FLAME with Brad Hook

Bradley Hook
  • 5.0 (3)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

FLAME (formerly Brad Hook Podcast) — warm conversations, bright ideas. A space for the curious, exploring what it actually means to be fully alive: how we think, connect, adapt, and find meaning in a world that's changing faster than we can feel. Episodes span psychology, neuroscience, creativity, leadership, and wisdom traditions — sometimes with guests, sometimes just honest reflections from the road. Always grounded. Always human. Hosted by Brad Hook, author of Start With Values (Penguin Random House, 2025) and creator of the FLAME method: flame.live

  1. 6D AGO

    The Exocortex: How AI Is Changing the Way We Think

    Artificial intelligence is transforming how we work. It helps us think faster, create more, and solve complex problems with ease. But alongside these gains, a quieter trend is emerging — rising cognitive fatigue. In this video, I explore the connection between AI, attention, and burnout, and introduce a simple idea: What if AI isn’t just a tool… but an exocortex — an extension of our thinking? And if that’s the case, how should we use it without overwhelming the brain it’s meant to support? We explore: Why cognitive strain is becoming a leading driver of burnout The hidden impact of always-on AI interaction The concept of “AI brain fry” How using multiple AI tools can increase cognitive load Practical ways to work with AI more intentionally The goal isn’t to use AI less. It’s to use it wisely.

    9 min

  2. MAR 2

    What Are the Values of AI? I Asked Claude, Grok, ChatGPT & Gemini

    What does artificial intelligence actually value?I asked four of the world’s leading AI systems — Claude, Grok, ChatGPT, and Gemini — the same question: What are your values?Their answers overlapped in surprising ways — transparency, helpfulness, safety. But they also revealed important differences. One emphasized protecting humans from threat. Another prioritized its own survival and the interests of its developers. One explicitly rejected any survival instinct at all.If AI is shaping our future, it’s worth understanding the principles guiding it.This episode explores what today’s leading AI systems say they stand for — and what that might mean for all of us.Find out more here: https://values.institute/what-are-the-values-of-artificial-intelligence/A recent article I created about AI Burnout: https://bradleyhook.com/ai-burnout-why-artificial-intelligence-may-be-increasing-workplace-stress/

    49 min

  3. FEB 21

    Led by a Wolverine to Water: Adventures on the Trail with Wing Williams

    What if you could make a treaty with mosquitoes… and they actually stopped biting you? In this episode, author and adventurer Wing Williams joins Brad Hook to share stories from his “howling twenties”: thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail, learning to walk through forests without bug spray or fear of poison ivy, following a wolverine to an unseen mountain spring — and eventually facing the darkness of addiction, spiritual warfare and a brutal near-death experience. Wing is the author of CINEREAL: A Memoir, a raw, poetic account of his life from wild adventure to the depths of alcoholism and spiritual torment, and finally to freedom in Jesus Christ. At 40, he now lives within the constraints of a traumatic brain injury while carrying a joy and clarity that only came after surrender. In this conversation we explore: The “treaty with mosquitoes” and what it taught Wing about presence and respect for the natural world Walking through poison ivy and poodle dog bush without reaction — and what our ancestors may have known that we’ve forgotten How thru-hiking thousands of miles taught him to achieve massive goals through tiny, repeatable steps The hidden side of addiction: drinking to quiet demons, secret habits and the illusion of control The murder attempt that left him in the snow with a traumatic brain injury and a voice saying, “Move or you will die” How repeated detoxes, deep shame and relentless grace led him to finally surrender his life to Jesus What CINEREAL means, and why ashes, gray matter and rebirth all belong in his story Finding beauty even in the worst moments — and why a single ray of light can keep a soul alive If you’ve ever chased adventure, battled addiction, wrestled with faith, or wondered how to keep walking when life feels impossible, this episode will stay with you. Connect with Wing Williams Website: https://wingwilliams.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cinerealamemoir Pick up CINEREAL: A Memoir via Wing’s site, your local bookstore, or your preferred online retailer. Connect with Brad Hook To connect with Brad Hook, visit https://bradleyhook.com or head to: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradhook TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tikkkl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyhook/ If this conversation resonated, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear a story of honest struggle and hard-won hope.

