SuperLife with Darin Olien

In this raw, wide-ranging conversation, Darin sits down with Frank Zummo, award-winning drummer for Sum 41, founding member of Street Drum Corps, and current touring drummer for Electric Callboy, to explore what it really takes to sustain creativity, health, and purpose inside the extreme demands of the music industry.
From high-pressure fill-in moments and massive tours to mental health, fatherhood, fear, discipline, and recovery, this episode is a masterclass in resilience. Frank opens up about grief, identity, panic, persistence, and how true success comes from staying available when opportunity shows up.
 
What You'll Learn
What it takes to master an entire arena-level set in less than 24 hours
The mental and physical demands of high-performance touring
How Frank manages recovery, inflammation, and stress on the road
Why breathwork, cold exposure, and routine are non-negotiable
Hidden health risks of pyrotechnics, heavy metals, and touring environments
How discipline becomes freedom when it's built into daily systems
Navigating panic, uncertainty, and career transitions at the top level
Turning fear into a tool instead of something to suppress
The difference between rational and irrational fear
How availability creates probability in life and career
Lessons from loss, grief, and complicated parent relationships
Why creativity can't be replicated by machines or algorithms
Staying present as a parent while living an unconventional life
Why persistence beats talent over the long run
How the music industry, and wellness culture, is changing

 
Chapters
00:00:03 – Welcome to SuperLife and the mission of sovereignty
00:00:32 – Sponsor: TheraSage and natural healing technologies
00:02:10 – Introducing Frank Zummo
00:02:40 – Life as a professional touring drummer
00:02:56 – Learning a full Electric Callboy set in under a day
00:03:21 – Creativity, technology, and focus
00:04:07 – Frank's respect for Darin's work and health advocacy
00:06:01 – XPT, breathwork, and lifestyle changes
00:07:05 – Heavy metals, pyrotechnics, and detox protocols
00:08:27 – Sauna, ice baths, and recovery on tour
00:10:49 – Down-regulating after high-adrenaline performances
00:12:10 – Warming up smarter, not harder
00:12:53 – Nutrition, protein shakes, and avoiding tour junk food
00:13:52 – Discipline, planning, and long-term consistency
00:15:10 – Frank's relationship with his father and grief
00:16:35 – Learning from trauma instead of repeating it
00:18:30 – Workshops, kids, and mental health conversations
00:19:51 – Writing the book and creative freedom
00:22:25 – Filling in for Tommy Lee and career-defining moments
00:24:07 – Presence, gratitude, and holding onto the good
00:27:13 – Fear, uncertainty, and career transitions
00:28:16 – Breathwork for anxiety and panic
00:29:18 – Staying open when plans collapse
00:30:34 – Electric Callboy and a new chapter
00:31:36 – Family, touring, and being present as a father
00:32:47 – Rethinking fear and emotional programming
00:35:08 – Rational vs irrational fear
00:36:32 – Availability, probability, and opportunity
00:37:29 – Tunnel vision, persistence, and staying the course
00:39:35 – Doing whatever it takes early on
00:41:40 – Building Street Drum Corps from the ground up
00:43:11 – Walking away from success for mental health
00:46:03 – Health, discipline, and longevity in music
00:50:18 – Passion, authenticity, and staying true
00:52:06 – Social media, bullying, and kids today
00:55:00 – Parenting, education, and real-world learning
00:57:06 – Travel, family, and perspective
01:00:14 – Small changes, fatal conveniences, and starting slow
01:01:26 – Closing reflections on persistence and purpose
 
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors:
Therasage: Go to www.therasage.com and use code DARIN at checkout for 15% off
Bite Toothpaste: Go to trybite.com/DARIN20 or use code DARIN20 for 20% off your first order.
Caldera Lab: Experience the clinically proven benefits of Caldera Lab's clean skincare regimen and enjoy 20% off your order by visiting calderalab.com/darin and using code DARIN at checkout.
 
