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The Rich Roll Podcast

John Joseph Returns: The Evolution of a Cro-Magnon, Overcoming Insurmountable Obstacles & The Transformative Power of PMA

The Rich Roll Podcast

Rich Roll

Education, Society & Culture, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness

4.7 • 13.3K Ratings

🗓️ 8 June 2017

⏱️ 99 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Back by popular demand, my good friend, podcast favorite and provacateur-at-large John Joseph returns for an unprecedented 5th appearance on the show to share more of his extraordinary story. A story that lays bare the indelible power of the human spirit to face and transcend unimaginable, seemingly insurmountable obstacles and ultimately transform one's life wholesale. If you're a longtime listener, Johnny Bloodclot needs no introduction. For the uninitiated, John is a sui generis American original. The very definition of hardcore. A survivor. A spiritual warrior spouting straight talk directly from the streets of the Lower East Side with one singular, driving purpose: getting people to wake the f&*k up. Conceived and raised in abuse, deprived of opportunity and left to his own devices, John turned to violence and drugs on the rough and tumble streets of New York's Lower East Side in the 1970’s. It's a path that predictably led to violence, crime, addiction and incarceration. Spending his teens as a drug mule led to a series of unsavory foster care homes, culminating in unimaginably horrific stints in juvenile detention. Then things went downhill. To avoid long-term incarceration, he enlisted in the Navy, only to go AWOL after a fight. Fleeing the law and rudderless, John found redemption in the hardcore punk rock scene flourishing on Manhattan's Lower East Side in the early 1980's. Taken in by the Bad Brains' frontman H.R., John began to explore not just his musicianship, but his spirituality. It's a journey that birthed the Cro-Mags – one of the era's most iconic and influential hardcore punk bands. Later, he found his spiritual salvation living in a Hare Krishna monastery, birthing a life-long love of meditation, yoga, the vegan lifestyle, racing Ironman triathlons, and most importantly, his profound devotion to service. Renown for his straight talk, no BS approach to living and the power of PMA — positive mental attitude — John continues to tour as frontman for both Cro-Mags and his new band Bloodclot. He also just released a 2nd edition of his memoir Evolution of a Cro-Magnon* and is the author of nutrition primer Meat Is For Pussies*, with a foreword by yours truly. A man who truly walks his talk, every conversation with John leaves me better than before. Today's conversation proves that just when I think we’ve covered it all, new layers emerge. So even if you've enjoyed all of John's previous appearances on the podcast, this episode will find you riveted by a stream of mind-blowing, never previously told stories that are certain to incite, provoke, educate and inspire. LANGUAGE ADVISORY: John drops more f-bombs in this conversation than I could count. John is John, and editing was out of the question. So if you're queasy about foul language, consider yourself warned and make sure the kiddos are out of earshot. Enjoy! Rich

Transcript

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0:00.0

It wasn't until I wrote the entire story and got it off my chest to the world that I was

0:08.5

really able to heal.

0:09.5

And that's why I wrote that book because I've gotten thousands and thousands of letters

0:14.6

I correspond with people, emails.

0:16.7

And I just got one today.

0:18.0

This dude on Twitter was like, give book help, save my life practically by your example.

0:24.5

And examples better than preset.

0:26.2

We have to live.

0:27.2

Everyone talks to talk.

0:28.6

Who's walking to walk?

0:29.9

That's who I look to.

0:30.9

I'm looking to see how people living their lives.

0:34.2

And that's the example.

0:36.0

And that's what I try to do too is lead a positive life and show people, no matter what

0:42.3

you can climb at any hole, no matter how far and the depths of hell you are.

0:47.9

And I've been down there, but I was willing to climb at it and surround myself by positive

0:56.6

people.

0:57.6

And the other thing is the association we keep.

1:00.6

That's the one and only John Joseph.

1:03.1

And this is the Retroll Podcast.

1:09.6

The Retroll Podcast.

1:16.5

Hey everybody, how you guys doing?

...

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