Detox Retox with Tom Schwartz

Episode: What Do The Cards Hold for VPR’s Max Boyens?

Date: March 17, 2026
Guest: Maximilian (Max) Boyens
Theme: Max's first-ever psychic reading and candid reflections on personal growth, relationships, career, and Venice Beach living.

Episode Overview

This special episode of Detox Retox follows host Tom Schwartz and VPR alum Max Boyens as they venture to the iconic Venice Beach boardwalk for Max's first psychic and tarot card reading. The episode blends elements of mindfulness, spiritual curiosity, and authentic self-reflection, capturing Max's journey for clarity during a transitional life phase. Post-reading, Tom and Max process the experience over beers, sharing insights about growth, vulnerability, and the importance of change.

Table of Contents

1. Intro & Context (00:59–03:01)
2. The Psychic Reading
   • Setting the Scene & Explanation (03:10–04:30)
   • Max’s Energy & Recent Past (05:22–06:19)
   • Relationships, Career, and Blocks (06:25–07:49)
   • Confidence & Manifestation (07:50–08:45)
   • Spirituality and Intuition (08:46–09:41)
   • Travel, Home Life & Decluttering (09:48–10:22)
   • Personality & Past Lives (10:23–11:30)
   • Relationships: Closure, Communication, and Soulmates (11:31–14:10)
   • Business Forecast, Family Dynamics & Finances (14:11–19:55)
   • The Move to Dallas & Return to LA (19:55–22:09)
3. Q&A with the Psychic (23:18–27:28)
4. Max’s Reflection and Processing (30:01–36:31)
5. Friendship, Work, and Reality TV—Post-Reading Reflections (36:31–52:53)
6. Spirituality, Skepticism, and Staying Open-Minded (52:53–56:43)
7. Closing Thoughts (56:43–end)

Detailed Summary & Key Insights

1. Intro & Context

Timestamps: 00:59–03:01

• Tom introduces Max Boyens and the premise: Max’s first psychic reading on Venice Beach for a “spiritual check-in.”
• Tom’s description of Max: “He’s surfing right now, which is like his church. His favorite meditation, you know, pure energy. He’s a soul surfer.” (01:56)
• The atmosphere is set—Venice Beach, colorful characters, “electric, strange, vibrant...a vibe.” (02:00)

2. The Psychic Reading

Setting the Scene & Explanation

Timestamps: 03:10–04:30

• The group enters the Original Venice Beach Psychic, in operation since 1978.
• Psychic describes the reading: Tarot cards, an energy-tuned crystal, focus on past, present, future, auras, chakras, and guidance on love, career, and more. (04:04)

Max’s Energy & Recent Past

Key Points:

• Max seeks clarity after “a weird couple years” but the psychic requests to know little in advance.
• Psychic: “Energy wise, says this is meant to be a celebration year. New beginnings, new chapters...you had to release a lot before next month…taking one step forward, two steps back… getting distracted in life.” (05:22)

Relationships, Career, and Blocks

• Relationship: Recently ended in January; also leaving a difficult situation at work.
• Career: Max is “meant to be in higher positions…meant to have two businesses of your own.” (06:35)
• Max: “I’m working on... starting my own business right now. It’s just been really difficult raising money and getting everything started.” (06:58)
• Psychic: “You have to disconnect from relationships to focus on your business...I don’t feel like you were ready for it six months ago, but now your energy is.” (07:08)

Confidence & Manifestation

• Quote: “Confidence is key. You need to have faith in yourself...if you’re confident and believe in it, other people believe in it as well.” (07:50)
• Manifestation and getting back to spirituality (surfing as meditation) are emphasized. (08:45)

Spirituality and Intuition

• Psychic: “You have a spiritual side to you…listen to those intuitions and trust it. Patience, the universe is telling you have patience…trust where the universe is taking you.” (08:46–09:06)

Travel, Home Life & Decluttering

• Two future trips predicted (August/November) for work and spiritual growth.
• “When you’re out of the home, you’re good. When you’re in the home, the energy feels a little tense, heavy…Decluttering, saging, clearing the space.” (09:48–10:22)

Personality & Past Lives

• Max characterized as “independent, strong-minded, a little stubborn...old soul, young energy.”
• “You’re always a helper in every life, including this one…taking care of others.” (10:23–11:30)

Relationships: Closure, Communication, and Soulmates

• Relationship not fully over—possible reconnection, but not soulmate energy.
• Psychic: “Emotionally, you need to learn to be more open...since you’ve been about 14, you’ve been very shut off emotionally...your throat chakra definitely needs open.” (12:08)
• Max agrees: “That was one of our biggest issues…kind of interesting.” (12:01)
• Future marriage possible after 32 (Max is 34), with two children predicted.

