The Alchemist's Library

Ryan Ayala

The Alchemists Library is dedicated to the exploration of becoming one's best self. With the goal of achieving a clear mind, fit body, and a house full of love. Episodes centered around: Health, Wealth, and Wisdom. The ancient practice of alchemy was about turning lead to gold but the secret was that it was never about physical gold. The real art was in turning the self from lead to gold.

  1. 2h ago

    He Turned a $50M Loss Into a Business Building Playbook - Rod Khleif

    Send us Fan Mail Rod Khleif lost $50 million in the 2008 real estate crash then rebuilt his life using multifamily investing, business building, syndication, mindset, cash flow, real estate development, assisted living, and deal-making principles. In this episode of The Alchemist’s Library, Rod breaks down the painful lessons behind losing everything, why single-family rentals crushed him, and why multifamily real estate became his wealth-building playbook. We also dive into how to find deals, raise capital, buy businesses, use leverage responsibly, and capitalize on today’s distressed real estate opportunities. Rod shares why mindset, peer group, focus, and playing to your strengths matter just as much as underwriting and market selection. If you’re interested in real estate investing, business acquisition, financial freedom, or rebuilding after failure, this conversation is packed with practical and hard-earned wisdom. Subscribe for more conversations on business, wealth, psychology, self-mastery, and unconventional paths to success. #RealEstateInvesting #BusinessBuilding #MultifamilyInvesting TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – How Rod Khleif Lost $50 Million 01:39 – The Mindset Shift That Built Rod’s Wealth 03:01 – Why Single-Family Rentals Failed in 2008 05:32 – Multifamily Investing vs Single-Family Rentals 08:11 – Why Bigger Real Estate Deals Can Be Safer 10:49 – How to Raise Money for Multifamily Deals 13:53 – How Syndication Works for Real Estate and Business 16:32 – How to Find Off-Market Real Estate Deals 18:07 – Buying Businesses From Retiring Owners 21:29 – How to Protect Cash Flow in Multifamily 22:36 – The Assisted Living Real Estate Opportunity 25:05 – Why Senior Housing Needs Strong Operators 27:42 – How to Start Before You Feel Ready 28:44 – Rod Khleif’s Goal-Setting Framework 30:57 – Why Focus Determines Entrepreneurial Success 32:23 – Why Your Business Shouldn’t Be Your Identity 36:43 – How to Discover Your Strengths 38:06 – Real Estate Development Risks and Opportunities 39:21 – Best Real Estate Markets for Multifamily 40:10 – How to Use Leverage Responsibly 42:29 – Why You Should Fear Regret More Than Failure Rod's Links:  Linktree: https://rodkhleif.com/links/ Rod's Website: https://rodkhleif.com/?sl=lt Connect with Us! https://www.instagram.com/alchemists.library/ https://twitter.com/RyanJAyala

    44 min

  2. Jun 4

    Internet Money, Inner Chaos, and the Cost of Chasing More - Champ

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Alchemist’s Library, Champ breaks down internet money, crypto, prediction markets, online business, personal branding, entrepreneurship, hustle culture, burnout, chronic illness, Miami culture, and the hidden cost of chasing more. What starts as a conversation about travel, Marbella, and getting robbed turns into a deeper look at how Champ went from Tulsa, Oklahoma to building a massive online audience and making serious money on the internet. Champ shares the story behind his early music dreams, software sales job, viral crypto content, $850K Discord launch, and why he believes prediction markets could become the next major online money opportunity. The conversation also gets personal, covering Lyme disease, POTS, mold exposure, health struggles, high-performance pressure, comparison, family, relationships, and the painful realization that money does not automatically create meaning. Subscribe for more conversations on business, health, philosophy, psychology, wealth, culture, and self-mastery. #InternetMoney #PredictionMarkets #Entrepreneurship TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Why Marbella Changed Champ’s View on Travel 07:26 – Champ’s Origin Story From Tulsa to Online Fame 10:22 – How Bullying Pushed Champ Onto the Internet 15:14 – How Crypto Turned Into Internet Money 18:40 – How Champ Made $850K From a Discord Launch 20:18 – Why Prediction Markets Could Be the Next Crypto 23:20 – How Prediction Market Arbitrage Works 25:29 – Prediction Markets vs Sports Betting Odds 30:18 – How AI Agents Are Trading Prediction Markets 31:15 – Champ’s Battle With Lyme Disease and POTS 35:18 – Performing at 40 Percent Capacity 39:46 – Why Hustle Culture Can Poison High Performers 42:12 – The Problem With Success Built on Fear 44:41 – What Gives Life Meaning After Making Money 46:23 – Why Internet Fame Didn’t Fix Everything 47:35 – The Reality of Miami Influencer Culture 51:01 – Why Dating in New York Feels Different 52:08 – Why Champ Left Brickell Miami Connect with Us! https://www.instagram.com/alchemists.library/ https://twitter.com/RyanJAyala

