The Rich Roll Podcast — AMA: Alex Pretti, Alex Honnold, Peter Attia, & Finding Hope In Dark Times

Host: Rich Roll
Co-Host: Adam Skolnick
Date: February 12, 2026

Overview

In this “Roll On” AMA episode of The Rich Roll Podcast, Rich Roll and co-host Adam Skolnick serve up an emotionally charged and intellectually honest discussion exploring resilience in the face of adversity, integrity in leadership, personal growth through physical challenges, and hope in dark times. The episode connects recent events involving climbing legend Alex Honnold and activist Alex Pretti, addresses the controversy surrounding Peter Attia, reviews Rich’s surgery recovery, and answers listener questions about despair, balance, and career change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Live Podcasting, Connection, and Lessons from Alex Honnold (04:17–13:52)

• New Studio Live Event: Rich shares the success of his first live event in the new studio with Alex Honnold as the inaugural guest, highlighting the intimacy and deeper audience connections this format enables.
• Intimacy Over Scale:
  • “Live events are the future, and the best way to...strengthen the depth of our connection with the audience.” (05:43)
  • Adam reflects: “The best shows we've ever been to…are the intimate venues.” (06:00)
• Alex Honnold’s Unique Disposition and Mindset:
  • Rich praises Honnold's calm, unapologetic authenticity and ability to articulate his perspective fearlessly.
    • “He doesn’t equivocate…he is authentically who he is…” (06:19)
  • Adam highlights Honnold’s rare imperviousness to judgment: “He just takes nothing personally…so rare.” (07:24)
  • Both discuss how Honnold’s grounded composure matters in free soloing and life.
• The Value of Failure in Climbing and Beyond:
  • Adam: “Rock climbing is really a study in failure...then [Honnold] takes up something where failure is absolutely not allowed...” (09:11)
  • Discussion on how this counterpoint — embracing failure in practice, zero-tolerance for failure in execution — is instructive for everyone.
• Alex’s Playfulness and Humanity:
  • Anecdotes about Honnold’s ping pong obsession and easy humor: “As soon as he arrived, he went straight to the ping pong table...changed his outfit so he could play better.” (11:23)
  • Recent media moments (Kimmel, Netflix rooftop) showcase his down-to-earth character.

2. From Inspiration to Outrage: Alex Honnold’s Climb vs. Alex Pretti’s Tragedy (12:23–17:16)

• Two Alexes, Two Worlds:
  • Rich delivers a moving contrast: “On the same day…the Matrix has wired it this way…Alex Honnold accomplished this breathtaking feat...and Alex Pretti, the other Alex, being murdered by ICE. On one hand…the worst of man’s impulses...On the other...awe, wonder, and possibility.” (12:23)
  • Adam notes, “They’re both different angles on love and fearlessness.” (13:52)
• Community Response to Injustice:
  • Adam describes Minneapolis’ powerful demonstrations following Pretti’s death, and state-sponsored violence: “It’s not just random violence. It is state sponsored…that’s what really upsets people and is really scary.” (14:44)
• Legacy, Responsibility, and Hope:
  • Rich: “With a big platform comes a responsibility…to speak truth to power…It’s pretty clear this is a dire situation, that we should all be very concerned about this trajectory…And yet, we can still celebrate Alex Honnold as…a unifying experience that reminds us we share more in common than the differences that divide us.” (15:30)

3. Integrity Under Fire: Peter Attia & The Ethics of Influence (17:17–24:25)

• Attia’s Implication in the Epstein Files:
  • Rich addresses Peter Attia’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein: “It’s not that hard to refuse associating with a convicted pedophile. It just isn’t...I have removed his podcast from our archive…” (17:25)
• Trust and Due Diligence in Health Leadership:
  • Adam surprised by Attia’s lack of board certification, raising concerns on vetting sources of medical advice: “It does call into question…are we sure this is sound advice?...Are we sure?” (18:40)
  • Call for critical thinking in selecting health influencers: “There’s a lot of different people on the Internet who are saying lots of things…some of them are sociopathic grifters.” (20:02)
  • Rich: “I’m checking myself on that and doing my own inventory…especially in the longevity space…there’s a lot of nonsense out there.” (22:16)
• Lesson: Humility and skepticism, rather than blind trust. “The more certain you are of your beliefs tends to be [a sign of]…the real scientists are never sure of their beliefs.” (22:50)

4. Rich’s Spinal Fusion Recovery: Adaptation, Patience, and Growth (26:31–35:33)

• Physical and Emotional Rebuilding:
  • Rich gives an honest update on his nine-month post-surgery progress: “In mid November I had ballooned up to 207 pounds…But I’ve lost 30 pounds…My weight is remaining the same, but my body fat is going down.” (26:31)
  • Simple nutrition, cutting out refined grains and late snacking, focusing on beans, tofu, and salad for meals.
  • Importance of discipline and routine: “I wake up at 3:45 or 4 in the morning…cup of coffee, go right into the gym, and restrict my workout to one hour…” (29:34)
• Mindset Shift:
  • Focus on gratitude and joy in movement over performance goals: “In the past, a big part of my relationship with fitness has been so focused on performance…now I’m really focused on doing it for the nourishing aspects of it because I love it.” (31:59)
  • Reframing the recovery as an opportunity: “This opportunity to rebuild my body from the ground up…what a gift.” (32:34)
• Adam’s Parallel Journey: “I look at my low back herniated disc flare up as a great wake-up call to finally get my upper back going…” (34:06)

