Spread Great Ideas: The Podcast

Hosted by Brian David Crane

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Sep 2025

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About the show

Spread Great Ideas is meant to increase the signal in a world awash in noise. Your curator and host, Brian David Crane, is on a quest to share the learnings of the world's most interesting people - the disruptors, the outliers, the libertines, and those who've been unconventionally successful - so that we can all become a little bit wiser, together.

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28 recent

September 16, 20251 hr 18 min

David Newell: What Is a Myth and Why Does It Matter?

I'm pleased to welcome my dear friend David Newell to the show. David wears many hats—writer, philosopher, consigliere, and more. He knows more about myths, the collective unconscious, and Carl Jung's works than anyone I know. And, as he put it: "The meaning and morality of One's life comes from within oneself. Healthy, strong individuals seek self-expansion by experimenting and by living dangerously." David Newell Quotes From the Episode "The redemption of the soul is not through the hero but through the savior, through Christ, through love, and through being of service." - David Newell on true transformation comes not from achievement but from letting go of ego, embracing love, and serving others. "The opposite of love is not hate, it's power." - David Newell on love as openness and growth, while power is about control and restriction. "All life is a stage. We're almost all walking around in a Shakespearean comedy or tragedy, whichever mood you're in that day." - David Newell on life as theater, each role we play reflecting our inner conflicts and narratives. Additional Resources David Newell's website David Newell on Linkedin David Newell on Spotify Trauma and the Soul by Donald Kalsched The Red Book by Carl Jung Answer to Job by Carl Jung The Middle Passage by James Hollis Show Notes 00:00:43 – David Newell on Myths, Jung, and the Collective Unconscious 00:01:13 – Why Myths Matter: Consciousness, Learning, and Meaning-Making 00:03:53 – Inanna, Cinderella, and the Archetype of Death and Rebirth 00:06:00 – Modern Relevance: How Myths Guide Adults in Self-Understanding 00:09:39 – Chaos vs. Order: Uranus, Saturn, and Life's Defining Crises 00:13:35 – Myths as Moral Maps: Projection and the Power of Story Archetypes 00:16:23 – Synchronicity Explained: Jung's Symbolic Coincidences 00:20:08 – Into the Unconscious: Jung's Dreams, Madness, and the Inner Child 00:34:18 – Trauma and the Fragmented Soul: Developmental Wounds in Adulthood 00:40:50 – A Flower and a Lifetime of Shame: The Hidden Cost of Childhood Trauma 00:49:52 – Power vs. Love: Why Control, Not Hate, Is Love's True Opposite 00:56:59 – Conscious Crucifixion: Pain, Healing, and the Christ Archetype 01:01:13 – Christianity and the Shadow: Jung's Critique of Suffering and Integration 01:10:14 – Jordan Peterson's Archetypes: Masculinity, Shadow, and the Jungian Legacy 01:16:25 – Parenting and Myth: Letting Children Choose Their Stories Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

