Ep 1/12 || Entrepreneurship, Boxing, & Plant Medicine with Rob Paddock
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In this first episode, I sit down with entrepreneur, educator, and friend Rob Paddock. Together, we unravel what it means to live a life of depth, how boxing became a surprising teacher, and why marriage and fatherhood are proper spiritual practices.
We touch on everything from men’s work, plant medicine, and the culture of overwork, to parenting, leadership, and the transformative power of committed relationships.
Time-stamped Topics
[00:00] Welcome & intro to “Through The Fog”
[02:00] Introducing Rob Paddock — from GetSmarter to Valencia Institute
[04:50] First meeting at an unexpected place — Vision Quests at an accounting conference
[06:00] Rob’s life today — fatherhood, remote leadership, and nourishment
[08:25] ‘Who is Rob?’ — seeking depth, shadow work, and creative identity
[10:50] Lessons from the boxing ring — anger, embodiment, and safe aggression
[16:40] Addicted to suffering? The illusion of value through overworking
[24:30] Ayahuasca insights: “You do not need to suffer to find peace.”
[29:00] Belonging vs. status — the paradox of human motivation
[33:30] How marriage becomes the ultimate mirror
[36:00] The value of fighting well — nothing is too small to bring into the relational space
[40:00] Children as spiritual teachers & the creative force of family
[44:00] Tradition as a guide — the forgotten wisdom of lineage
[46:00] What does the world ask of us now?
Pull Quotes
“Life will present us with the people and circumstances to reveal where we’re not yet free.” – Rob Paddock
“You can talk about this stuff until you’re blue in the face, but to embody it is a very different experience.”
“I realized I had an addiction to suffering. I thought if I wasn’t carrying the heaviest burden, I wasn’t valuable.”
“Boxing taught me more about myself than boardrooms ever could.”
“Marriage isn’t there to make you happy — it’s there to make you holy.”
“We don’t change easily. We change when life backs us into a corner.”
“I seek depth. In business, in love, in self.”
“Children are spiritual teachers. They show you what real service means.”
LINKS
Sign up to my daily letter: https://thisispierre.co
Rob's links:
https://www.valentureinstitute.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-paddock
We touch on everything from men’s work, plant medicine, and the culture of overwork, to parenting, leadership, and the transformative power of committed relationships.
Time-stamped Topics
[00:00] Welcome & intro to “Through The Fog”
[02:00] Introducing Rob Paddock — from GetSmarter to Valencia Institute
[04:50] First meeting at an unexpected place — Vision Quests at an accounting conference
[06:00] Rob’s life today — fatherhood, remote leadership, and nourishment
[08:25] ‘Who is Rob?’ — seeking depth, shadow work, and creative identity
[10:50] Lessons from the boxing ring — anger, embodiment, and safe aggression
[16:40] Addicted to suffering? The illusion of value through overworking
[24:30] Ayahuasca insights: “You do not need to suffer to find peace.”
[29:00] Belonging vs. status — the paradox of human motivation
[33:30] How marriage becomes the ultimate mirror
[36:00] The value of fighting well — nothing is too small to bring into the relational space
[40:00] Children as spiritual teachers & the creative force of family
[44:00] Tradition as a guide — the forgotten wisdom of lineage
[46:00] What does the world ask of us now?
Pull Quotes
“Life will present us with the people and circumstances to reveal where we’re not yet free.” – Rob Paddock
“You can talk about this stuff until you’re blue in the face, but to embody it is a very different experience.”
“I realized I had an addiction to suffering. I thought if I wasn’t carrying the heaviest burden, I wasn’t valuable.”
“Boxing taught me more about myself than boardrooms ever could.”
“Marriage isn’t there to make you happy — it’s there to make you holy.”
“We don’t change easily. We change when life backs us into a corner.”
“I seek depth. In business, in love, in self.”
“Children are spiritual teachers. They show you what real service means.”
LINKS
Sign up to my daily letter: https://thisispierre.co
Rob's links:
https://www.valentureinstitute.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-paddock