    55 min

  3. May 28

    The Truth About Going Viral, Selling Millions, and Burning Out - Jake Karls

    Send us Fan Mail Jake Karls, co-founder of Mid-Day Squares, breaks down how to go viral, build a CPG brand, and scale a snack business from a condo kitchen to thousands of retail stores — all while surviving entrepreneurial burnout. In this episode, we unpack the real story behind viral marketing, authentic brand building, getting into Whole Foods, and what it actually takes to sell millions in physical retail. Jake shares how showing up in person creates opportunity, why authenticity is the secret to standing out, and how he uses LinkedIn content to attract investors and retail partners. You'll also hear his honest take on burnout recovery, finding purpose, why he's a "rainmaker" not a CEO, and how to play your own game instead of someone else's. Whether you're a young entrepreneur, a founder chasing product-market fit, or building a personal brand, this conversation is packed with hard-won lessons. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Why Showing Up In Person Wins Deals 02:30 – How Mid-Day Squares Started In A Condo 05:00 – How Hard It Is To Sell In Retail Stores 07:30 – Why Getting Into A Store Isn't Enough 10:00 – How To Drive Retail Sales And Trial 12:30 – Why Entrepreneur Burnout Almost Ended It 15:00 – What Burnout Taught Me About Health 17:30 – The Burnout Nobody Talks About: No Clarity 20:00 – Why You Should Go All In When You're Young 22:30 – Why I'm A Rainmaker And Not A CEO 27:30 – How To Raise Capital As A Founder 30:00 – How LinkedIn Content Attracts Investors 32:30 – What Type Of Content Goes Viral 35:00 – The Heartbeat Graph vs The Average Life 37:30 – Why Being Weird Gets You Weird Results 42:30 – How To Find Product-Market Fit In CPG Connect with Us! https://www.instagram.com/alchemists.library/ https://twitter.com/RyanJAyala

    46 min

  4. May 20

    Eric Hinman on How Chasing Success Makes Most Men Miserable

    Send us Fan Mail Why does chasing success make so many men miserable? In this episode of The Alchemist’s Library, Ryan sits down with Eric Hinman to talk about male ambition, self-improvement, entrepreneurship, social media, endurance training, wellness, personal branding, content creation, and building a life around “perfect days.” Eric shares how he went from chasing money, partying, and living for external validation to becoming an Ironman athlete, investor, brand builder, and community-driven entrepreneur. This conversation explores why public perception of success can become a trap, how hard physical challenges build stress resilience, and why attention is now one of the most valuable skills in business. They also discuss influencer marketing, wellness brands, AI, community, peptides, looksmaxing, virality, and the danger of building a life around applause instead of meaning. Subscribe for more conversations on business, health, philosophy, psychology, and self-mastery. #SelfImprovement #Entrepreneurship #MensHealth TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Why Chasing Success Makes Men Miserable 04:06 – How To Design Your Perfect Day 06:29 – How To Monetize Your Passions 09:55 – How Eric Hinman Became An Investor 12:26 – The Future Of Influencer Marketing 16:25 – Why Attention Is The New Business Currency 20:54 – Why Wellness Brands Need Community 23:27 – How Hard Things Build Stronger Relationships 27:28 – How Endurance Training Builds Stress Resilience 30:19 – Why Long Runs Become A Spiritual Practice 35:06 – How To Stay Motivated After The First Week 41:03 – Why Shortcuts Fail Without The Foundations 43:35 – The Truth About Looksmaxing And Male Insecurity 48:50 – Why Chasing Virality Can Backfire 53:00 – Eric Hinman’s World’s Toughest Mile Event Connect with Us! https://www.instagram.com/alchemists.library/ https://twitter.com/RyanJAyala

    55 min

  5. May 6

    How to Actually Maximize Your 20s (Most People Get This Wrong)