May 23, 20251 hr 21 min

Bo Bink: Inside the Dutch "Kraamzorg" Model of Postnatal Care

Please welcome Bo Bink to the show. Bo is the "kraamzorg" who supported our family following the recent birth of our second child. What's a "kraamzorg," you ask? In the Netherlands, it's part of a system called "kraamverzorgster," a unique form of in-home care provided to every new mother in the days after childbirth. Think of it as a blend of medical checkups, emotional support, breastfeeding guidance, light housekeeping, and hands-on education for new parents, all in the comfort of your home. Bo has been a "kraamzorg" for 22 years. We talk about the Dutch model of childbirth, which emphasizes prevention, low medical intervention, and community-based care. Statistically, it leads to some of the best outcomes in the world for both mothers and babies. Regarding the price of all of this, the total cost of pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal care in the Netherlands is roughly 20% of the U.S. cost. I'm glad to have Bo here to explain this unique, holistic approach to childbirth. Bo Bink Quotes From the Episode "Planning everything gives so much away. You give everything away to the person that is going to create the plan." - Bo Bink on the over-medicalization of childbirth. "You're not a housekeeper, but you do keep it where needed. Yeah, I mean, especially with laundry… It's all for the greater good." - Bo Bink on the supportive yet practical role of a kraamzorg. "This job is more than only after-birth care… It's important that you understand what is asked of you." - Bo Bink reflecting on the deeper emotional and societal responsibilities of a kraamzorg. Additional Resources Bo Kraamzorg Bo Bink on LinkedIn Show Notes 02:49 – Introduction to Bo Bink and the Kraamzorg Role 05:16 – A Day in the Life of a Kraamzorg 08:20 – Why Kraamzorg is Unique to the Netherlands 09:54 – Building Trust Through Early Connection 11:31 – Empowering Families Through Knowledge 14:08 – The Midwife-Kraamzorg Partnership 18:25 – When Birth Care Meets Social Support 23:12 – Home Birth on a Houseboat 27:24 – The Dutch Philosophy on Pain and Natural Birth 30:54 – Pain as a Biological Necessity 43:14 – Preventing SIDS and the Role of Education 57:07 – The Kraamzorg Model Saves Money and Lives Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

April 30, 20251 hr 26 min

Allen Brouwer: WithLove and the Entrepreneurial Path to Meaningful Work

Please welcome my friend Allen Brouwer. Allen is a father of two, an accomplished entrepreneur, a boat and nature lover, and a wicked combination of both good-looking and charming. We chat about his old company, BestSelf Co., which he co-founded. It was the only company to win both Shopify's Build-a-Business and Build-a-Bigger-Business. And his new company, WithLove, which he also co-founded, offers a deceptively simple, delicious protein and gut health powder specifically made for kids. (Trust me, there's more to this than meets the eye.) Thanks for coming on, Allen. Allen Brouwer Quotes From the Episode "Every time I tried just making money or building a business because I saw an opportunity or an arbitrage… it just never worked." - Allen Brouwer on misaligned ventures and how to find purpose. "If I have one practice that I do consistently… It's prayer." - Allen Brouwer on how prayer, like meditation, anchors him daily. "If I didn't know the impact that it had with me personally and the impact that it has had with our customers… it probably wouldn't give me the conviction to keep going." - Allen Brouwer on how he found resilience in pursuing his purpose. Additional Resources WithLove WithLove on YouTube Allen Brouwer on LinkedIn Allen Brouwer on Instagram Show Notes 02:42 – Meet Allen Brouwer and the Story Behind WithLove 07:27 – When a Family Health Scare Became a Founder's Wake-Up Call 12:02 – The Kitchen Experiments That Turned Into a Wellness Startup 16:07 – The Hidden Link Between Gut Health and Childhood Behavior 21:05 – Why Today's Food Has 50% Less Nutrients—and What That Means 25:02 – WithLove's Product Development and Ingredient Philosophy 29:02 – Creating a Parent-Focused Supplement for Nervous System Health 33:13 – The Difference Between Profit-Driven and Purpose-Driven Ventures 37:42 – Personal Conviction: What Keeps Allen Going Through the Dips 42:31 – Allen's Spiritual Practices, Prayer, and Morning Flow 48:04 – How Allen and His Partner Ash Make Life and Business Work 53:10 – How to Connect with Allen and Learn More About WithLove Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