5. Listener Q&A: Finding Hope, Balance, and New Meaning

A. When All Hope Seems Lost... (39:04–50:41)

• Rich on Navigating Hopelessness:
  • “This too, shall pass...whatever you’re experiencing, it will change. And within that…there is always the possibility for hope.” (39:11)
  • Importance of self-inventory: “When you’re in the muck...these situations are always beckoning you to look at something about yourself you’d rather not.” (41:19)
  • Service as antidote: “My go-to reflex…is pretty simple: just reach out and help somebody else…It is the antidote to self-obsession.” (44:49)
• Adam’s Reflection:
  • On time healing: “In 10 years, this whole thing’s going to be a blip. It felt like I was under a boulder, and the idea of it being a pebble...” (47:20)
  • Memorable anecdote of a Honduran immigrant embodying service despite hardship.

B. All or Nothing: Is Middle Ground Possible in Health & Nutrition? (50:48–62:16)

• The All-or-Nothing Trap:
  • Rich: “I am an all or nothing person…but I would say that I’m evidence of somebody who is slowly getting used to not being an all or nothing person.” (51:08)
  • Dangers and drivers: “Like all superpowers, they have their kryptonite...it can be quite destructive if you don’t check it…It’s generally being driven by imposter syndrome, a profound sense of unworthiness…” (54:06, 54:58)
• Liberation Through Self-Compassion:
  • “Just give yourself permission to not be perfect...and to not self-flagellate for falling short of some imagined standard...” (60:59)
  • Malcolm Gladwell’s observation: “The thing about you is you always have to do it the hard way.” (60:31)
• Adam: Expand Self-Concept:
  • “If you think of yourself not just as this contained being, but as energy here on earth…connect to that higher consciousness…what you are is more than your self-contained personality.” (62:16)

C. Best Advice for Changing a 37-Year Career and Facing Burnout (63:49–70:55)

• Rich’s Guidance:
  • “Invest in your curiosity…follow it without judging it…once you start developing the habit of that ‘yes’…it will eventually…set you on a trajectory…towards meaning.” (63:57)
  • On staying stuck: “How have you allowed yourself to stay in a situation for nearly four decades that was not nourishing?…What is it inside of you that made it okay to live…a substandard situation…?” (65:19)
  • Importance of healthy confrontation and self-inventory.
• Adam on Avoidance:
  • “I have a problem with basically all confrontation, healthy and unhealthy…rapport has allowed me to dodge the confrontation.” (68:25)
  • On meaning: “Find something that is bigger than yourself…it doesn’t have to be grand…just additive beyond your personal concerns.” (69:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Honnold’s Mindset:
  “He has such a grounded, calm disposition…he’s not concerned with saying the right thing…he is authentically who he is…” — Rich (06:19)

• On Failure in Climbing:
  “Rock climbing is really a study in failure…when you put that up against what he’s doing, free solo, where failing is not allowed…that’s really interesting.” — Adam (09:11)

• Coping with Hopelessness:
  “This too, shall pass…there is always room for hope.” — Rich (39:11)

  “My go-to reflex…just reach out and help somebody else…It is the antidote to self-obsession.” — Rich (44:49)

• Healthy Skepticism:
  “It’s not that hard to not be in the Epstein files…” — Adam (18:40)

  “The more certain you are of your beliefs…real scientists are never sure…” — Adam (22:50)

• All-Or-Nothing Personality:
  “It has to be properly harnessed and deployed in strategic doses…because if you don’t your whole life is going to implode.” — Rich (54:06)

  “Ultimately the job is to figure out how you’re going to heal it…because when you realize…maybe you’re not unlovable…” — Rich (55:49)

Timestamps for Main Segments

• 04:17 — Live podcasting and the value of intimacy
• 06:19 — The singular mindset of Alex Honnold
• 09:11 — Failure as foundation in climbing
• 12:23 — The “two Alexes”: Honnold’s triumph & Pretti’s tragedy
• 15:30 — Platform responsibility & hope
• 17:25 — Addressing the Peter Attia/Epstein revelations
• 22:50 — Credulity, skepticism, and influencer culture
• 26:31 — Rich’s surgery recovery, nutrition, and mindset
• 39:04 — Listener Q: Navigating hopelessness
• 50:48 — Listener Q: Finding middle ground in health
• 63:49 — Listener Q: Changing careers after burnout

Closing Thoughts

The episode is a rich tapestry weaving personal narrative, current events, ethical leadership, and deeply practical advice about navigating adversity. With authenticity and vulnerability, Rich and Adam model how to stay hopeful, maintain integrity, seek growth, and find purpose — even when the world feels dark or overwhelming.

Recommended for: Listeners seeking grounded inspiration, nuanced takes on public controversies, and actionable strategies for personal evolution during challenging times.