Laura Hof Podcast

Laura Hof
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Laura Hof Podcast explores the practical wisdom, science, radical ideas driving modern human evolution. Hosted by Laura Hof, the show features leading authors, distinct voices, and pioneer thinkers discussing everything from peak performance and human optimization, to breakthroughs in well-being. Tune in to expand your worldview, master your inner world, and continuously improve yourself in a clear, grounded way.

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    Charisma is a Skill, Not a Gift - Learn the Skill of Charisma with Olivia Fox Cabane

    Charisma isn't something you're born with. It's a set of behaviours — and every one of them can be trained. Olivia Fox Cabane has spent her career proving it. As the author of The Charisma Myth, she has taught executives, founders and self-described hopeless cases the mechanics behind presence, power and warmth — the three ingredients that decide how a room responds to you. In this conversation we take the myth apart. Olivia explains why charisma works from the inside out and can't be faked, and walks through the four charisma styles — focus, visionary, kindness and authority — and why the one that actually fits you may be nothing like the one you've been trying to imitate. That, more than anything, is why so many people conclude they don't have it. They've been practising somebody else's. We also get practical: the exercises you can start this week, what really happens in the two seconds of silence before you answer, and the 60-second reset for walking into something that frightens you. And we go where the book doesn't — what happens when a woman brings strong charisma into a room, and why the same presence that reads as authority in a man can get her called difficult. If you've ever decided charisma just isn't one of your gifts, this episode is the case that nobody ever taught it to you. Guest: Olivia Fox Cabane, author of The Charisma Myth. Host: Laura Hof — laurahofalchemy.com Get the book Charisma Myth here

  2. Sep 5

    Sleep Hacks Backed by Science with Dr. Jemma King

    Sleep is not just rest—it’s the difference between a brain that repairs itself and one that quietly breaks down. In this episode Dr. Jemma King reveals the science most people miss, from the exact coffee cutoff that protects sleep to the surprising reason alcohol, late-night sugar, and even your bedtime routine can make or break tomorrow’s performance. In this conversation, Dr. Jemma King—a stress researcher at the University of Queensland and author of Sleep First—turns complex sleep science into practical, usable guidance. She explains why the first hours of the night matter so much, how deep slow-wave sleep acts like a “dishwasher” for the brain, and why REM is more than dreaming—it’s emotional filing, fear processing, and mental cleanup.You’ll discover: Why caffeine is a sleepy-signal blocker, not an energy sourceThe hidden role of slow metabolizers, menopause, pregnancy, and the pillWhy sugar before bed can steal 27 minutes of sleepThe truth about melatonin, valerian, magnesium glycinate, and other supplementsHow to use naps without wrecking your nightWhy waking at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. is more normal than you thinkThe best pre-sleep routine for high-pressure days like interviews, travel, or big meetings Jemma also breaks down her research on the Wim Hof Method, stress resilience, and why cold exposure may improve courage, psychological safety, and cognitive speed, even when it doesn’t improve sleep directly. If you’ve ever wondered why you can “get eight hours” and still feel terrible, this episode will change how you think about sleep, recovery, and the way your brain works overnight. Perfect for anyone who wants better sleep, sharper mornings, and a real-world plan for feeling calmer, healthier, and more resilient. ⁠Get Dr. Jemma King's book SLEEP First on Amazon.⁠

  3. Aug 29

    Cold Exposure & Longevity

    In this episode we explore how to extend your healthspan and reverse your biological age by mastering hormetic stress through deliberate cold exposure and breathwork. We will dive into the science of how these natural stressors trigger cellular cleanup, optimize your metabolic health, and empower your nervous system to build resilience against chronic aging. 🎙️ Subscribe & Review: If this episode resonated with you, please rate the show 5 stars on Spotify and share it on your Instagram Stories! 💬 Connect with Us: Follow on Instagram @laura_hof_alchemy for somatic health hacks and female longevity science. 📄 Free Resource: Get the ⁠⁠⁠Free Cold Exposure Guide

  4. Aug 21

    Reducing Anxiety and Depression - How Breathwork and Cold Exposure can help

    Depression and anxiety rates have climbed for two decades. This episode is about science and mechanisms of how breathwork and cold exposure can help. What's in the episode: The rise in depression and anxiety worldwide, post-COVID — US rates, the WHO's 25% rise in European young people, who's most affectedFuture stressors: AI, job insecurity, loss of purposeMind-body connection — why "mind over matter" is the wrong frameMy family and our own experience with depression What the protocol is: breathing rounds, the pause, cold exposure — and "the best cold is the one you'll actually do"Genetics vs environment; stress signatures travelling three generationsTrigger sensitivity — amygdala, hippocampus, cortisol staying highSympathetic vs parasympathetic; why inflammation doesn't get clearedThe ice bath as deliberate trigger training — "life is full of ice baths"Blades/Epel: 84 women, and the rumination findingThe second Epel trial: WHM vs mindfulness vs HIIT, and what held at three monthsMarko 2017: 3,200 practitioners surveyedBrain Over Body 2018: the PAG switching onMuzik 2023: CB1 receptors, and the four regionsThe endocannabinoid–immune link, microglia as gardeners or warriorsNeurochemistry: noradrenaline, dopamine, endorphinsSelf-efficacy, empowerment, beating the inner saboteur Studies referenced: Blades et al. 2024 (UCSF); Muzik et al. 2018, 2023; Marko 2017 survey. If you're struggling or having thoughts of ending your life, please speak to your doctor or a crisis line today. Nothing in this episode is a treatment and it does not replace proper care. 🎙️ Subscribe & Review: If this episode resonated with you, please rate the show 5 stars on Spotify and share it on your Instagram Stories! 💬 Connect with Us: Follow on Instagram @laura_hof_alchemy for somatic health hacks and female longevity science. 📄 Free Resource: Get the ⁠⁠Free Cold Exposure Guide

