The Prymal Podcast

Dan Campion

Building robust, healthy and happy humans, the Prymal Podcast explores the world of health, performance, identity, business, life and success. With interviews and stories from inspirational guests and experts from fascinating fields, optimise your body, solve your problems, experience the world and take control of your life. Hosted by Dan Campion.

  1. 2d ago

    Why Modern Life Makes Peace Feel Impossible - Kadam Adam Starr - #128

    Everyone wants peace of mind. But modern life seems to pull us further away from it. Notifications. Distractions. Stress. Pressure. Feeling more overwhelmed, anxious and emotionally exhausted than ever. Buddhist meditation teacher Kadam Adam Starr returns to explore why so many people struggle to slow down, why external success rarely creates lasting happiness, and why caring for your inner life has become one of the most important skills in the modern world. This conversation explores the hidden imbalance between our external achievements and our internal wellbeing, offering a practical framework for cultivating greater peace, resilience and meaning without stepping away from everyday life. Why modern life leaves so many people feeling overwhelmedThe hidden cost of constantly chasing external successWhy your inner life deserves as much attention as your careerSmall daily practices that restore balanceWhy happiness isn’t found by doing moreHow to create more peace without escaping modern lifeWhy meditation complements, not replaces, ordinary lifeThe balance between ambition, achievement and inner wellbeing Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:08 Why Peace Feels So Far Away 06:12 Why We're All So Overwhelmed 10:47 The Inner Life We Keep Ignoring 16:34 Your External Life vs Your Inner Life 20:13 The Challenge of Being Human Today 25:58 Why Success Doesn't Create Peace 31:20 The Problem With Constant Productivity 36:48 Building Better Mental Habits 42:14 Modern Life Is Moving Too Fast 47:40 Why We're Chasing the Wrong Things 01:03:12 Restoring Balance Without Leaving Society 01:09:54 Small Practices That Change Everything 01:16:33 Why This Matters More Than Ever 01:22:40 Final Reflections

    Why Modern Life Makes Peace Feel Impossible - Kadam Adam Starr - #128

  2. Jul 28

    Are You Building a Life You Actually Want? - #127

    Success can look perfect from the outside while being driven almost entirely by fear. We explore ambition, uncertainty and the hidden cost of constantly pursuing the next achievement. Brian reflects on building a highly successful business, why scale eventually pulled him away from the work and life he genuinely valued, and how becoming a father changed his definition of success. You’ll learn: How fear can disguise itself as ambitionWhy external success may still leave you disconnectedThe difference between living safely and living honestlyHow parenthood can fundamentally change your prioritiesWhy constant work prevents difficult emotions from catching upHow to create more space, presence and meaning in everyday life Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: 00:00:00 The Final Episode in the Old Studio 00:02:06 Bias Towards Action vs Having Nowhere to Be 00:03:52 When Opposite Behaviours Come From the Same Fear 00:05:53 Making Decisions Without Complete Certainty 00:09:18 Why Fear Stops People From Starting 00:13:29 Building a Successful Business You No Longer Want 00:16:46 How Becoming a Parent Changes Success 00:18:21 When Your Success Is Built Around Fear 00:22:57 How Do You Know What You Truly Want? 00:25:41 The False Promise of Certainty 00:28:41 Why Designing Your Own Life Can Feel Wrong 00:30:13 Productivity, Structure and Emotional Avoidance 00:32:11 Learning to Live Through Uncertainty 00:34:10 The Deathbed Test for Success 00:37:18 Using Work to Avoid Difficult Emotions 00:40:25 Why Life and Parenthood Feel Like They’re Flying By 00:42:12 Creating Space Between Emotion and Reaction 00:42:53 Moving Into the New Prymal Studio 00:44:22 Fear, Purpose and the Questions Without Answers 00:45:51 The Importance of People in Your Corner

    Are You Building a Life You Actually Want? - #127

  3. Jul 21

    You Are Not Your Thoughts (Understanding Your Mind) - Kadam Adam Starr - #126

    Kadam Adam Starr is a Kadampa Buddhist Meditation teacher with nearly 3 decades of experience studying and practicing. Most of us spend our lives trying to change our thoughts. Very few of us ever stop to ask what thoughts actually are. This conversation explores one of the biggest questions in psychology, meditation and human consciousness: what is the mind? Adam explains the relationship between Buddhist psychology and modern Western psychology, why we become trapped inside our thoughts and emotions, and how learning to experience awareness directly can fundamentally change the way we relate to anxiety, anger, stress and suffering. This episode explores how understanding the nature of the mind creates more space, compassion and freedom in everyday life. You’ll learn: • Why you are not your thoughts or emotions• The difference between understanding the mind and experiencing it• How meditation changes your relationship with anxiety and anger• Why outrage is becoming our default emotional state• The connection between neuroscience, psychology and Buddhist wisdom• Practical ways to cultivate greater peace of mind Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:14 Buddhist Psychology and Western Psychology 01:53 What Is the Mind? 10:05 A Guided Exercise to Experience Your Mind 14:50 Thoughts Are Clouds, Your Mind Is the Sky 17:46 Why You Are Not Your Thoughts 29:33 Understanding the Mind vs Experiencing It 35:53 How Awareness Changes Your Relationship With Anger 42:26 Does a Buddhist Still Get Angry? 44:12 Can Anger Ever Be Healthy? 48:39 How Social Media Trains Us to Be Angry 52:46 Looking at Your Phone More Than Your Mind 57:18 Is the Mind Different From the Brain? 1:04:34 Why You Shouldn’t Identify With Your Brain 1:10:42 Creating the Conditions for Peace of Mind 1:17:44 The Different Pieces of Mental Health 1:19:20 Tara Kadampa Meditation Centre