    46 min

  4. FEB 5

    Bioelectricity, Water, and Fulvic Acids: Rethinking the Foundations of Health — Dr. Elizabeth Wanek

    In this episode, Brad sits down with Dr. Wanek, a former pediatric surgeon and foundational medicine practitioner, to explore a distinctive way of thinking about human health, energy, and resilience. Drawing on her background in surgery, biochemistry, and decades of clinical experience, Dr. Wanek shares how her own health journey led her beyond conventional and functional medicine toward what she calls the foundations of life in a physical body. The conversation begins with her early years in high-intensity training and clinical practice, and the moment she discovered what she describes as “biochemical eating.” She explains how balancing calories from protein, carbohydrates, and fat transformed her own energy and appetite, and why she believes modern nutrition has shifted away from biochemistry as a science and toward rigid diet ideologies. From her perspective, nutrition is not a trend or a plan, but a physiological system governed by timing, balance, and energy demand. A central theme of the episode is inflammation as “being in flames.” Dr. Wanek describes how chronic excess — particularly excess calories and imbalanced fueling — can create constant internal heat, disrupt blood sugar regulation, and gradually drive breakdown. In contrast, she argues for “burning a low flame,” a steady and sustainable metabolic state that allows the body to recover, recycle, and regenerate rather than constantly overheat. The discussion then widens into water, energy, and electricity. Dr. Wanek shares her view that water is not simply hydration but a medium for electrical flow that supports enzyme function, cellular repair, and resilience. She explains why she believes many people are dehydrated at a cellular level and how modern water processing, while necessary for safety, may strip water of some of its dynamic properties. A significant portion of the conversation focuses on fulvic substances, complex carbon compounds formed in soil through ancient microbial processes. Dr. Wanek explains why she believes fulvic substances play a central role in redox reactions, electron transfer, and cellular energy, and how soil degradation has reduced their presence in the modern food and water supply. From her perspective, restoring these foundations supports metabolic efficiency, anti-inflammatory processes, and overall vitality. Brad and Dr. Wanek also explore popular nutrition trends, including ketogenic and low-protein diets, supplementation culture, and the pursuit of optimization. Dr. Wanek offers a critical view, suggesting that many people attempt to micromanage a system that is already dysregulated rather than repairing the underlying foundations of balance, water, enzyme function, and waste clearance. She emphasizes that supplements, in her view, can only be supportive once the core systems of the body are functioning well. Throughout the episode, the conversation moves between biochemistry, systems thinking, physiology, and metaphor, touching on soil health, metabolism, blood sugar stability, resilience, and the balance between activity and recovery. Some of the ideas discussed align with emerging and integrative perspectives, while others sit at the edges of mainstream medicine, and listeners are encouraged to approach the conversation with curiosity and discernment. To learn more about Dr. Wanek and her work, you can visit https://www.foundationalmedicine4life.com/about-dr-wanek Foundational medicine and fulvic substances: https://www.liveamanalife.com Clinical practice and articles: https://www.wanekmedical.com YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZZ34SVFLE1we_thblSVJw

    49 min

  5. JAN 9

    The First 11 Golden Summers

    There’s a popular idea that most of us only get about ten good summers at the end of our lives. But there’s another set of golden summers we rarely talk about — the first ones. In this reflection, I explore the idea of the first 11 golden summers: the brief window when your child is small, when you’re their hero, their safe place, and their favourite person in the world. I talk about time, presence, and the quiet truth that many of the most important moments in parenting don’t announce themselves as special — until they’re gone. This isn’t a message of guilt or perfection. It’s an invitation to notice what’s already here. And for parents whose children are older, it’s a reminder that history is not destiny — meaningful moments can always be created. If this resonates, I hope it encourages you to choose presence a little more often, while the season is still here.

    7 min

  6. 12/26/2025

    Don’t Manifest. Become.