April 22, 20251 hr 20 min

Taylor Pearson: "The End of Jobs," History, and Navigating Uncertainty

Please welcome my friend Taylor Pearson to the show. Taylor is a fellow father and entrepreneur, the author of The End of Jobs, an essayist with his Interesting Times newsletter, a fellow Tennessean, one of the founders of a long-volatility and tail-risk hedge fund, and a former college football player, where he played offensive line. He's spent the last decade researching and writing about how you can better invest your time and money in an uncertain world, i.e., how to be more antifragile. Welcome, Taylor. Taylor Pearson Quotes From the Episode "Reality has a surprising amount of detail." "You don't have 100% agency over everything, but you almost might as well act as if you do. The things you don't have control over... You just have to chalk those up to trade-offs. Like you can't do this, you can't do that, fine, fair enough. Within the possibility space, 'What can you do?' And I still catch myself, not infrequently, saying that, 'Oh, I could do this actually.' " "My basic thesis was that we're going through this transitional period where entrepreneurialism, not necessarily starting a business, but thinking more entrepreneurially about your career life, was going to become increasingly important." Additional Resources Taylor Pearson Taylor Pearson on X Taylor Pearson on LinkedIn The End of Jobs by Taylor Pearson Systemantics: The Systems Bible by John Gall Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man by Marshall McLuhan The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder Show Notes 02:45 – Taylor on Discovering Agency While Teaching in Brazil 05:10 – Embracing Responsibility and Trade-Offs 09:24 – The Core Message Behind The End of Jobs 10:38 – The Rise of Internet Careers from a 2011 Perspective 14:30 – Golf as a Meditative Recharging Tool 15:20 – Why Biographies Are the Best Way to Learn History 18:07 – How AI and Museums Are Changing How We Learn History 22:00 – What College Taught Taylor About Interpreting History 28:51 – Taylor's Bias: Technology as the Driver of History 35:27 – "Reality Has a Surprising Amount of Detail" 36:25 – Tolstoy, War, and the Myth of the Great Man 47:08 – Why Systems Fail: Lessons from Systemantics 53:38 – Unintended Consequences: Lessons from Vietnam and Beyond 55:30 – How to Get in Touch With Taylor via His Interesting Times Newsletter Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

April 14, 20251 hr 25 min

Janwillem de Kwaasteniet: Building Bright Horizon and Adventures in Entrepreneurship

Please welcome my friend Janwillem de Kwaasteniet to the show. He's the founder of Bright Horizon, which he started after visiting Medellin, Colombia. He's got a great entrepreneurial story to share. We go over how he started his first company, what it's like being a long-term adventurer, and yes, why I jokingly call him an underwear model. Honestly, to me, he's the Dutch version of Tim Ferriss. Except, unlike Tim, Janwillem speaks five languages, so there's that. We'll be jamming on lifestyle design, aligning business with your values, and what it really takes to build cross-border businesses across places like the Caribbean, Latin America, and the EU. And, of course, we'll explore the most important question of all: Why do you do what you do? Janwillem, great to have you. Let's get cracking. Janwillem de Kwaasteniet Quotes From the Episode "Wealth is about creating a healthy body, a healthy mind, and healthy relationships, love, spending time with your family, with your friends, and yeah and also money and work." "I prefer to make less money with a factory where you have a good relationship with, than to make a shitload of money with a company that I don't like." "With too much data, it fogs up your intuition." Additional Resources Janwillem de Kwaasteniet on Instagram Janwillem de Kwaasteniet on LinkedIn Bright Horizon Show Notes 00:33 - Introduction and Entrepreneurial Backstory 03:18 - Launching a Business in Colombian Textiles 09:17 - Building and Scaling Bright Horizon 15:06 - Sustainable Product Experiments and Lessons Learned 18:58 - Lifestyle Design and the Freedom of Entrepreneurship 23:55 - Tim Ferriss, Mindset Shifts, and Redefining Success 28:00 - Purpose-Driven Business and Community Impact 30:20 - Daily Routine, Fitness, and Mental Practices 37:14 - Love for Latin America and Language Immersion 43:17 - Early Travel, Work Ethic, and First Ventures 49:35 - Language, Culture, and Learning Through Immersion 57:36 - Mentorship, Personal Growth, and Relationships Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