    You Are Not Your Thoughts (Understanding Your Mind) - Kadam Adam Starr - #126

  4. Mar 6

    Infinite Games, Pain vs Suffering & Beliefs That Shape Your Life

    Brian O’Loughlin is a coach, podcaster, entrepreneur and regular guest on The Prymal Podcast. His work explores psychology, behaviour change and the deeper ideas that shape how people live. This conversation explores several principles that have recently stood out as powerful ways of understanding human behaviour and personal growth. Topics include: • The difference between pain and suffering   • Finite vs infinite games and how people approach life   • Why psychological failure feels harder than physical failure   • The beliefs that quietly shape behaviour   • Awareness as the starting point for change   • Humans living in environments we weren’t built for   • The modern misunderstanding of Stoicism   • Self-actualisation vs self-transcendence   • Why meaning is closely tied to human connection Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:15 Why Certain Ideas Stick With Us 00:05:10 Psychological vs Physical Failure 00:08:25 Pain vs Suffering 00:11:55 Why Humans Avoid Discomfort 00:15:40 Finite Games vs Infinite Games 00:21:05 Playing the Wrong Game in Life 00:26:10 How Beliefs Shape Behaviour 00:30:05 Awareness Before Change 00:34:40 Humans Living in the Wrong Environment 00:39:20 Stoicism and Modern Misinterpretations 00:43:30 Escaping Emotion Through Distraction 00:47:45 Self-Actualisation vs Self-Transcendence 00:51:30 Meaning Through Human Connection 00:55:10 Trust, Peace and the Nervous System

  5. Feb 12

    The Hidden Cost of Chasing Success, And How To Redefine It | Kellie Fennell | #123

    Kellie Fennell is a coach, business owner, speaker, parent, and podcast host who has achieved huge success helping others transform their minds and bodies - while quietly burning herself out in the process. You’ll learn about: The productivity trap and performance-based identity Why behaviour change fails without belief change Pain vs suffering External metrics vs internal metrics Burnout at the height of success Internal locus of control The role of expectation in happiness How to create space instead of constant consumption Why healing isn’t becoming someone new - it’s remembering who you are The discussion moves beyond fitness into identity, unlearning inherited beliefs, and giving yourself permission to change. Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: 00:00:00 – Pain vs Suffering 00:03:45 – Burnout at the Height of Success 00:08:10 – Performance Identity and Self-Worth 00:12:30 – Why Money Doesn’t Fix Misalignment 00:16:00 – The Productivity Trap 00:20:45 – External Metrics vs Internal Metrics 00:27:40 – The 5 Regrets of the Dying 00:37:00 – “You Have 6 Months Left” Thought Experiment 00:45:45 – Psychological Safety and Play 00:52:30 – Facing 18 Years of Avoided Grief 01:06:20 – Healing Isn’t Becoming Someone New 01:11:19 – You Can’t Sustain Behaviour Without Belief Change 01:16:19 – Stop Consuming, Create Space 01:18:51 – Accepting Emotion Instead of Escaping It 01:21:36 – The Lamb in the Oven: Unlearning Inherited Beliefs 01:23:55 – The Elephant Rope: Breaking Self-Limiting Beliefs 01:25:44 – Redefining the Mountain 01:32:17 – Giving Yourself Permission to Change 01:35:35 – The Power of Retreat and Space

    The Hidden Cost of Chasing Success, And How To Redefine It | Kellie Fennell | #123

