One Thousand Gurus Podcast

J.R. Yonocruz

Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a software project manager, self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, dancer, stand-up comedian, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world. All links & socials https://bio.site/onethousandgurus

  1. 3d ago

    #86: Travis Trinh - AX Summer Cut Regimen, Cosplay, Anime Spoilers & Hot Takes, and Bowling Technique Deep Dive

    Catching Up with Travis Trinh: Summer Cut for AX, Cosplay, Anime Takes, and Bowling Tech J.R. Yonocruz welcomes return guest Travis Trinh to catch up on the past 14 months, from work, gym, Gunpla, and snowboarding to weekly bowling league. They break down Travis’ annual Anime Expo summer cut (including MacroFactor), brainstorm AX cosplay ideas, and talk anime with spoilers for several series and movie arcs. The conversation closes with a deeper dive into bowling technique, lane conditions, and consistency. 01:06 Travis Returns and Life Updates 06:42 Bowling League and Vegas Tournament 10:58 Summer Cut Strategy and MacroFactor 18:18 Carbs Ketosis and Training Split 24:34 AX Cosplay Plans and Shortlist 37:15 Cosplay Meetups 42:00 Chainsaw Man Vs Demon Slayer 48:28 My Hero Ending Thoughts 52:21 Anime Deaths: Mentors & Moms 58:59 Rent A Girlfriend Appeal 01:06:34 Whiny Leads And Plot Charm 01:09:24 Anime Tropes & J.R.'s Favorite Genres 01:12:41 Bowling Technical Deep Dive 01:23:19 Music and Mental Game 01:28:47 Bowling Rituals 01:36:24 Wrapping Up and Gratitude Guest bio: Travis Trinh, the closet nerd who grew into an extroverted nerd! Travis is also an anime, cosplay, fitness, and bowling enthusiast. IG: @officialT_T / https://www.instagram.com/officialt_t/Links/resources: MacroFactor (nutrition tracking app)Send us Fan Mail Support the show One Thousand Gurus Podcast: Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world. 💻 Website: www.onethousandgurus.com🔗 All links & socials: https://bio.site/onethousandgurus📧 The Weekly Guru newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/c97a350b06d6/newsletter📚 Learning guides: https://stan.store/marloyonocruz

    1h 41m
  2. Jun 22

    #85: Brian “Lil B” Perez - Winning International Competitions, the Evolution of Locking, Podcasting as Public Therapy, and Finding Joy in Dance

    Host J.R. Yonocruz reconnects with Bay Area locker Brian “Lil B” Perez to reflect on their early Academy of Villains days and AOV’s mission to bridge freestyle and choreography. Lil B shares his path from DDR and working for Konami/tech QA into locking, plus lessons from battles, travel, and learning to train groove and feeling. They also discuss mentorship, safer dance spaces, therapy and identity, and how social media has changed dance culture and learning. Chapters: 01:57 Reconnecting After Years 02:59 AOV Origins and Early Days 08:20 Mentorship and Team Culture 12:27 Freestyle Meets Choreo 22:22 Building Safer Dance Spaces & Shoutout to Arnel Calvario 31:45 Brian Origin Story Begins 33:47 DDR Community, Konami Job & QA Career 41:14 Why Locking Clicked 46:08 Flow State And Loss 51:37 Prestige Locking Training 54:44 Finding Groove In Between 01:00:40 Teaching Joy And Music 01:09:04 Therapy Identity And Pitfalls 01:12:30 Keeping Locking Alive 01:17:40 Traveling For Dance Life 01:24:39 Travel For Dance Growth 01:28:59 Politics Roots And Leadership 01:32:41 Social Media & Dance Classes 01:48:26 OG Gatekeeping And Fallout 01:52:03 Locking Ceiling And Exposure 02:00:43 Dancing In The TikTok Era 02:09:04 Rapid Fire Reflections 02:15:44 Vulnerability and Therapy 02:20:56 Anime and K Pop Identity 02:27:49 Gratitude and Final Message Guest bio: Brian Perez a.k.a. "Lil B" is a locker from San Francisco, California who started his journey in 2007. In the previous years he has entered competitions and taught in California, Las Vegas, New York, Japan, Paris, and China.  Dance Affiliations: Unortholockx, Groovmekanex, DS Players, Academy of Villains (1st gen), All My Friends, and co-founder of Dance Over Styles. He has also been in the tech field doing Quality Assurance for about 20 years.  Instagram: @lockinglilb / https://www.instagram.com/lockinglilb/Links/resources: #21: Dr. Arnel Calvario Ripkens - From KM to TEDx, Asians in Hip-Hop, and Cultivating Leaders of the FuturePlanet B-Boy (documentary - Wikipedia)Send us Fan Mail Support the show One Thousand Gurus Podcast: Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world. 💻 Website: www.onethousandgurus.com🔗 All links & socials: https://bio.site/onethousandgurus📧 The Weekly Guru newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/c97a350b06d6/newsletter📚 Learning guides: https://stan.store/marloyonocruz