  5. Aug 14

    Female & Cold Exposure - Myths and Facts

    Should Women not do any Cold Exposure? Should Women do Ice Baths? Should women not go below 15°C with Cold Expsoure? These questions and more will be answered in this episode. Women are told they're too sensitive for the ice bath — that it'll disrupt the cycle, blunt the thyroid, spike cortisol, and that they shouldn't go below 15°C. We trace that advice back to its sources and finds three studies that never put a woman in cold water at all. In this episode: Why women feel colder — the 2.8°C hand gap, nerve density, TRPM8, white fatThe shivering threshold, measured: 11.3°C for women, 9.6°C for menWhere the "15°C rule" actually came from — and what those studies really testedWhere Experts are right: cortisol, over-doing it, and why more isn't betterHow women adapt: brown fat, glucose uptake, a calmer nervous systemThe Haenyeo divers of Jeju, and adaptation written into DNAThe survey: stress, sleep, mood and PMS by ice bath frequencyMenopause — and why you don't need the plunge for hot flashesInteroceptive focus: how the cold teaches you to feel what you need Studies mentioned: Journal of Thermal Biology (2018); Physiology & Behavior (2015); Dutch thermal comfort study (2015); cold-water swimming cohort, 1,114 women; 12-week female cold exposure trial; Haenyeo gene variant research; brown fat protocols (Nature); recovery guidance (Cleveland Clinic); cold-shock research (University of Portsmouth); WHM 478 Survey into Women doing the WHM and doing Cold Exposure A note on the data: the survey is self-reported, and the women chose their own dose — those who tried ice baths and disliked them mostly stopped, so they're underrepresented. It isn't proof that colder is better for everyone. It does counter the claim that frequent cold is harming these women. "Feeling is understanding. That feeling — that is the understanding that should be your protocol." 🎙️ Subscribe & Review: If this episode resonated with you, please rate the show 5 stars on Spotify and share it on your Instagram Stories! 💬 Connect with Us: Follow on Instagram @laura_hof_alchemy for somatic health hacks and female longevity science. 📄 Free Resource: Get the ⁠Free Female Cold Exposure Guide

  6. Aug 7

    Female Hormonal System and Balance

    In this episode we’re diving deep into the intricate, powerful, and sometimes chaotic world of the female endocrine system. Your hormones are essentially the body’s master conductors—regulating everything from your stress and metabolism to your reproductive health and daily energy. But in our modern world, keeping that delicate orchestra in harmony is easier said than done. We explore the modern hidden landscape of endocrinological disruptorsWe breaking down the "Holy Trifecta", the main sources behind most female hormonal imbalances. We dive how deliberate cold exposure and targeted breathwork directly target these root causes to restore balance, build resilience, and optimize your hormones from the inside out. 🎙️ Subscribe & Review: If this episode resonated with you, please rate the show 5 stars on Spotify and share it on your Instagram Stories! 💬 Connect with Us: Follow on Instagram @laura_hof_alchemy for somatic health hacks and female longevity science. 📄 Free Resource: Get the Free Female Cold Exposure Guide

  7. Aug 2

    The Stress of a Men's World and Female-Specific Stress Response

    Stress isn’t one-size-fits-all, yet for decades, health and performance have been measured through a single lens. In this episode, we’re unpacking the female-specific stress response. We dive into the unique physiological and social sources of stress women face every day, and examine why—and how—women often carry a heavier burden when it comes to chronic stress. 🎙️ Subscribe & Review: If this episode resonated with you, please rate the show 5 stars on Spotify and share it on your Instagram Stories! 💬 Connect with Us: Follow on Instagram @laura_hof_alchemy for somatic health hacks and female longevity science. 📄 Free Resource: Get the ⁠Free Female Cold Exposure Guide

  8. Aug 2

    Doing the Impossible - The Journey of Wim Hof

    Science isn’t a religion—it’s an ongoing investigation. In this episode, I dive into the incredible journey of my father, a man who repeatedly did what modern medicine and science claimed was humanly impossible. From rewriting the text books on human physiology to proving that our limits are often just assumptions. 🎙️ Subscribe & Review: If this episode resonated with you, please rate the show 5 stars on Spotify and share it on your Instagram Stories! 💬 Connect with Us: Follow on Instagram @laura_hof_alchemy for somatic health hacks and female longevity science. 📄 Free Resource: Get the ⁠Free Female Cold Exposure Guide

  • 8 Episodes

About

The Laura Hof Podcast explores the practical wisdom, science, radical ideas driving modern human evolution. Hosted by Laura Hof, the show features leading authors, distinct voices, and pioneer thinkers discussing everything from peak performance and human optimization, to breakthroughs in well-being. Tune in to expand your worldview, master your inner world, and continuously improve yourself in a clear, grounded way.

Information

  • Creator
    Laura Hof
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Laura Hof
  • Show Website
    Laura Hof Podcast