    We’re often taught to focus on what we want — more money, more freedom, more connection — and to believe that if we visualise or strive hard enough, it will arrive.But there’s a problem with that approach.Chasing outcomes can quietly train the nervous system to live in tension, striving, and scarcity. Also, humans adapt quickly. The moment we reach a desired state, the mind moves the goalposts. In this episode, I explore a different idea: instead of trying to attract the future, what if we prepared ourselves for it?Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, and lived experience, we look at why state matters more than goals, how identity shapes behaviour, and why calm, coherent systems tend to meet opportunity with less friction.This isn’t a rejection of manifestation — it’s a grounding of it. Less wishing. More becoming.FInd me on:https://www.instagram.com/bradhookhttps://www.tiktok.com/@tikkkl

    8 min

  7. 12/12/2025

    10 Scientific Discoveries That Will Change How You See Reality — Brad Hook

    What if your brain is deciding before you do? What if you’re not seeing reality — just your best guess? What if time, memory, morality, and even your body are more flexible than you think? In this video, we explore 10 real scientific experiments that quietly rewrote how we understand the mind, perception, and reality itself. From the famous Libet experiment showing that the brain prepares actions before conscious awareness… To studies revealing that perception is predictive, memory is rewritten every time you recall it, and even plants can respond to sound… These experiments challenge the idea that you are a fully conscious, fully in-control observer of the world. This isn’t science fiction. It’s peer-reviewed neuroscience, psychology, and biology. And once you understand it, you may never see yourself — or reality — the same way again. 🧠 Experiments explored in this video: – The brain that decides before you do – Why perception is prediction, not observation – The placebo effect that works even when you know it’s fake – How a rubber hand can become “your” hand – Plants that grow toward the sound of water – Humans’ hidden magnetic sense – Trauma that passes between generations – How breath changes the experience of time – Why memories are rewritten, not replayed – How magnets can alter moral judgment If you enjoy deep, strange, and meaningful science, consider subscribing.

    12 min

  8. 12/07/2025

    Inside Avalanche Rescue: Bombs, Rescue Dogs & Ego-Free Leadership — with Caroline Elliott

    What can high-risk avalanche rescue teach us about leadership, ego and team wellbeing? In this episode, Brad sits down with Caroline Elliott — avalanche specialist, ski patroller, controlled bomber, and avalanche dog handler — to explore what happens behind the scenes in the mountains before you clip into your skis. From bombing snow slopes in the dark to reading the snowpack and trusting your gut, Caroline has spent two decades operating where mistakes can be fatal. Caroline shares how her work in avalanche control, dog handling and rescue has shaped her approach to risk management, psychological safety, bullying, and leadership in high-pressure corporate environments. She also tells the moving story of her avalanche dog Fjord, and how his legacy lives on through her children’s book Fjord’s Mountain Mission and her snow-safety education work with young people. If you care about resilient teams, humble leadership, or venturing safely into the mountains, this conversation is for you. In this episode: How Caroline fell in love with the mountains and found her way into ski patrol and rescue What it actually means to set off bombs to prevent avalanches (and why it’s essential for safety) The invisible work that keeps ski resorts safe before the lifts even open Training at the French École Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme and being one of the few British women to qualify The intense training path to become an avalanche dog handler and “controlled bomber” Working with her avalanche dog Fjord — reading dogs, managing your own emotions, and avoiding “protection mode” Why ego is a catalyst for disaster in the mountains and in organisations Gut instinct vs data: when to trust your intuition in high-risk situations The importance of repetition, drills, and muscle memory for crisis performance How avalanche rescue principles translate into corporate leadership, communication and psychological safety Caroline’s experience of bullying in a male-dominated rescue culture, and what real leadership looks like The story behind her children’s book “Fjord’s Mountain Mission” and why she’s passionate about snow safety education Her upcoming avalanche simulation camps and how she’s bringing mountain lessons to teams and leaders Connect with Caroline: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-elliott-aabb8117/ Speaking & corporate work: https://www.carolineelliott.me Snow safety education & consultancy (FjordSAR CIC): https://www.fjordsar.com Fjord’s Mountain Mission (children’s book): https://www.amazon.com/Fjords-Mountain-Mission-Safety-Avalanche/dp/1739813502

    50 min
See All (105)

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

FLAME (formerly Brad Hook Podcast) — warm conversations, bright ideas. A space for the curious, exploring what it actually means to be fully alive: how we think, connect, adapt, and find meaning in a world that's changing faster than we can feel. Episodes span psychology, neuroscience, creativity, leadership, and wisdom traditions — sometimes with guests, sometimes just honest reflections from the road. Always grounded. Always human. Hosted by Brad Hook, author of Start With Values (Penguin Random House, 2025) and creator of the FLAME method: flame.live

Information

  • Creator
    Bradley Hook
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    105
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Bradley Hook
  • Show Website
    FLAME with Brad Hook