Acta Non Verba

In this solo episode, Marcus Aurelius Anderson introduces his newly released book Acta Non Verba, drawing on his harrowing personal story of being paralyzed from the neck down and flatlining twice on the operating table. He reads from the book's opening section on adversity, laying out his core philosophy: that adversity is the ultimate catalyst for change, the gateway to self-awareness, and the force that strips away everything you are not to reveal who you truly are. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 1:25 — Marcus describes spending four years writing, scrapping, and rewriting the book based on his own near-death experience and recovery. 4:28 — He explains why knowledge that is acquired but never put into practice is no different from ignorance, and why reading alone can never equal mastery. 5:22 — Marcus reframes a familiar idea: "Necessity is not the mother of invention. Adversity is," arguing that adversity strips away pretense to reveal your true self. 7:15 — He connects adversity directly to self-awareness, calling it the gateway through which every great philosophy in history has been built. Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Bryant sits down with Marcus Aurelius Anderson for a conversation about what happens when you survive a childhood no child should survive, serve 13 years in the Marine Corps, build a seven-figure business, and then realize none of it filled the void. George shares his story of growing up in Massachusetts surrounded by addiction and abuse, nearly losing his legs in Somalia, attempting to take his own life, and eventually finding God in a Costa Rican jungle through a shaman who refused to give him plant medicine. They talk about the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, the danger of distracting yourself from your own feelings, and how the person you are most qualified to help is the person you used to be. This is a raw, honest conversation about doing the work you have been avoiding and learning to sit with yourself. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 3:13: George opens the conversation by sharing that his mother is on hospice and explains the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. 14:53: George reveals he was named honor graduate out of 1,300 Marines after spending 13 weeks believing he was a complete failure. 42:03: A shaman in Costa Rica refused to give George plant medicine and instead asked him one question about the purpose of his life that changed everything. 1:16:30: George breaks down his triage nurse approach to emotional regulation and how to know when to push through versus when to pause and process. George Bryant is a Marine Corps veteran, New York Times bestselling author, and host of The Mind of George Show podcast. He built a seven-figure food blog brand called Civilized Caveman, wrote a cookbook that spent 22 weeks on the bestseller list, and launched an app that Apple named the number one health app of 2015. After losing everything and rebuilding from scratch, George developed his Relationships Beat Algorithms model and now helps companies scale through customer journey consulting, email marketing, and leadership coaching. He has appeared on close to 10,000 podcasts as a guest and lives in Montana with his family. Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Acta Non Verba, Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with Leigh Martinuzzi, host of The Hidden Why Podcast and a multi-award-winning real estate entrepreneur from Australia's Sunshine Coast. They explore how a suicidal brother led Leigh to podcasts, how a radical move to Japan reshaped his understanding of freedom, and how the loss of his father forced him to slow down and realign his life. The conversation covers the power of listening, the discipline of patience, and why internal values matter more than external accolades. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 3:11: How a brother's darkest moment introduced Leigh to the world of podcasts and planted the seed for his own show. 18:48: The moment of elation jogging through a Japanese country town that gave Leigh a profound sense of freedom and clarity about what matters. 36:30: How losing his father forced Leigh to slow down, reassess his workaholic tendencies, and reprioritize health, family, and self. 1:01:25: Leigh explains what "The Hidden Why" means and why connecting to internal values beats chasing external motivators. Leigh Martinuzzi (he/him) is a personal development expert, author, speaker, and the host of The Hidden Why Podcast, one of Australia's leading mindset podcasts with over 1,100 episodes featuring thought leaders from around the world. Based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Leigh is also a multi-award-winning real estate entrepreneur and director of Martinuzzi Property Group, ranked the number one agent in Palmwoods for four consecutive years. His career spans senior management roles at ALDI Stores and Masters Home Improvement, two years teaching English in Japan, and a real estate practice built on doing things his own way. Leigh is the author of The Ultimate Life Map, Delegate to Freedom, and Four Pillars of Success. His mission is to help people live more meaningful, purposeful lives by understanding themselves and turning awareness into practical action. Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with bestselling author, high-performance coach, and podcast host Chad Hyams for a wide-ranging conversation about living with authenticity and taking massive action. Chad shares unforgettable stories from his time behind the scenes of the world's largest production show in Las Vegas, his TEDx experience, the philosophy behind his Question Ladder, and how a drunken bet in Cabo turned him into a marathoner. They explore love languages, physical totems of success, and why cooperation will always outperform competition. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 2:10: Chad recalls a dragon that forgot to breathe fire during the world's largest production show in Las Vegas. 7:17: Chad blanks on stage during his TEDx talk after making eye contact with his daughter in the audience. 25:30: Chad breaks down the Question Ladder and reveals which of the six question words is the most powerful. 34:50: A drunken bet in Cabo forces Chad to train for a marathon with zero running experience. Chad Hyams is a bestselling author, high-performance coach, and host of the Win, Make, Give and Achieve Your Apex podcast. He is a dedicated husband, father, and cycling enthusiast who helps leaders kill the drift, master their routines, and take massive definitive action to reach their ultimate peak and fulfillment. Chad is a TEDx speaker, a certified Spartan coach, and a former entertainment professional who worked behind the scenes on the world's largest production show in Las Vegas. He has authored two books: the children's book Ketchup Can't Hurt and the self-help business book Achieve Your Apex. You can connect with him at chadhyams.com or by texting the word Chad to 59559. Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marcus Aurelius Anderson breaks down the philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli, focusing on fortuna versus virtue, using excerpts from his upcoming book, Acta Non Verba: Transforming Adversity into Victory (out 10/13/2026). He explores how Machiavelli's concepts of luck and personal will apply to leadership, adversity, and resilience today, closing with reflective "Acta Non Verba" questions for listeners. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 1:31 – Marcus explains Machiavelli's core idea that fortuna (luck) and virtue (bravery, power, will) are the two forces that determine a prince's fate. 3:51 – A key quote from The Prince, Ch. 25: fortune controls only half of our actions; the rest is up to us. 5:54 – Machiavelli's warning that no principality is secure without its own army, since mercenaries can't be trusted in battle. 8:07 – Marcus reframes adversity as a gift from fortuna, meant to test princes (and us) on the path to greatness. Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.