Join the SuperLife Patreon:
This is where Darin now shares the deeper work:
- weekly voice notes
- ingredient trackers
- wellness challenges
- extended conversations
- community accountability
- sovereignty practices
Join now for only $7.49/month at https://patreon.com/darinolien
 
Connect with Darin Olien:
Website: darinolien.com
Instagram: @darinolien
Book: Fatal Conveniences
Platform & Products: superlife.com
 
Connect with Frank Zummo:
Instagram: @frankzummo
Spotify: @frankzummo
Watch Street Drum Corps live!
Book: Unbreakable Rhythm
 
Key Takeaway
When you stay disciplined, present, and available, life has a way of meeting you with opportunities you could never plan.

In this solo episode, Darin breaks down one of the most misunderstood drivers of behavior change: environment. We've been taught that success comes down to discipline, motivation, and willpower, but neuroscience tells a very different story.
Darin explains how modern environments hijack the brain's reward system, override conscious choice, and quietly shape habits before we even realize it. This episode is a practical, science-backed roadmap for redesigning your surroundings so healthy behaviors become automatic and self-sabotaging patterns lose their grip.
 
 
What You'll Learn
Why willpower is a weak and unreliable backup system

How your environment shapes behavior before conscious choice

The neuroscience behind cues, habits, and automatic behavior

Why modern food and tech are engineered to hijack dopamine

How stress amplifies cravings and impulsive behavior

The link between cortisol, dopamine, and habit formation

Why changing your environment works better than "trying harder"

How visual cues influence food choices and cravings

Why phones, notifications, and color overstimulate the brain

Simple ways to design a SuperLife environment that supports your goals



 
 
Chapters
00:00:03 – Welcome to SuperLife and the mission of sovereignty
00:00:33 – Sponsor: TruNiagen NAD⁺ supplements and why verification matters
00:02:18 – Introducing today's topic: environment vs willpower
00:02:42 – Why willpower has been misunderstood
00:03:18 – Willpower as a weak backup system
00:03:32 – How surroundings shape habits automatically
00:03:53 – The neuroscience of behavior change
00:04:01 – Dopamine hijacking in modern life
00:04:14 – Designing environments that make good habits automatic
00:05:06 – Why this topic matters more than ever
00:05:46 – External cues and automatic brain responses
00:06:18 – Hippocampus, basal ganglia, and habit loops
00:06:55 – Nudge theory and environmental design
00:07:31 – Why willpower shouldn't lead behavior change
00:07:55 – Food cues, stress, and cravings
00:08:20 – Phones, notifications, and dopamine overload
00:09:05 – Reward prediction and cue-driven behavior
00:10:02 – Redesigning environments to reduce addiction
00:10:34 – Stress hormones and habit reinforcement
00:11:30 – Sponsor: Our Place non-toxic cookware
00:13:34 – Stress, scrolling, and lost time
00:14:26 – Junk food, stress, and compulsive eating
00:15:12 – How environmental cues shift food desire
00:15:28 – Engineered foods and reward circuits
00:16:09 – Tech cues, stress, and attention hijacking
00:17:06 – Practical solutions: designing a SuperLife environment
00:17:48 – Kitchen setup and visual food cues
00:18:41 – Workspace design and single-purpose zones
00:19:08 – Reducing digital dopamine triggers
00:19:32 – Using grayscale mode on your phone
00:20:32 – Social environment and behavior modeling
00:21:21 – Community, support, and the SuperLife Patreon
00:22:18 – Bringing nature into your home
00:23:19 – Environment influences habits more than willpower
00:23:52 – Why inaction keeps you stuck
00:24:13 – Changing your environment to change your life
00:24:26 – Closing thoughts and call to action
 
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors:
Our Place: Non-toxic cookware that keeps harmful chemicals out of your food. Get 10% off at fromourplace.com with code DARIN.

Tru Niagen: Boost NAD+ levels for cellular health and longevity. Get 20% off with code DARIN20 at truniagen.com.