    Send us Fan Mail How to maximize your 20s, build mastery, and avoid wasting your most important decade, Ryan Ayala sits down with Kolby Kirschner to break down skill stacking, mentorship, environment design, and why most self-improvement advice keeps young men stuck. This conversation covers what Robert Greene's Mastery actually teaches, how to escape mental masturbation, and why boredom is becoming the rarest competitive advantage in the AI era. You'll learn how to curate your environment, why comparing yourself to Iman Gadzhi quietly destroys your ambition, how to think like a modern polymath, and the real reason most creators are about to lose their grip on attention. If you're in your 20s and serious about building something that lasts, this episode is the playbook. If this hit, drop a comment with your biggest takeaway and subscribe for more conversations on building wealth, mastery, and a life worth living in your 20s. Timestamps: 00:00 – How to Actually Maximize Your 20s 03:33 – Why Your Environment Shapes Your Future 06:48 – The Dark Side of Self-Improvement Content 09:24 – Why You're Not as Behind as You Think 10:17 – What Robert Greene's Mastery Teaches About Skill 12:19 – You Don't Need to Be a Genius to Win 15:17 – Lessons From Leonardo Da Vinci on Curiosity 17:35 – Why Polymaths Will Win the AI Era 19:51 – How Skills Compound Across Different Industries 44:22 – Mental Masturbation: The Trap of Learning Without Action 47:25 – Why Writing Essays Is the Antidote to Brain Rot 51:01 – Steal Like an Artist: How to Build Your Identity 53:13 – The Death of the Creator Economy 57:25 – Boredom as a Competitive Advantage 1:00:32 – Why People Can't Think Deeply Anymore #MaximizeYour20s #SelfImprovementForMen #MasteryMindset Connect with Us! https://www.instagram.com/alchemists.library/ https://twitter.com/RyanJAyala

    1h 3m

  6. Apr 7

    Josh Suggs - How This 23 Year Old Started a Street Interviewing Empire

    Send us Fan Mail Josh Suggs went from walking 35,000 steps a day in Washington Square Park with a microphone to building Street Talk, a $9 million street interview agency with 94 employees — all before age 23. In this episode, Josh breaks down how he found product market fit in the content agency space, dropped out of college, and scaled a brand content business from zero using nothing but hustle, delusional confidence, and a powerful flywheel strategy for client acquisition. You'll learn how Josh built a repeatable system for selling street interviews to DTC and e-commerce brands, why authenticity is the ultimate moat against AI-generated content, how he recruited his first street interviewers from actor casting calls in a CVS lobby, and the exact partnership strategy that 4x'd his growth when he merged with his co-founder Luke. Whether you're starting your first business or scaling an agency, Josh's playbook on delegation, leverage, and building a real asset is packed with actionable lessons. Subscribe and drop a comment with your biggest takeaway from Josh's story. Chapters:  00:00 – How Josh Suggs Started Street Talk Agency 02:34 – Why Street Interviews Are a Business Moat 05:02 – From Special Ed to $190K in One Summer 08:23 – Quitting a Job Before Day One to Go All In 10:06 – Walking 35,000 Steps a Day in New York City 12:36 – The Phone Call That Made Him Drop Out 14:33 – Surviving Winter as a Solo Street Interviewer 17:19 – Recruiting Street Interviewers From a CVS Lobby 19:36 – How a Corporate Executive Joined a 21-Year-Old 24:22 – Why Delusional Confidence Beats Experience 25:35 – Finding Product Market Fit in a Niche Offer 28:09 – Scaling From Solo Founder to 94 Employees 31:06 – What Happens When the Business Outgrows You 33:07 – Building Brand Authority With a Founder Series 35:33 – Why AI Makes Street Interviews More Valuable 38:48 – Best Advice for 19-Year-Olds Who Want to Start 43:21 – The Twitter Flywheel for Landing Brand Clients 46:14 – How to Trade Value for Authority at Every Stage #StreetInterviews #ContentAgency #YoungEntrepreneur Connect with Us! https://www.instagram.com/alchemists.library/ https://twitter.com/RyanJAyala