    2h 34m
  3. Jun 15

    #84: Richard Hardy - Finding Faith, Exploring Fitness, and Seeking Feedback for Success

    Richard Hardy Returns: 75 Hard Discipline, Door-to-Door Sales Psychology, and Renewed Faith Richard Hardy returns in-studio to share updates on 75 Hard, including a daily Bible-reading habit, plus his fitness and nutrition approach. He revisits his path from Pennsylvania to door-to-door solar in California and breaks down sales psychology—personality types, mirroring, body language, and the importance of getting the utility bill. The conversation closes with his goals to build a team, a long-term marketing-company vision, and reflections on re-engaging with church and faith. 00:00 Welcome Back Part Two 00:59 Studio Banter And Traffic 02:37 Life Updates And 75 Hard 06:41 Workout Split And Tracking 11:31 Nutrition And Fitness Goals 16:52 Backstory To California 20:53 Why Sales Fits Him 24:21 CEO Of Your Own Life 26:57 Sales as Entrepreneur Training 29:50 Sales Feedback Loop 32:11 Money Myths and Scaling 34:05 Personality Types in Sales, Mirroring & Energy Matching 42:20 Body Language Door Tactics 49:21 Career Path and Marketing Vision 53:25 Faith Journey and Church Return 57:15 Advice for Seeking Faith 59:54 Gratitude and Wrap Up Guest bio: Works in door-to-door sales for solar. Instagram: @rhardy202 / https://www.instagram.com/rhardy202/X: @bosshardy202 / https://x.com/bosshardy202Links/resources: #41: Eric Y. Chen - Learning Sales & Marketing, Launching Sabobatage, and Growing Businesses from A to ZHevy (workout app)Send us Fan Mail Support the show One Thousand Gurus Podcast: Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world. 💻 Website: www.onethousandgurus.com🔗 All links & socials: https://bio.site/onethousandgurus📧 The Weekly Guru newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/c97a350b06d6/newsletter📚 Learning guides: https://stan.store/marloyonocruz

    1h 2m
  4. Jun 8

    #83: Book Highlights - Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky

    Make Time Book Highlights: Focus on What Matters Every Day J.R. Yonocruz highlights Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, and how to reclaim attention from constant busyness and endless distractions. He breaks down the four-step daily framework—Highlight, Laser, Energize, Reflect—with practical tactics for prioritizing what matters, reducing tech distractions, boosting energy, and iterating through reflection. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 01:48 Why Make Time 02:51 Busy Bandwagon 03:55 Four Step Framework 05:25 Pick a Highlight 06:57 Laser and Focus 07:31 Tech and Distractions 09:15 Flow and Wholeheartedness 10:27 Energize Your Body 10:54 Six Energy Principles 15:38 Reflect and Iterate 16:10 Key Takeaways Recap 17:33 Final Thoughts and Outro Links/resources: Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky (book summary)#74: Book Highlights - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo#60: Mastering Personal Finance: Insights and Strategies from Three Major Books | Book HighlightsEpisode Overview: Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky#83: Make Time (presentation)Send us Fan Mail Support the show One Thousand Gurus Podcast: Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world. 💻 Website: www.onethousandgurus.com🔗 All links & socials: https://bio.site/onethousandgurus📧 The Weekly Guru newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/c97a350b06d6/newsletter📚 Learning guides: https://stan.store/marloyonocruz

    19 min
  5. Jun 1

    #82: Alex Hung - AI Tools, Leading Productive Teams, and Navigating the Changing Workforce

