#118 Steven Kotler - Fix Your Focus, Enter Peak Performance & Stop Procrastinating

Chris Williamson is a podcaster and the host of Modern Wisdom. This conversation has been years in the making for me. I started listening to Chris in 2019, aged 21, trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted from life. His voice has been with me through so much of that journey. To sit opposite him in Edinburgh, hosting a podcast of my own, was a moment I’ll never forget. Chris spends much of his life asking the questions. This time, he lets us into his own story: the sensitive boy growing up in Stockton-on-Tees, the need to feel useful to feel loved, and the private uncertainty behind a very public success. It’s a side of him we rarely get to spend this much time with. Expect to learn how Chris’s upbringing shaped the man he became, why healing can change your ambition, what becoming Chris Williamson has cost him behind the scenes, how he knew it was time to leave his old life behind, what happened when Joe Rogan’s first message landed in his inbox, the advice he gives me about taking the leap to America, what his schoolmates would have expected him to become, why he still struggles to see himself the way others do, and much more… For years, I’ve learned from Chris. In this conversation, I got to know him. This is Chris Williamson’s Origin Story. — Follow Chris Williamson Instagram: / chriswillx YouTube: / @chriswillx Website: https://chriswillx.com/ Follow David & Origin Story Instagram: / davidmcintoshjr TikTok: / davidmcintoshjr Website: https://davidmcintoshjr.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6DV9tUf... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Patreon: / davidmcintoshjr — Sponsored by SLATER MENSWEAR, OFFICIAL TAILORING PARTNER OF ORIGIN STORY. https://www.slaters.co.uk/?srsltid=AU... Fuelled by NEUTONIC CODE “David”

In this episode of Origin Story, I’m joined by Craig Ferguson, a endurance challenge athlete and mental health ambassador who recently completed an extraordinary feat: walking the length of America. Over 110 days, Craig covered more than 3,300 miles, averaging around 85,000 steps daily, and raised an astounding £1.4 million for mental health charities. Despite the enormity of this journey, Craig shares how the reality of it still hasn’t fully sunk in, with the weight of the physical challenge and the impact of the fundraising only becoming clearer with time.We dive into Craig’s background, exploring how uncertainty in his early life eventually led him to embrace adventure and charity challenges as a purpose-driven path. He talks about the importance of taking risks and being open to life’s unpredictable turns, especially highlighted through his travels and the unique challenges he has undertaken. The conversation also sheds light on the profound mental and emotional trials he faced, the support from friends and surprising celebrity backers, and the deeply personal moments that made the journey meaningful. Throughout, Craig emphasizes the power of having a purpose bigger than oneself and encourages listeners to take bold steps toward their calling, no matter how daunting it may seem. Whether you’re interested in endurance feats, mental health advocacy, or inspiring life stories, this episode offers a compelling blend of all three.Instagram: instagram.com/davidmcintoshjr Get 10% off Neutonic with code DAVID: https://neutonic.comAffiliate link/code: I earn a commission on qualifying purchases.

John Swinney is the First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP).But before Bute House, before becoming Scotland’s longest-serving Deputy First Minister, and before eventually taking the top job, John was a politically engaged teenager from Edinburgh who joined the SNP at just 15 years old.In this episode of Origin Story, I sit down with John Swinney inside his residence Bute House to talk about the story behind the politician.We talk about growing up in Edinburgh, discovering politics as a teenager, joining the SNP in 1979, his unexpected journey to becoming First Minister, stepping back from frontline politics for his family and ultimately returning when he believed his party and country needed him.We also talk about child poverty, social mobility, Scottish independence, Scotland’s relationship with America, the Tartan Army taking over Boston, Scotch whisky tariffs, his conversations with Donald Trump, family life, political pressure, paddleboarding, hangovers and what the Scottish Dream could look like for the next generation.This is a conversation about more than politics.It is about duty, opportunity, identity, public service and what drives someone to keep stepping forward when it might be easier to step away.This is John Swinney’s Origin Story.Follow David:Instagram: @davidmcintoshjrTikTok: @davidmcintoshjrLinkedIn: David McIntosh JrSpotify / Apple Podcasts: Origin Story with David McIntosh Jr

Jason “Wee Man” Acuña is one of the most recognisable faces from Jackass, the MTV show and movie franchise that changed comedy, skateboarding, stunts and chaos forever.But before Jackass, before the movies, before people were shouting “Wee Man’s here!” in the streets of Japan, Jason was a skater from California who found his name, his confidence and his community through skateboarding.

John McCalla-Leacy is a former KPMG global executive, coach, speaker, former international canoeist, martial arts champion and one of the most extraordinary origin stories ever told on this podcast.In this episode of Origin Story, John sits down with David McIntosh Jr for a deeply inspiring and almost unbelievable conversation abouzt homelessness, resilience, reinvention, race, social mobility, financial freedom, grief, leadership, faith in people, and what it really means to build a life that no one could have predicted.From growing up in South London as the son of Jamaican parents from the Windrush generation, to experiencing homelessness, competing internationally as a canoeist, working in fashion for Benetton, living across Italy, China, Hong Kong and Thailand, becoming a martial arts champion, joining KPMG, rising to become one of their top-performing partners in Asia and later Global Head of ESG, John’s story genuinely sounds impossible.But the most unbelievable part? A grant from The Prince’s Trust changed the direction of his life and years later, Queen Elizabeth II personally heard his story, passed it on to King Charles, and John ended up having dinner with the King.This is a powerful, funny, emotional, and life-affirming conversation about resilience, reinvention, community, money, leadership, identity, and learning how to turn the hardest parts of your story into the thing that carries you forward.Follow David McIntosh Jr:Instagram: @davidmcintoshjrLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mcintosh-jr-47683b120/Follow John McCalla-Leacy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mccalla-leacy/Sponsored by Neutonic — the nootropic drink designed for focus, energy and getting stuff done.Use code DAVID at checkout.neutonic.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo2no5bA7Ap7ScRXIfpOjvA2tiDOmzbEaoA9FgsUJhT2YoAn-3w