April 4, 20251 hr 35 min

Julio Froment Castellvi: The Craftsman Behind Picking Nuggets on YouTube

Please welcome my friend Julio Froment Castellvi to the show. Julio is the "brains and brawn" behind Picking Nuggets, one of my favorite YouTube channels that is just about to crack 150k subs. And "The Little Almanack", a weekly newsletter where he shares timeless ideas (from influential doers) with handmade infographics to 16,000 plus subscribers. His three defining values are curiosity, truth, and freedom. Please welcome Julio to the show! Julio Froment Castellvi Quotes From the Episode "I see myself as a professional opportunist and always sort of guided through my curiosity, through my genuine curiosity." - Julio Froment Castellvi "You can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards." - Julio Froment Castellvi "I also don't like to be in a box, right? Because I feel like it could constrain my growth or where my curiosity wants to take me." - Julio Froment Castellvi Additional Resources Picking Nuggets YouTube Channel The Little Almanack - Julio's monthly newsletter! Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel, by Sam Zell Julio Froment Castellvi's personal website Julio Froment Castellvi on X Julio Froment Castellvi on LinkedIn Jim Rohn's "How to Have Your Best Year Ever!" Show Notes 0:00 - Introduction to Julio Froment Castellvi 1:04 - How Julio Got Started with Curation 4:45 - Navigating Copyright and Learning Fair Use 6:53 - The Checklist for Fair Use Compliance 10:29 - Naval's Philosophy on Content Sharing 13:05 - The Rule of Substantiality 17:20 - Choosing a Nontraditional Career Path 20:02 - "Professional Opportunist" Philosophy 25:10 - Execution Over Planning 26:22 - The Role of Luck and Connecting Dots 30:34 - Choosing English for Access to the Best Ideas 33:33 - Crafting Contrarian, Timeless Content for YouTube 35:49 - The Lindy Effect and Content Longevity 39:44 - The Curation Workflow: Readwise and Python 44:00 - Podcast Listening as a Walking Ritual 45:20 - Doing It All Himself for the Sake of Quality 48:01 - Content as Craft, Not Just Business Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

March 25, 20251 hr 10 min

Shawn Wells: Rethinking Health with the Author of "The Energy Formula"

Please welcome my friend Shawn Wells to the show. He's known as "The Most Trusted Voice in Supplements" after formulating over 1000+ supplements and having patented 40 unique compounds. He's also known for the catchphrase "Caffeine is Dead," which we'll get into, especially as it relates to his energy drink company, Update. When Shawn and I met in 2018, he was living outside of Dallas, TX and in a marriage he wasn't happy with. Nowadays, he's moved on, literally and metaphorically, to a much happier relationship and to "Dripping" (Dripping Springs) outside of Austin, TX. We're going to jam on Big Pharma, supplements, psychedelics, what it means to be a formulator, habit trackers (Oura Ring vs. Ultrahuman), biohacking, his book The Energy Formula, and what an average day looks like for Shawn. Thank you for joining me Shawn! Shawn Wells Quotes From the Episode "Investing in my health, my brain, my creativity, and my network is more important than any dollars and cents I have in a bank." - Shawn Wells on prioritizing personal well-being, creativity, and meaningful relationships holds greater value than accumulating financial wealth. "At some point, AI is going to 1,000,000X us, and it won't be able to be contained… It will be an inorganic evolution, but an evolution nonetheless." - Shawn Wells on AI's rapid progression and its potential to redefine humanity. "You have to learn how to have wearables be a tool but not dictate your day. It's similar to weighing yourself, someone can become obsessive, and it can be an unhealthy habit." - Shawn on how to properly use fitness trackers and avoid psychological dependency. Additional Resources Shawn Wells | The Most Trusted Name in Supplements Zone Halo Update Energy Drink Shawn Wells on Instagram Shawn Wells on Linkedin Shawn Wells on YouTube Shawn Wells on Facebook Shawn Wells on X Shawn Wells on TikTok Ingredientologist on Pinterest Show Notes 0:00 – Introduction to Shawn Wells and His Background 5:12 – The Impact of Nutrition on Mental and Physical Health 12:45 – Shawn's Journey with Biohacking and Self-Experimentation 18:30 – The Connection Between Mental Health and Physical Vitality 24:55 – Psychedelics and Their Role in Neuroplasticity and Personal Transformation 31:20 – Financial Wealth Versus Health and Personal Fulfillment 35:18 – The Power of Investing in Creativity and Relationships 42:10 – The Future of AI and Its Influence on Human Evolution 50:22 – Hormonal Health and the Importance of Vitamin D 56:48 – The Role of Wearables and Biofeedback in Self-Awareness 1:02:15 – Building Resilience Through Self-Compassion 1:08:30 – Final Thoughts and Actionable Takeaways Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