    J.R. Yonocruz welcomes back Alex Hung for his third appearance to discuss AI tools, agents vs chat models, and how his company is rolling out Claude to improve efficiency. They share real examples like automating sales-lead prioritization through a CRM and summarizing work across Slack/Jira, while noting its clear limitation due to lack of context and inconsistencies. The conversation also explores AI’s impact on layoffs and entry-level roles, plus advice to broaden skills, build proof-of-work, and develop resilience through failure. Alex closes with leadership insights from his LinkedIn posts on toxic high performers, professionalism, and keeping teams engaged through progress, clarity, and recognition. 02:45 Career Shift and AI 04:42 From Chatbots to Agents 08:42 Claude Product Breakdown 14:37 Rolling Out AI at Work 17:42 Automation Use Cases 21:59 Birthday Freebie Workflow 25:52 AI and Layoff Reality 34:44 Entry Level Jobs Squeeze 36:19 Doom Loop and Entrepreneurship 39:33 Go Horizontal With AI 42:41 Advice For Students 46:33 Gen Z And Caring 48:14 AI Fake Content Labels 51:32 LinkedIn Topics 52:55 Toxic High Performers 54:29 Be Yourself At Work 57:46 Keeping Teams Engaged 01:03:23 Managing Toxic Stars 01:06:51 AI Anxiety And Gratitude 01:10:54 Disconnect And Reset Guest bio: Alex is the Chief of Staff at a start-up that provides back-office solutions for property managers, focusing on business enablement and strategy to grow the business, and unblock operational challenges. He loves debating with friends to challenge his ideas and opinions. His best friend is his white and grey shih tzu, Teddy. Instagram: @hungonlife / https://www.instagram.com/hungonlife/LinkedIn: @AlexanderHung / https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-hung/Links/resources: #34: Alex Hung - From HR to Chief of Staff, the Velocity of Money, and Understanding Women#47: KM Class of 2010 - Being on a Competitive Team, Maintaining Friendships, the Burdens of Leadership, and 15-Year AspirationsSend us Fan Mail Support the show One Thousand Gurus Podcast: Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world. 💻 Website: www.onethousandgurus.com🔗 All links & socials: https://bio.site/onethousandgurus📧 The Weekly Guru newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/c97a350b06d6/newsletter📚 Learning guides: https://stan.store/marloyonocruz

    1h 14m
  6. May 25

    #81: Random Show with Aeden Pham - Self-Care vs. Indulgence, Speaking with Integrity, and Spending Habits

    Relaxation, Compassion, and the Hidden Cost of “Good Deals” | Random Show with Aeden Pham J.R. Yonocruz welcomes repeat guest Aeden Pham for a chill random-show catch-up on recent life updates and personal reflections. They discuss how relaxation improves learning and performance in music and dance, plus navigating dating by managing eagerness and staying genuine. They also unpack therapy lessons on compassion and emotional processing, frustrations with people whose words and actions don’t align, and the difference between self-care and indulgence. The conversation closes with reflections on spending habits, recurring subscriptions, and the “phantom cost” of buying things that take up space. 02:31 Life Updates Catch-up 03:50 Relaxation In Music 06:13 Relaxed Dance Mindset 09:29 Managing Dating Eagerness 11:25 Adult Authenticity Talk 16:47 Therapy And Compassion 23:12 Burnout Versus Self-Care 27:30 Boundaries And Recovery 31:37 People Who Just Talk 35:05 Aspirational Talkers 38:25 Ethics Versus Deals 42:42 Phantom Cost Of Space 49:04 Spending Habits Reset 56:41 Questioning Your Subscriptions 01:00:24 Own Your Vices 01:01:25 Gratitude And Sign Off Guest bio: Aeden Anthony Pham is a published researcher, knowledgeable in the topics of race, gender, and sexuality in popular media, has 2 masters degrees, and has studied in 5 different countries. Professionally, he has worked in multiple industries, including service, non-profit, entertainment, and technology. In their 20+ years of work experience, they've received recognition from the city council, the state government, the office of the president, and even Disneyland. Aeden is an award-winning singer, dancer, writer, and film director also enjoys investing their time in various activities, such as stand-up comedy, archery, ice skating, and video/board gaming. IG: @aedenanthony - https://www.instagram.com/aedenanthony / @iamajrp - https://www.instagram.com/iamajrpLinks/resources: #50: Random Show with Aeden Pham - Dieting Tips, Dating Stories, Long-Term Goals, Personality Tests, and More#31: Random Show with Aeden Pham - Karaoke Enthusiasts, Project Management Tips, and Unexpected Hot Takes#16: Aeden Anthony Pham - Adaptability for Growth, the Power of Therapy, and Investing in RelationshipsThe Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (book summary)Send us Fan Mail Support the show One Thousand Gurus Podcast: Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world. 💻 Website: www.onethousandgurus.com🔗 All links & socials: https://bio.site/onethousandgurus📧 The Weekly Guru newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/c97a350b06d6/newsletter📚 Learning guides: https://stan.store/marloyonocruz