    46 min

  7. Mar 25

    Mold, IQ Maxxing, Getting Shredded w/ Noah Ryan

    Send us Fan Mail Noah Ryan returns for his fourth appearance on The Alchemist's Library to break down the hidden dangers of mold illness, share his complete mold detox supplement protocol, and explain how to get shredded without destroying your metabolism. In this episode, we cover mold toxicity symptoms, the HLA-DR genetic predisposition that makes some people hypersensitive to mycotoxins, the best nootropics stack for cognitive enhancement, why modafinil may not be worth the hype, and Noah's ShredMaxing protocol for burning fat while keeping testosterone high. Whether you're dealing with brain fog, looking for a smarter approach to fat loss through bioenergetics, or trying to build a personalized nootropic stack with compounds like bromantane, alpha GPC, and saffron, this conversation delivers actionable frameworks you can apply immediately. We also get into why weed is more dangerous than most people think and how to rebuild your dopaminergic system for long-term drive and focus.Subscribe and drop a comment with your go-to nootropic stack — we read every single one. #moldtoxicity  #Nootropics #ShredMaxing Time Stamps:  00:00 – How Mold Illness Destroys Your Immune System 02:09 – Why Florida and Humid Climates Breed Toxic Mold 05:26 – HLA-DR Gene and Mold Hypersensitivity Explained 08:52 – Co-Infections from Mold: Candida, SIBO, Heavy Metals 13:05 – Chris Williamson's Mold Exposure Breakdown 15:25 – Early Warning Signs of Mold Toxicity 17:13 – Mold Symptoms That Mimic Concussion and Brain Injury 19:17 – How Mold Destroyed Noah's Cognitive Function 21:55 – Top 10 Supplements for Mold Detox Protocol 24:12 – High Dose Melatonin for Mycotoxin Recovery 28:21 – Best Glutathione and NAC Stack for Detox 30:20 – Modified Citrus Pectin and Binder Cycling Protocol 32:21 – Is Modafinil Worth the Hype for Focus? 35:05 – Adderall vs Modafinil: Side Effects Compared 37:00 – Best Nootropic Stack: Bromantane, Saffron, Alpha GPC 40:19 – Noah Ryan's Personal Nootropic Stack Revealed 42:53 – Why Weed Is More Dangerous Than You Think 50:01 – Does CBD Actually Decrease Your IQ? 55:09 – ShredMaxing: How to Get Lean Without Calorie Restriction 57:50 – Why Caloric Deficit and Keto Destroy Your Metabolism 1:01:13 – The Bioenergetics Approach to Burning Fat Fast Connect with Us! https://www.instagram.com/alchemists.library/ https://twitter.com/RyanJAyala

    1h 3m

  8. Mar 19

    Ecom, AI, & Scaling to 100k Months - TJ Bongiorno

    Send us Fan Mail TJ Bongiorno of The Outgoing Co joins The Alchemist's Library to break down how he scaled his ecommerce brand past $100K months using Meta ads, landing pages, and a subscription-first business model. From bootstrapping his DTC supplement brand to rebranding from Ramp Health to Audi, TJ shares the real numbers behind scaling an online business including why ecommerce is not the cash flow machine most people think it is. This episode covers how to validate product market fit before launch, the role of AI tools in ad creative production, agency hiring mistakes to avoid, and the capital-intensive reality of breaking into the beverage industry. You'll also hear lessons from brands like Knobs Toothpaste and Frost Buddy on leveraging TikTok Shop and organic content to drive growth. Whether you're starting your first brand or trying to break past a revenue plateau, this conversation is packed with actionable strategy. Subscribe and drop a comment with your biggest takeaway. #Ecommerce #ScalingOnlineBusiness #DTCBrand Timestamps: 00:00 – Why Private Equity Is Ruining Service Businesses 02:50 – How Tesla Changed the Customer Experience 05:12 – Combining Online Skills With Old School Business 07:00 – Street Talk Agency and Building a Content Brand 08:45 – Why Trademarks Matter: The Ramp Health Rebrand 11:47 – What The Outgoing Co Products Actually Do 13:23 – How Much Capital You Need for Canned Beverages 20:58 – Why Knobs Toothpaste Is a DTC Masterclass 24:00 – How to Use Meta Ads to Test Product Market Fit 26:00 – Landing Pages That Took Revenue Past $100K/Month 29:13 – The Truth About Ecommerce Profit Margins 33:00 – How to Vet and Hire the Right Agency 36:47 – Building Internal AI Tools for Ad Creative 42:20 – Frost Buddy's $80M Organic Content Strategy 49:00 – Entrepreneur Guilt and Work-Life Balance 52:50 – Running a Brand With No Full-Time Employees Connect with Us! https://www.instagram.com/alchemists.library/ https://twitter.com/RyanJAyala

    59 min
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5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

The Alchemists Library is dedicated to the exploration of becoming one's best self. With the goal of achieving a clear mind, fit body, and a house full of love. Episodes centered around: Health, Wealth, and Wisdom. The ancient practice of alchemy was about turning lead to gold but the secret was that it was never about physical gold. The real art was in turning the self from lead to gold.

Information

  • Creator
    Ryan Ayala
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    199
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Alchemist's Library
  • Show Website
    The Alchemist's Library

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