Ryan Combes Podcast

Ryan Combes
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Philosophy

Conversations at the intersection of spirituality and entrepreneurship.

Episodes

  1. ChatGPT | Yuval Noah Harari on Christianity: What's wrong?

    02/08/2025

    ChatGPT | Yuval Noah Harari on Christianity: What's wrong?

    Hey there - this is an experimental episode in which I document one of my many philosophically explorative conversations with ChatGPT. I was reading Yuval Noah Harari's book "Nexus" and was troubled by his characterization of Christianity, having spent a fair chunk of time learning about the religion recently. I decided to ask ChatGPT some questions about it and figured I'd record the response in case anybody else would find it useful.

    7 min

  2. 03/23/2024

    Jenny Schroedel (#2) | Emptiness, Grief, God, and Love

    Jenny is back for round two! Please enjoy. My newsletter: https://ryancombes.beehiiv.com/ Timestamps: - 00:03:27: Emptiness - 00:07:18: Allowing grief - 00:26:41: Transforming relationships after death - 00:32:56: Regrets of the dying - 00:39:59: Being with God - 00:45:02: How to love

    1h 5m

  3. 11/25/2023

    Ken McGrath | From Psychedelics to Christ, Hippie-Living in Hawai`i, Popping the Spiritual Bubble, Navigating Cancer, and Preparing for a Good Death..

    This one was a blast, because my guest, Ken McGrath, has had a wild life. He’s 77 now and this episode features his evolution from a psychedelic-loving hippie in San Fransisco, NY, and Hawai`i, to a Christian pastor, to an insurance salesman, to raising a family, to losing it all, to navigating cancer and much more. I knew as soon as I heard his story this past summer that I needed to document it if I could, and here it is. Highlights include: - How Ken lived on the beach in Hawai`i for $30/mo - His hypnotic experience of God in his probation officer’s office and how it popped a 15-year spiritual bubble - The transformative & profound lessons learned undergoing experimental cancer treatment - The one question that his cancer diagnosis brought forth - The one value Ken would try to instill in his child above all else - The meaning of Love - What a faithful relationship with God means - What became important after spending 18 months in near-absolute solitude - The flaws of organized philanthropy and Ken’s new perspective on giving - Which questions he wished he asked himself before he got married - And more… Enjoy! Timestamps: 0:00: Intro 3:08: Ken's Early Days 39:10: Hawai`i 47:00: Christianity and Ken's Fall 1:17:16: His Email & Death 1:34:57: One Value & God 1:58:03: Family & Parenting 2:33:31: What He's Doing Now 2:39:16: Outro Letter to a Friend (my newsletter): https://ryancombes.beehiiv.com/

    2h 40m

  4. 10/29/2023

    Len Green | Faith & Ethics in Entrepreneurship, Turning Down $2.2b, the Irrationality of Life & Success, the Advantage of Being Different, and More...

    I like to believe that life is logical. If I learn from the best and work hard, I’ll be rewarded. I’ll be able to avoid bad things through smart decision-making. Overall, I’m in control of my fate. My guest today begs to differ. Len Green felt he was dealt a bad hand in life. Growing up, he struggled with dyslexia, heavy stuttering, memory, and almost anything intellectual. He flunked out of 3 universities, was fired from one job after another, and made a living for a time teaching Jewish youth groups, unable to hold anything else long enough to support his pregnant wife. Despite this, Len is a successful and much-loved entrepreneur, professor, and mentor to thousands. He has founded companies with multi-billion dollar exits and taught thousands of students over 20 years through his course at Babson College, the “Ultimate Entrepreneurship Challenge.” However, these reasons alone are not why I chose to interview him. Over my time knowing and interacting with Len at Babson, I observed his clear dedication to his Jewish faith. He would visit and speak at Babon’s spiritual center, emphasizing his faith’s role in his success and demonstrating his humility in the face of God. This is why I wished to interview him. And not only was he kind enough to accept my request, but he showed up with more authenticity, vulnerability, and sincerity than I could have ever asked for. Despite being shorter than my previous episodes, this one is an emotional rollercoaster that I guarantee will leave you humbled and speechless. Just a few of the topics we cover include: - What he did when he found himself in $17m of debt while only making $17k/year - How he published a book in 1 month to get back his job as a professor - How his wife’s donation to an underground hospital unexpectedly led to her surviving cancer for 20+ years - Why he turned down an offer to sell Blue Buffalo for $2.2 billion, and the nonsensical way he got $8 billion instead - The one prayer he repeats to himself every single day - And much more… I can only hope that I did justice to Len’s story and message. Please enjoy this heartfelt conversation with Len Green. Timestamps: 0:00: Intro 3:23: Len's Background in Judaism & Entrepreneurship 15:23: The Ultimate Example of Serendipity 27:09: Selling Blue Buffalo for $8b 33:23: The Prayer He Repeats to Himself Every Day 35:28: Outro Letter to a Friend (my weekly newsletter): https://ryancombes.beehiiv.com/subscribe

    36 min

  5. 10/01/2023

    Archpriest George Gray | The Meaning of Spirituality, the Problem with New-Agers, Historical Ignorance and the Spiritual Crisis, and much more...

    Archpriest George Gray (a.k.a Father George) is an enigma. He simultaneously possesses immense spiritual wisdom (although he denies it) AND a down-to-earth humanness that shatters any stereotype around what a religious leader can and cannot be. He also possesses an adventurous spirit, as he now lives and serves in Kona, Hawai`i, where I met him. This one has a lot of goodies, particularly for someone like myself who was raised anti-religious. I hope you enjoy! Timestamps: Intro: 0:00 Background: 2:12 Why he fell in love with church and religion at 12 years old: 17:04 What spirituality means and how his definition has changed since he was young: 21:48 What “spreading the Gospel” means and how to do it without being obnoxious: 35:52 Why the “New Age” (or “salad bar”) approach doesn’t work: 47:04 Why raising kids without any religion is a disservice: 50:50 The advantage of a spiritual approach towards doing good (as opposed to a secular one): 1:09:56 The connection between the spiritual crisis and historical ignorance: 1:18:29 All about pilgrimages (and why to take one): 1:28:49 Outro: 1:41:34 Links: My newsletter: https://ryancombes.beehiiv.com/ My previous podcast with Jenny Schroedel: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3E7AijYD4JUvtBqX5wpCMx?si=28efb344221b4dc1

    1h 42m

  6. 09/24/2023

    Jenny Schroedel | Hospice Chaplain on Death, Faith, & Living Peacefully in a Fearful World

    Welcome to my first podcast episode! In this episode, Jenny shares wisdom gleaned from working with the dying and grieving for over a decade. This includes insights such as: - Why working with the dying is like getting a new prescription on your glasses - What it was like physically witnessing 9/11 as she was about to have her first child - How to prepare for the death of a loved one - Why you should know all of your spouse’s passwords - How working with the dying gave her the gift of wonder - The difference between faith and optimism - How to think about money in the context of spirituality - What non-believers get wrong about faith - And much, much more… Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:19 - Jenny's Background 16:08 - Jenny's experience witnessing 9/11 23:25 - How to prepare for the death of a loved one 36:45 - How the acceptance of death helps you as a parent 45:58 - What's wrong with optimism and what Jenny does instead 56:37 - Building wealth in the context of spirituality 1:05:56 - Conversations every couple should have 1:10:33 - Religion and raising children 1:25:43 - What non-believers get wrong about faith Links: My weekly newsletter: https://ryancombes.beehiiv.com/ My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RyanCombes99

    1h 30m
  • 6 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
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2 Ratings

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Conversations at the intersection of spirituality and entrepreneurship.

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