 
 
Find More From Darin:
Website: darinolien.com

Instagram: @darinolien

Book: Fatal Conveniences

 
 
Key Takeaway
If you don't change your environment, something else will keep making choices for you.
 
 
Bibliography/Sources
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. Avery. (Reference for Environment > Willpower).
https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
Laran, J., & Salerno, A. (2013). Life-history strategy, food choice, and caloric consumption. Psychological Science, 24(2), 167–173. (Reference for harsh environment cues increasing desire for energy-dense foods).
https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612450031
Mullainathan, S., & Shafir, E. (2013). Scarcity: Why having so little means so much. Times Books. (Reference for scarcity/environment hijacking cognitive bandwidth).
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780805092646
Schwabe, L., & Wolf, O. T. (2011). Stress-induced modulation of instrumental behavior: From goal-directed to habitual control of action. Behavioral Neuroscience, 125(5), 664–673. (Reference for stress hormones amplifying habit/cue-reward learning).
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024732
Story, M., Kaphingst, K. M., Robinson-O'Brien, R., & Glanz, K. (2008). Creating healthy food and eating environments: Policy and environmental approaches. Annual Review of Public Health, 29, 253–272. (Reference for the "ecological framework" of eating behavior).
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090926
Subramaniam, A. (2025). How your environment shapes your habits. Psychology Today. (Reference for the specific Psychology Today article on external cues).
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/parenting-from-a-neuroscience-perspective/202503/how-your-environment-shapes-your-habits
Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Yale University Press. (Reference for Nudge Theory).
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300122237/nudge
Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M. A., & Zelson, M. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11(3), 201–230. (Reference for nature exposure reducing stress markers).
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(05)80184-7
Wansink, B. (2004). Environmental factors that increase the food intake and consumption volume of unknowing consumers. Annual Review of Nutrition, 24, 455–479. (Reference for visual cues and food environment engineering).
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nutr.24.010403.103025

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Darin sits down with Hagen Thiers to unpack one of the most misunderstood journeys in health: why doing "everything right" still doesn't always work — and how true transformation requires decoding the body's survival signals, not fighting them.
Hagen shares his remarkable physical transformation after decades of extreme metabolic adaptation, chronic gut inflammation, and stress-driven physiology. Together, they explore metabolism, inflammation, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, protein intake, discipline, and why sustainable health is built through patience, self-leadership, and listening to the body's intelligence.
 
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Why extreme dieting and endurance stress can permanently slow metabolism

How survival adaptation can block fat loss despite "perfect" habits

The overlooked role of gut inflammation in weight retention

Why fat is a protective organ, not just stored energy

How leptin signaling and inflammation dictate fat loss resistance

The difference between calorie math and biological reality

Why healing must precede weight loss for many people

How protein intake preserves muscle during fat loss

Why discipline beats motivation every time

The role of hyperbaric oxygen in reducing inflammation and restoring function

How oxygen delivery impacts fat tissue, gut health, and recovery

Why consistency over months—not hacks—creates lasting change

How physical freedom directly impacts happiness and life quality

 
 
Chapters
00:00:03 – Welcome to SuperLife and the mission of sovereignty and health
00:00:32 – Sponsor: Fatty15 and cellular health
00:04:14 – Introducing Hagen Thiers
00:09:43 – Hagen's transformation and why this conversation matters
00:11:26 – Doing everything right but still being stuck
00:13:28 – Discovering severe metabolic suppression
00:14:54 – Extreme endurance, starvation adaptation, and survival metabolism
00:17:04 – Why chronic calorie restriction backfires
00:20:56 – Gut inflammation as the real barrier to fat loss
00:22:41 – Healing before weight loss
00:23:26 – Fiber diversity, probiotics, and microbiome repair
00:24:30 – Enter hyperbaric oxygen therapy
00:27:57 – Why calories in / calories out breaks down
00:30:30 – Stress, inflammation, and metabolic shutdown
00:31:53 – Protein requirements and muscle preservation
00:35:47 – Discipline as a long-term lifestyle
00:38:54 – Eating frequency and metabolic signaling
00:43:39 – How hyperbaric oxygen works
00:47:31 – Why results accelerate after consistency
00:50:23 – 170 lbs lost and metabolic breakthrough
00:54:32 – Oxygen quality and chamber safety
00:58:22 – Breathwork vs hyperbaric oxygen
01:03:40 – Building an internal healing environment
01:05:05 – Life after transformation
01:06:42 – Discipline, the gym, and honest feedback
01:09:26 – Health as freedom, not restriction
01:11:39 – Inflammation as the missing piece for most people
01:12:45 – Closing reflections and hope for listeners
 