  6. Jan 21

    Truth vs Perception: Why Everyone Thinks They’re Right

    Truth is messy, and most people confuse belief with fact. That’s why online discourse feels like everyone is fighting for “objective reality” when we’re all operating from different conditioning, experiences, and algorithms. This episode explores the difference between subjective truth and objective truth, why “my truth” can become a defence mechanism, and how to stop outsourcing responsibility for how you feel. Covering ego, fear, victimhood, echo chambers, and why the real work isn’t “finding truth” - it’s letting go of distortion so you can respond with more calm, clarity, and compassion. If you’ve ever felt reactive, cynical, or exhausted by culture wars and certainty, this one will help you see what’s actually going on under the surface. Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 00:00:00 Intro - calm year, why “truth” matters 00:00:34 Truth vs perception - why everyone thinks their view is objective 00:06:03 Death as “objective truth” and why meaning is still subjective 00:07:28 The real win - becoming less reactive to other people’s beliefs 00:12:26 The eulogy exercise - denial of death and “cope” 00:14:33 “My truth” - honest expression vs unchallengeable shield 00:20:32 Buddhism, psychedelics, and the “golden nugget” under conditioning 00:22:23 “My expression of the truth” - a better way to speak 00:25:11 Responsibility vs victimhood - owning what you express 00:26:21 The tell - “live this way so I feel safe” 00:28:46 Echo chambers and algorithm-shaped reality 00:31:16 Love, validation, and codependency as truth substitutes 00:36:08 Why most people agree on most things - nuance dies online 00:39:36 Fatherhood as a rite of passage for truth and accountability 00:46:48 “Tell the truth” - why truth is the adventure 00:48:24 Integration - notice the trigger, take responsibility, choose response

  7. Jan 7

    Live Life on Your Terms - Mission Over Validation | Phil Graham

    Most people don’t build businesses to serve, they build them to be seen. And eventually that validation runs out. Phil Graham has coached 12,000+ business owners and disrupted industries. In this conversation he breaks down the real difference between founders who last and founders who quit - emotional resilience, decision velocity, and building a mission that’s bigger than your need for approval. He explains 'the Ferrari trap', why marketing and sales is a moral responsibility if you genuinely help people, and how to design a lifestyle business that gives you authority, freedom and profitability - so you can actually live life on your terms. Key topics: Mission over validation (and why validation always runs out) Emotional resilience as the founder advantage Fear as fuel vs fear as a crippler Decision velocity and course correction Risk: upside, downside, recoverability Lifestyle business vs enterprise Marketing/sales as responsibility, don’t be the best kept secret Fatherhood, standards, and “am I worth modelling?” Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters:00:00:26 Emotional resilience and why founders fail00:01:35 Vision bigger than yourself and holding risk00:06:49 Emotional triggers, identity, and regulation00:07:40 Detaching from judgement and approval00:11:14 Fear, uncertainty, and meaning00:12:00 Mission as fuel, not motivation00:18:08 Validation vs mission, the Ferrari trap00:31:16 Solitude, self-trust, build a company with yourself00:36:27 Marketing and sales as moral responsibility00:41:47 Decision velocity, stop “thinking about it”00:43:07 Risk filter: upside, downside, recoverability00:49:52 Lifestyle business vs enterprise, choose the game00:58:13 Fatherhood: “am I worth modelling?”01:06:01 Fear as fuel vs fear as crippler01:20:30 Phil’s journey, what’s next01:24:11 Authority, freedom, profitability - living on your terms

    Live Life on Your Terms - Mission Over Validation | Phil Graham

  8. 12/09/2025

    Building A Bulletproof Mindset & Overcoming Tragedy - Ryan Curtis

    Ryan Curtis experienced a terrible training accident that ended his professional MMA career and threatened to leave him completely paralysed. In this powerful conversation, we explore the mindset that helped him recover against the odds, rebuild his identity, and find meaning in the middle of chaos. Ryan explains why nothing about him is “special”, why mindset is trainable, and why sitting with your own thoughts might be the most important skill you ever develop. We discuss: How resilience is built long before hardship arrives Why most people misunderstand failure The emotional engine behind discipline Why presence matters more than happiness How to stop living an unconscious life The role of identity, values and fatherhood Why gratitude is a practical tool, not a cliché The truth about success, external validation and social media How to build a life you’re proud of, one decision at a time Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/prymal/bookspodcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Key topics: resilience, mindset, identity, fatherhood, purpose, self-reflection, discipline, values, personal growth, presence, gratitude, unconscious living, mental strength. 00:00:00 – Why inspiration fades 00:05:10 – Building a stronger mind 00:12:40 – Lessons from losing 00:19:30 – Who you choose to be 00:26:20 – The pull of social media 00:33:45 – Living on autopilot 00:40:50 – Facing hard truths 00:48:25 – Strength in community 01:00:00 – Defining your values 01:06:10 – Sitting with yourself 01:14:40 – Presence over happiness 01:23:20 – When life stops you 01:31:15 – The trap of wanting more 01:38:40 – Fatherhood and meaning 01:46:50 – Owning your imperfections 01:53:40 – What failure shows you 01:57:10 – Made In Chaos

    Building A Bulletproof Mindset & Overcoming Tragedy - Ryan Curtis
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About

Building robust, healthy and happy humans, the Prymal Podcast explores the world of health, performance, identity, business, life and success. With interviews and stories from inspirational guests and experts from fascinating fields, optimise your body, solve your problems, experience the world and take control of your life. Hosted by Dan Campion.

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Campion
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    126
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dan Campion
  • Show Website
    The Prymal Podcast

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