    1h 3m
  7. May 18

    #80: Season 8 Recap - Favorite Takeaways from Episodes 71–79

    Host J.R. Yonocruz recaps Season 8 of One Thousand Gurus (episodes 71–79, recorded February through early April) to highlight key lessons and invite listeners to revisit the season. He reviews solo episodes on Tony Robbins’ achievement vs fulfillment and Marie Kondo’s KonMari “spark joy” method, plus interviews on frugal homebuying, LinkedIn recruiting and personal branding, dance/DJing to audio engineering, 75 Hard and self-talk, depression and faith, and an unconventional creative life in Europe. He also summarizes a long, wide-ranging conversation on AI, careers, and practical life decisions. 00:00 Season Eight Recap Intro 01:27 Episode 71 Tony Robbins 02:37 Episode 72 My Vo 03:37 Episode 73 Max Navarro 04:38 Episode 74 Marie Kondo 05:48 Episode 75 Herbie De Guzman 07:10 Episode 76 Richard Hardy 08:11 Episode 77 Andre Malicdem 09:24 Episode 78 Random Show Julie 10:49 Episode 79 Kenta Naoi 12:40 Season Wrap Up Sign Off Links/resources: #71: Tony Robbins - Decision-Making, Science of Achievement & Art of Fulfillment#72: My Vo - Growing Up Frugal to Buying Your First Home, Teaching Chemistry, and Enjoying Life Through Hobbies#73: Maximillian Navarro - Retail Sales to LinkedIn Recruiting, Fashion Tips, and Building a 10-Year Relationship#74: Book Highlights - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo#75: Herbie De Guzman - Dance & DJing to Audio Engineering, Aging Parents, and Learning from Breakups#76: Richard Hardy - Door-to-Door Solar Sales, Mental Discipline of 75 Hard, and the Power of Self-Talk#77: Andre Malicdem - Childhood Reminiscing, Male Modeling, Overcoming Depression, and Building a Family#78: Random Show with Julie Huynh - Careers in an AI Apocalypse, Buying vs. Renting, Productivity Coaching, Avoiding Internet Stalkers & More#79: Kenta Thomas Naoi - Joyful Movement, Creative Design, Business Coaching, and Building a Life in EuropeSend us Fan Mail Support the show One Thousand Gurus Podcast: Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world. 💻 Website: www.onethousandgurus.com🔗 All links & socials: https://bio.site/onethousandgurus📧 The Weekly Guru newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/c97a350b06d6/newsletter📚 Learning guides: https://stan.store/marloyonocruz

    14 min
  8. May 11

    #79: Kenta Thomas Naoi - Joyful Movement, Creative Design, Business Coaching, and Building a Life in Europe

    Reconnecting Through Movement, Coaching, and Non-Attachment with Kenta Thomas Naoi J.R. Yonocruz reunites with high school friend Kenta Thomas Naoi, now Denmark-based, to reflect on their dance-era origins and Kenta’s journey from design school to New York entrepreneurship, burnout, and a shift into integrative business coaching. Kenta shares an origin story of losing mobility from transverse myelitis, how movement and storytelling shaped his work, and his current projects Studio Rana and Movement Design Research. They discuss joyful movement, critical thinking, and lessons on non-attachment, expectations, and giving grace. 02:35 High School Dance Memories 06:37 From Design to Europe 11:11 Not With That Attitude 15:02 Coaching and Self-Trust 18:04 Personality Types and Perception 28:37 Mobility Loss and Healing Through Movement 32:10 Connecting the Dots to New York 37:19 Scrappy Survival Jobs 44:27 Agency Growth and Burnout 49:38 Coaching Business Model 55:39 Non-Attachment Lessons 59:06 Joyful Movement Practice 01:03:19 Finding Dance Joy Again 01:08:16 Host Journey and Coaching 01:12:13 Loneliness and Ambition 01:16:38 Integrating Work and Passion 01:18:17 Five to Ten Year Vision 01:22:22 Rapid Fire Begins 01:26:57 Non Attachment and Identity 01:35:18 Critical Thinking and Nuance 01:39:53 Gratitude and Wrap Up Guest bio: Kenta is a multi-modal creative-researcher, integrative business coach, designer, inbodied-inquiry practitioner and facilitator, bog-person, and level 4 animist druid world builder. His work often centers the body as location for insight, play, and possibilities for more loving futures. He runs 'movement-design-research', a project in making and moving sustainably, he also runs studio-rana, a movement studio, with his wife, and he talks to cats. Instagram: @kentathomas / https://www.instagram.com/kentathomasWebsite: https://kentathomasnaoi.com/Links/resources: #54: Way Liu - Dancer to DJ, Navigating Sobriety, Chronic Back Pain, and Finding Creative OutletsAwareness by Anthony de Mello (book summary)Built to Move by Kelly & Juliet Starrett (book summary)Love and Rage by Lama Rod Owens (Amazon - affiliate link)Send us Fan Mail Support the show One Thousand Gurus Podcast: Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world. 💻 Website: www.onethousandgurus.com🔗 All links & socials: https://bio.site/onethousandgurus📧 The Weekly Guru newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/c97a350b06d6/newsletter📚 Learning guides: https://stan.store/marloyonocruz

    1h 43m

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About

Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a software project manager, self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, dancer, stand-up comedian, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world. All links & socials https://bio.site/onethousandgurus