March 7, 20251 hr 51 min

Schalk Dormehl: Corruption, Personal Sovereignty, and Opportunity in South Africa

Please welcome my thoughtful and thought-provoking friend, Schalk Dormehl. Schalk is an aspiring polymath and a fellow lover of liberty and action-based philosophy. We jam on the past, present, and future political landscape of South Africa, personal sovereignty (one of my favorites), and civic responsibility in today's world. Lastly, we touch on entrepreneurship, crypto, and AI in the context of South Africa and on the global stage. Schalk Dormehl Quotes From the Episode "Like you own yourself, you own the things that you make, you own the things that you trade the things you make with. Other people are not allowed to just randomly harm you, and you aren't allowed to just randomly harm other people." - Schalk Dormehl on personal sovereignty and individual rights. "The ANC has been an exceptionally negligent and poor steward of South Africa. The results have been massive amounts of unemployment and essentially the type of scenery that one would imagine when you read Atlas Shrugged." - Schalk Dormehl on how the ANC's mismanagement of South Africa is comparable to the dystopian society in Atlas Shrugged. "And the irony is if you look at the African countries, the corrupt countries that had communism did better than the non-corrupt countries that had communism. You can buy your way out of ridiculous rules in one system, but you can't buy your way out of the rules in another system." - Schalk Dormehl on corruption and communism. Additional Resources Free Market Foundation Sakeliga The History of Southern Africa: Every Year - YouTube Schalk Dormehl on X Schalk Dormehl on LinkedIn SwiftCom Jozi vs Jozi on X Hügo Krüger on YouTube Show Notes 00:32 - Kicking Off with Schalk Dormehl 01:40 - The ANC's Grip on South Africa: Politics Since 1995 03:44 - Johannesburg's Fall from Glory: Economic Decline and De-Industrialization 04:38 - Blame Game Politics: How the ANC Uses Scapegoating to Stay in Power 06:02 - Race, Policy, and Power: South Africa's Complex Political Landscape 10:54 - Land Seizures and Economic Fallout: The Truth About Expropriation Without Compensation 19:01 - Elon Musk vs. South African Bureaucracy: How BEE Laws Have Impacted Starlink 24:02 - The Death of Civic Responsibility: Why South Africa and Many Other Countries Struggle with Accountability 31:21 - When Communities Take Charge: Grassroots Resistance Against Riots 32:36 - The Mystery of the Power Grid: How South Africa's Electricity Crisis Stabilized 49:21 - The Brain Drain: The Cost of Losing Skilled Professionals 1:08:12 - A Silver Lining for South Africa? How Government Fractures Could Lead to Change Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