Business Forecast, Family Dynamics & Finances

• “This year: don’t start anything new in relationships until after June—focus on career and spirituality. Relationships will strengthen more next year.” (14:11)
• New business ventures look very positive, with financial growth and above-average income by November.
• Family drama addressed; “Friends feel closer to you sometimes than family is…start journaling.” (17:42–19:55)

The Move to Dallas & Return to LA

• Psychic addresses Max’s stint in Dallas: “Dallas was very dry on your energy. It didn’t give a lot back. Kind of drained you.” (20:15)
• “You’re meant to be in California, you meant to stay in California, you could travel, but California is always home.” (20:41)

3. Q&A with the Psychic

Timestamps: 23:18–27:28

• Max raises concern about his blocked throat chakra, relating it to his family upbringing:

  • “I feel like I don’t know how to express how I feel...I’m too nonchalant.” (23:18)

• Psychic: “Since you’ve been a teenager, you just took care of yourself...put a smile on your face and say, I’m fine, everything’s good, until you can't do it anymore, then it’s like...it just comes right out.” (24:12)

• Advice: Journaling is helpful, but “when you have to scream, scream…release it, let it out...we want you to trust and feel energy around you.” (25:26)

• On aura: “You try to see the positive no matter what happens. But there is a little bit of a darker purple around you...you’re like a sponge. You soak in energy from other people.” (26:05)

4. Max’s Reflection and Processing

Timestamps: 30:01–36:31

• Max after the reading: “Honestly, I feel a lot of clarity...the stone she gave me, it was vibrating in my hands…I can’t explain it—it felt like something was coming off of it.” (30:12)

• Tom notes how personal and specific the reading felt, despite the Venice Boardwalk’s craziness.

• Max: “It was so nail on the head with everything in my life...it speaks volumes to how specific and personal she was.”

• Max describes Venice Boardwalk as “NPCs everywhere… it’s amazing. It makes you feel so human… everyone’s doing something, going through something. Literally, it’s life changing.” (31:37–32:38)

• Both discuss how the vibe is “frenetic, electric, everything I hoped California would be.” (32:17)

5. Friendship, Work, and Reality TV—Post-Reading Reflections

Timestamps: 36:31–52:53

• Tom and Max reminisce over their early days at TomTom, the bar, and how much Max invested emotionally and physically in the hospitality world.

• Tom to Max: “You were my rock during some of the darker moments…You helped manage slash bartend. You were essentially the de facto manager towards the end, before the final curtain fell.” (40:04)

• Max explains his tendency to “support [his] friends in their dreams,” championing their projects and startups. (39:41)

• Discussion of the hardships and changes in restaurant work post-pandemic: “There’s so much corporate energy in these restaurants. It takes away from the fun almost.” (42:49)

• Dive bars celebrated for their authenticity and staff culture: “You can’t have it your way. It’s okay to tell the customer no.” (44:00)

• Return to LA reflected as reclaiming peace and energy (“I need to be able...to drive to Big Bear and go snowboarding in a day and then go surfing in the evening…that’s my sport.” (44:31))

• Max on communication struggles: “Anyone who’s ever dated me knows I struggle with communicating how I feel…like a little boy. When mom’s yelling at me, I kind of just sit on my bed being yelled at.” (36:01)

6. Spirituality, Skepticism, and Staying Open-Minded

Timestamps: 52:53–56:43

• Max and Tom compare their experiences with skepticism, science backgrounds, and coming to embrace the mysteries of life.
• Max: “Coming from a stranger who knew nothing about me, and they hit points that…only a few people know. She basically nailed everything.” (48:05)
• Tom: “I was flabbergasted. Just listening to the things she was telling you, it blew my mind.” (48:23)
• Both embrace “woo-woo” and stress the importance of being open to new experiences and breaking out of routines.

Notable Quote:

• Tom: “Try something new. Don’t be stagnant. Don’t do the same thing over and over again, because if you do, the loop repeats itself. These little adventures break the loop.” (55:12)

7. Closing Thoughts

Timestamps: 56:43–end

• Max on learning and imperfection: “I learned a lot. I feel really good… I think that’s what it kind of tells you. No one has it all figured out.” (52:33)
• Tom reinforces the Detox Retox message: “Put yourself out there. Experience life. Don’t become too stagnant in your routine.” (56:12)
• Playful close with Max: “Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself.” (52:22)
• Banter about aliens, open-mindedness, and finishing with gratitude and a reaffirmation of friendship and self-growth.

Most Memorable Quotes

• Psychic Reader (05:22): “You’re taking one step forward, two steps back. It’s like you keep getting close…but then there’s some blocks in the way.”
• Psychic Reader (07:50): “Confidence is key. If you’re confident and believe in it, other people believe in it as well. But you have to be the first one to believe in it.”
• Max (30:12): "Honestly, I feel a lot of clarity. It’s a very interesting feeling post kind of being told about your life...the stone she gave me was really...it felt like something was coming off of it."
• Tom (55:12): “Try something new...because if you do, the loop repeats itself, right? You have to break the loop.”
• Max (52:01): "Sometimes we get put in boxes on reality TV...it's just because, listen, they don’t have enough time to include all the nuances of your life..."

Episode Highlights (Timestamps)

• Explaining a Psychic Reading: 04:04
• Max’s Business Struggles & Career Path: 06:58
• Advice on Communication Blocks: 12:08
• On Supporting Friends' Startups: 39:41
• Reflections on Restaurant Industry Changes: 42:49
• Processing the Psychic Experience: 30:12, 31:18, 35:44
• Tom on Venice Boardwalk Vibes: 32:17, 32:38
• Encouragement to Break Routines: 55:12

Tone & Takeaways

The episode is deeply personal, candid, and filled with both humor and sincerity—classic Schwartz and Max energy. Listeners are given an insider’s look at the power (and oddness) of psychic readings, the comfort of friendship, and the challenge of making big life transitions. Tom and Max’s chemistry keeps things flowing, blending skepticism with open-hearted curiosity and plenty of irreverent asides.

If you need clarity, a nudge toward self-belief, or just a reminder to get out of a rut, this episode delivers. And if you’re ever in Venice Beach, you’ll know exactly where to go for a reading—and maybe a burger.