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Therasage: Go to www.therasage.com and use code DARIN at checkout for 15% off

Our Place: Toxic-free, durable cookware that supports healthy cooking. Go to their website at fromourplace.com/darin and get 35% off sitewide in their largest sale of the year.

Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order.



 
 
Join the SuperLife Patreon Community
Get Darin's deeper wellness breakdowns — beyond social media restrictions:
Weekly voice notes

Ingredient deep dives

Wellness challenges

Energy + consciousness tools

Community accountability

Extended episodes

Join for $7.49/month → https://patreon.com/darinolien
 
 
Find More from Hagen Thiers
Website: https://waveguard.com/en/

Instagram: @biohacking_ht

 
 
Find More from Darin Olien:
Instagram: @darinolien

Podcast: SuperLife Podcast

Website: superlife.com

Book: Fatal Conveniences

 
 
Key Takeaway
True health isn't about forcing the body to change — it's about creating the conditions where the body finally feels safe enough to let go.

Are you exhausted all the time?
In this solo episode, Darin breaks down why so many people feel chronically exhausted despite eating clean, exercising, and "doing everything right." He explains how modern life disrupts mitochondrial function, circadian rhythm, stress signaling, and nutrient availability, and why fatigue is not a personal failure, but a biological signal.
This episode offers a grounded, practical roadmap to restoring energy by realigning your environment, habits, and daily rhythms with how the body is actually designed to function.
 
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why chronic fatigue is exploding—even among healthy, active people

How mitochondria do far more than "make energy"

The role of circadian rhythm, light exposure, and timing in energy production

Why stress, overtraining, and modern lifestyles drain cellular energy

How emotional suppression and unexpressed stress affect vitality

The difference between forcing energy and allowing energy

Simple daily practices that support mitochondrial repair

How breathwork, stillness, and social connection restore resilience

Why nutrition alone isn't enough without rhythm and recovery

How to realign your biology with the modern world



 
 
Timecodes
00:00:00 – Welcome to SuperLife and the intention behind this episode
00:00:32 – Sponsor: TheraSage and natural frequency-based healing
00:02:10 – Happy New Year + why this conversation matters now
00:02:37 – Are you exhausted even though you're "doing everything right"?
00:03:26 – The modern energy crisis and rising chronic fatigue
00:04:12 – Why surface-level health advice no longer works
00:04:27 – Mitochondria: more than energy factories
00:04:59 – Circadian misalignment, EMFs, and modern stressors
00:05:36 – Overtraining, stress load, and lack of recovery
00:06:00 – Fatigue as a signal, not a lack of discipline
00:06:18 – How artificial light disrupts internal clocks
00:07:25 – Discipline as alignment with natural rhythms
00:07:36 – Emotional release, primal expression, and energy recovery
00:08:47 – Why "why am I tired all the time?" is exploding online
00:09:24 – The mitochondria as environmental sensors
00:10:06 – Stress signaling, thoughts, and cellular energy flow
00:11:18 – Breathwork and slowing the nervous system
00:12:24 – Social connection and low-stress signaling
00:13:02 – Sponsor: Bite toothpaste and eliminating plastic exposure
00:15:19 – Morning sunlight and circadian priming
00:15:52 – Reducing artificial light at night
00:16:15 – Nutrients that support mitochondrial function
00:17:29 – Sleep timing, consistency, and repair
00:18:20 – Evening routines and melatonin protection
00:19:46 – Small daily steps compound into real energy
00:20:17 – Antioxidants, inflammation, and recovery
00:20:49 – Training smarter, not harder
00:21:31 – Breathwork, sauna, and recovery rituals
00:22:26 – Nutrition, protein, and polyphenols
00:24:37 – Five daily energy takeaways
00:25:24 – Energy is permitted, not forced
00:26:03 – Listening to the body and closing reflections
00:26:49 – SuperLife Patreon and community support
 
