightened scrutiny post his Joe Rogan podcast appearance, leading to increased vulnerability in his content.

  • Despite enjoying success, he expressed struggles with fear of criticism and challenges related to increased attention.

  • Criticism Towards Podcasts & Content Creation:

  • James Smith criticized controversy farming and inaccurate guest information on podcasts.

  • Coffeezilla emphasized the importance of individuals speaking within their expertise but was countered for limiting topics based on formal qualifications.

  • Chris defended his podcast's diverse guest selection, including unknown creators and academics, challenging criticisms about repeating guests or lack of variety.

  • Challenges of Success & Mental Strain:

  • The exponential success impacted Chris personally, causing feelings of constant vigilance and anxiety due to heightened visibility.

  • He shared difficulties balancing gratitude for achievements while striving for improvement, managing self-doubt, anger at oneself, and fears linked to personal growth.

  • Plans for New Tonic Brand & Advertisements:

  • Supply chain challenges faced by New Tonic due to sourcing high-quality ingredients were mentioned.

  • Ads were addressed as necessary funding sources for elaborate shoots involving significant costs and efforts behind-the-scenes to maintain production quality.

  • Personal Improvement Goals & Life Lessons:

  • Chris aimed to improve by overcoming fears, connecting authentically with emotions rather than performative responses, maintaining consistent training routines, seeking therapy for personal growth.

  • An example of a counterintuitive life lesson that improved his life was focusing on key movements overthinking exercise choices for muscular development.

Improving Podcasting Skills:

  • The speaker's training regimen for podcasting included enrolling in content creation courses like "30 Days to a Better YouTube Channel" and Ali Abdaal's Part-Time YouTuber Academy.
  • He also received voice coaching, explored thumbnail design, channel strategy on YouTube, and experimented with nootropics to enhance his performance during episodes.

Challenges with People-Pleasing Behavior:

  • Acknowledging his people-pleasing tendencies, the host is actively working on becoming more assertive during conversations by challenging ideas he disagrees with.
  • He emphasized prioritizing honesty over politeness when engaging with guests or discussing topics.

Balancing Joy and Drive in Life:

  • The speaker finds joy in novelty, adventure, outdoor activities, and new experiences which help create lasting memories.
  • His current goal is to achieve world-class status while maintaining a fun approach to life to slow down time through diverse memory creation.

Overcoming Back Issues:

  • Dealing with bulging discs from CrossFit initially, the host incorporated Dr. Stuart McGill's "Big Three" exercises daily to manage back issues effectively.
  • Additionally, he underwent stem cell treatment in South America that required a significant deload period but positively impacted his overall back health.

Future Guest Selection Strategy:

  • Expressing interest in interviewing musicians such as John Mayer and intriguing figures like Eric Prydz, Oliver Tree, Oliver Heldens, Fred Again, and members of Sleep Token despite their pseudonymous nature.

Upcoming Podcast Plans:

  • An upcoming key guest will be Jonathan Haidt for the release of his new book addressing social media addiction and mental health among young individuals.
  • The host aims to ensure each episode adds personal value first under the assumption that it will resonate with at least some portion of the audience.

Countries Visited and Future Travel Plans:

  • The speaker shared experiences from visiting various countries, including Bali, Thailand, Guatemala, Rome, Athens, Medellín in Colombia.
  • Specific opinions were given about different places visited such as Phuket being called a "shithole" and expressing love for Rome and Athens.
  • Top future travel destinations mentioned included Venice, Egypt, Japan, Australia, and Antarctica.

Spiritual Beliefs and Faith:

  • Discussed having minimal spiritual beliefs but appreciating practices like distant healing and moon phases due to family influence.
  • Attended faith-related events out of curiosity rather than personal belief.

Booking High-Profile Podcast Guests:

  • Highlighted the effectiveness of sending direct messages (DMs) to secure podcast guests.
  • Noted that referrals from existing connections play a crucial role in booking mid-level or higher guests.

Balancing High Standards with Grace:

  • Emphasized starting small when feeling low on momentum to reduce friction.
  • Never missing two days in a row was suggested as a key rule to maintain consistency.

Impact of Me Too Movement on Dating Dynamics:

  • Mentioned an increase in women's anxiety around men post-Me Too movement due to heightened awareness of global crime stories.
  • Acknowledged social media exposure and fear playing significant roles in shaping modern dating interactions.