February 25, 20251 hr 22 min

John Wang: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Big Asian Energy

Please welcome John Wang to the show. John is a leadership coach to the Asian American community, a corporate speaker, and host and writer of the Big Asian Energy podcast and upcoming book of the same title. He's the founder of Mastery Academy and has coached Asian American clients from Google, Apple, AmEx, Goldman Sachs, and other Fortune 500 companies. He's also a celeb on TikTok, making videos that have reached over 25 million views, and a TEDx presenter. John's done some pretty cool (dare I say, intense) personal development, including training to walk on airplane wings mid-flight in an aerobatics performance to become a more confident speaker. We talk about the bamboo ceiling, culture vs. race, high-context vs. low-context communication, how to overcome imposter syndrome, and so much more. I hope you enjoy! John Wang Quotes From the Episode "Imposter syndrome just means that you're challenging yourself, which you should be." - John Wang on redefining imposter syndrome as a natural part of personal growth. "If there's no risk, there's no stakes, we're not going to learn." - John Wang on the importance of risk-taking in learning. "The best work you can do is working on yourselves. Because a child will learn more from watching what you do than what you tell them to do." - John Wang on the most effective way to help a student learn. Additional Resources John Wang on Facebook John Wang on Instagram John Wang on YouTube John Wang on TikTok Big Asian Energy Show Notes 0:00 – Meet John Wang: The Leadership Coach Empowering Asian Professionals 3:47 – From Taiwan to Canada: John's Immigrant Experience 5:22 – The Bamboo Ceiling: Why Asian Americans Struggle in Leadership 9:27 – Culture vs. Race: Which One Holds You Back More? 13:40 – High-Context vs. Low-Context Communication: Why It Matters 19:27 – Filial Piety and Social Hierarchy: The Asian Cultural Mindset 24:49 – Finding the Balance: Assertiveness Without Losing Cultural Respect 30:05 – Mastery Academy: John's Mission to Equip Future Leaders 35:06 – Imposter Syndrome: Why So Many Asian Professionals Feel Like Frauds 45:08 – The Confidence Myth: Why Competence Alone Won't Get You Ahead 49:20 – Own Your Achievements: Stop Downplaying Your Success Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

February 18, 20251 hr 1 min

Gareth Hermann: The New Paradigm of Self-Managing Teams and Communal Living in Costa Rica

Please welcome my adventurous and curious friend, Gareth Hermann. Gareth is an entrepreneur, an "ops nut" like I am, an expat, a fellow lover of travel and "steel ponies," and an aspiring overseas real estate mogul. Most recently, he built and sold a seven-figure digital marketing agency pioneering impact marketing. Nowadays, he splits his time between Nosara, Costa Rica, and Boulder, Colorado. Today we'll be learning what it takes to build a geodome village in Costa Rica and jamming on his new simplified version of EOS that is easy to implement and actually creates results. Gareth Hermann Quotes From the Episode "I believe that we have over-indexed on the paradigm of individualism, and we're actually craving and needing more connection and more community." - Gareth Hermann on the growing need for connection and community. "Transcend and include, which means don't reject the previous stage of consciousness, take the benefits of it, include it, and then continue to evolve on top of that." - Gareth Hermann on why you shouldn't completely reject past stages of development. "Everyone wants to do good work. Everyone wants to be on a team that's winning. Everyone wants to be making progress towards goals." - Gareth Hermann on motivation, teamwork, and the human desire for progress in both business and personal development. Additional Resources New Paradigm Village Gareth Hermann on LinkedIn Gareth Hermann on Instagram Gareth Hermann's Official Website Force TwentyTwo Show Notes 00:00 - Meet Gareth Hermann and His Journey in Business 00:28 - Why Gareth is Building a Geodome Village in Costa Rica 01:42 - The Need for Community: Shifting from Individualism to Communalism 05:08 - Gareth's Childhood in a Rural Portuguese Community and Its Impact 10:39 - The Challenges of Building a New Village and Integrating Education 14:03 - What is Integral Theory, and How Does It Apply to Business and Life? 19:57 - Leadership and Meeting Teams Where They Are on the Spiral Dynamics Model 23:08 - The Emotional Toll of Running a Business and Why Leadership is Hard 30:37 - Coaching CEOs: EOS and How to Build Self-Managing Teams 42:31 - Helping Employees See Their Role in Achieving Company Goals 46:46 - Affordability and Challenges in Building a Sustainable Community 49:28 - Why This Model is a Middle Ground Between Traditional and Modern Living 50:56 - Addendum: Ethical Cult Building 58:46 - How to Get Involved with New Paradigm Village and CEO Coaching Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.