 
Join the SuperLife Community
Get Darin's deeper wellness breakdowns — beyond social media restrictions:
Weekly voice notes

Ingredient deep dives

Wellness challenges

Energy + consciousness tools

Community accountability

Extended episodes

Join for $7.49/month → https://patreon.com/darinolien
 
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors:
Therasage: Go to www.therasage.com and use code DARIN at checkout for 15% off

Bite Toothpaste: Go to trybite.com/DARIN20 or use code DARIN20 for 20% off your first order.

 
 
Find More from Darin Olien:
Instagram: @darinolien

Podcast: SuperLife Podcast

Website: superlife.com

Book: Fatal Conveniences

 
 
Key Takeaway
"Fatigue isn't failure. It's feedback. When your environment, timing, and signals align, your biology remembers how to thrive."
 
 
Bibliography/Sources:
Ames, B. N. (2006). Low micronutrient intake may accelerate the degenerative diseases of aging through allocation triage. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103(47), 17589–17594.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0608757103
Bass, J., & Takahashi, J. S. (2010). Circadian integration of metabolism and energetics. Science, 330(6009), 1349–1354.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1195668
Gooley, J. J., Chamberlain, K., Smith, K. A., Khalsa, S. B., Rajaratnam, S. M., Van Reen, E., Zeitzer, J. M., Czeisler, C. A., & Lockley, S. W. (2011). Exposure to room light before bedtime suppresses melatonin onset and shortens melatonin duration in humans. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 96(3), E463–E472.
https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2010-2098
Kreher, J. B., & Schwartz, J. B. (2012). Overtraining syndrome: A practical guide. Sports Health, 4(2), 128–138.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738111434406
Meeusen, R., Duclos, M., Foster, C., Fry, A., Gleeson, M., Nieman, D., Raglin, J., Rietjens, G., Steinacker, J., & Urhausen, A. (2013). Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the overtraining syndrome: Joint consensus statement of the European College of Sport Science and the American College of Sports Medicine. European Journal of Sport Science, 13(1), 1–24.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2012.730061
Panda, S. (2016). Circadian physiology of metabolism. Cell Metabolism, 23(6), 1152–1163.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2016.06.005
Picard, M., Juster, R. P., & McEwen, B. S. (2014). Mitochondrial allostatic load: Putting the 'gluc' back in glucocorticoids. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 10(5), 303–310.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2014.22
Picard, M., & McEwen, B. S. (2018). Psychological stress and mitochondria: A systematic review. Psychosomatic Medicine, 80(2), 126–140.
https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000544
Picard, M., McElroy, G. S., & Turnbull, D. M. (2015). Mitochondrial functions modulate neuroendocrine, metabolic, inflammatory, and transcriptional responses to acute psychological stress. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(48), 14920–14925.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1518223112
Reiter, R. J., Rosales-Corral, S., Tan, D. X., Acuna-Castroviejo, D., Qin, L., Yang, S. F., & Xu, K. (2017). Melatonin as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant: One of evolution's best inventions? Journal of Pineal Research, 62(1), e12394.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12394
Scheer, F. A., Hilton, M. F., Mantzoros, C. S., & Shea, S. A. (2009). Adverse metabolic and cardiovascular consequences of circadian misalignment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(11), 4453–4458.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0808180106
Straub, R. H. (2017). The brain and immune system prompt energy shortage in chronic inflammation and ageing. Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 13(2), 74–79.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2016.213
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Micronutrient deficiencies. World Health Organization.
https://www.who.int/health-topics/micronutrients

In this expansive and deeply honest conversation, Darin sits down with Gregory Schwartz for a wide-ranging exploration of awakening, ecology, food systems, energy, consciousness, and what it truly means to live in right relationship with the planet and ourselves.
What begins as a conversation about athletic identity and environmental travel unfolds into a profound dialogue on political ecology, spiritual awakening, mitochondrial intelligence, community-scale solutions, and the collapse of outdated belief systems.
This episode bridges the scientific, the spiritual, and the deeply human—offering a grounded yet visionary roadmap for creating a future where health, sovereignty, and connection replace extraction, disconnection, and burnout.
 
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode
How early athletic identity, injury, and discipline shaped Greg's lifelong path

Why travel and "ground-truthing" reality changes how we see the world

The concept of the "Planet Doctor" and speaking on behalf of Earth

Why data alone doesn't change behavior—and why the heart must lead

How food systems, soil health, and gut health are inseparably linked

The real reasons environmental solutions stall despite available money and technology

Why community-scale action is the missing link between individual and government change

How regenerative food systems ripple into health, ecology, and social cohesion

The dangers of hyper-productivity and the loss of rest, recovery, and contemplation

Why mitochondria are not just powerhouses—but listeners and conductors of energy

What spiritual awakening actually feels like—and why it can be destabilizing

The collapse of identity as a necessary step toward integration

The difference between being a messenger and being the message

How awakenings mature from chaos into discipline, embodiment, and service

Why optimism comes from living examples, not abstract ideology

How small, aligned actions create resonance fields that attract new realities



 
 
Timecodes
00:00 – Athletic roots, injury, and the pivot into physiology & nutrition
03:00 – Travel, environmental exposure, and seeing reality beyond data
07:00 – Political ecology, capitalism, and the illusion of separation from nature
12:30 – Food systems, soil health, and gut microbiome parallels
16:00 – Regenerative agriculture, working with farmers, and nuance over dogma
20:00 – Community-scale solutions: food, energy, microgrids, and localization
24:00 – Burnout culture, productivity addiction, and missing rest cycles
27:00 – Mitochondria, flow state, and the intelligence of the cell
30:00 – Spiritual awakening: lightning bolts, breakdowns, and integration
35:00 – Heaven, hell, and altered states as present-moment realities
39:00 – Discipline vs. chaos: maturing the awakening process
44:00 – Being the message vs. delivering the message
49:00 – Embodiment, purpose, and integrating spirituality into real life
55:00 – System collapse, courage, and rebuilding new realities
01:00:00 – Hope, optimism, and why examples matter more than arguments
01:05:00 – Creating resonance through aligned action and community
 
 
Find More From Gregory Schwartz
Political ecology research and teaching

Environmental systems, food sovereignty, and regenerative frameworks

Community-scale energy and food solutions

Writing and speaking on consciousness, awakening, and integration

 
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Truniagen: Go to www.truniagen.com and use code DARIN20 at checkout for 20% off

Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/DARIN and using code DARIN at checkout.

 
 
Join the SuperLife Community
Get Darin's deeper wellness breakdowns — beyond social media restrictions:
Weekly voice notes

Ingredient deep dives

Wellness challenges

Energy + consciousness tools

Community accountability

Extended episodes

Join for $7.49/month → https://patreon.com/darinolien
 
 
Find More from Gregory Schwartz
Website: theplanetdoctor.com

Instagram: @theplanetdoctor

Try Greg's Free Masterclass by signing up here!

 
 
Find More from Darin Olien:
Instagram: @darinolien

Podcast: SuperLife Podcast

Website: superlife.com

Book: Fatal Conveniences

 
 
Key Takeaway
"The systems don't change because we lack solutions—they don't change because we haven't changed our relationship to ourselves, to nature, and to each other. When that shifts, everything else follows."