Reflecting Back with Zach Stiffler

About Reflecting Back with Zach Stiffler

For the overthinkers, the optimizers, the devoted. Discipline and community are the engine. Mindset and movement are the fuel. the mission: Unleash high performance through mastery of mindset, movement, and relationships to live boldly, undeniably clear, and unapologetically confident. the philosophy: Uncover raw, emotional stories that transform individual journeys into simple lessons you can take home.

Publisher

Zach Stiffler

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

29 Jun 2024

Latest episode

1 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Inside the Navy SEAL Mindset: Turning Uncertainty Into a Science with Rich Diviney

   Retired Navy SEAL commander Rich Diviney — who ran selection and training for a specialized SEAL command and authored The Attributes and Masters of Uncertainty — joins the show to unpack what actually separates elite performers from everyone else. The conversation moves from Rich's childhood and the nature/nurture roots of his attributes, through a real-world case study (the 2010 Chilean mine rescue) that illustrates leadership under extreme uncertainty, into the neuroscience of fear, dopamine, and motivation, the four components of trust, and finally identity — how the "I am" statements we carry shape our behavior, for better or worse. It's a practical, science-backed look at performing at your best when nothing goes according to plan. Socials Zach's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachstiffler/ (https://www.instagram.com/zachstiffler/) Rich's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rich_diviney/ (https://www.instagram.com/rich_diviney/) Rich's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richdiviney/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/richdiviney/) Rich's Website: https://theattributes.com/ (https://theattributes.com/) Books: The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance by Rich Diviney — https://www.amazon.com/Attributes-Hidden-Drivers-Optimal-Performance/dp/0593133943 (https://www.amazon.com/Attributes-Hidden-Drivers-Optimal-Performance/dp/0593133943) Masters of Uncertainty: The Navy SEAL Way to Turn Stress into Success for You and Your Team by Rich Diviney — https://www.amazon.com/Masters-Uncertainty-Navy-Stress-Success/dp/B0DMGYW5YH (https://www.amazon.com/Masters-Uncertainty-Navy-Stress-Success/dp/B0DMGYW5YH) Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein — https://www.amazon.com/Range-Generalists-Triumph-Specialized-World/dp/0735214484 (https://www.amazon.com/Range-Generalists-Triumph-Specialized-World/dp/0735214484) Case Study Leadership Lessons from the Chilean Mine Rescue - https://hbr.org/2013/07/leadership-lessons-from-the-chilean-mine-rescue (https://hbr.org/2013/07/leadership-lessons-from-the-chilean-mine-rescue)

2. 

   29 Jun 2026

   If You’re Too Afraid to Die, You’ll Never Fully Live | Freek van Litsenberg (@wethinkdeeply) on the Questions That Change Your Life

   What if the real fear behind death is not dying, but reaching the end with too much of your life still unlived? Freek van Litsenberg, founder of We Think Deeply, joins me to explore mortality, identity, self-reflection, and the choices that quietly shape who we become. We discuss how death can create urgency, why your actions reveal more than the labels you give yourself, how distraction pulls you away from what matters, and why asking better questions can help you take responsibility for your life before a crisis forces you to. Links WeThinkDeeply Insta: https://www.instagram.com/wethinkdeeply/ (https://www.instagram.com/wethinkdeeply/) Insta: https://www.instagram.com/zachstiffler (https://www.instagram.com/zachstiffler)

3. 

   9 Apr 2026

   How Death Became the New Wellness Frontier with USA Today Wellness Writer David Oliver

   David Oliver, deputy wellness editor at USA TODAY, award-winning journalist, and journalism professor at the University of Maryland, joins Zach for a deeply human conversation on grief, mortality, and why death has become one of today’s most important wellness conversations. Drawing from his own experience losing his father suddenly to a rare neurodegenerative disease, David shares how that loss reshaped his perspective on life, relationships, ambition, and what it really means to be present. Together, they explore why modern society has become so disconnected from death, how grief shows up in waves rather than neat stages, and why the workplace, our healthcare systems, and our culture as a whole still struggle to support people through loss. They also discuss the rise of longevity culture, the limits of biohacking, what COVID changed about the public conversation around grief, and why confronting mortality may actually help us live with more clarity, gratitude, and purpose. This is a thoughtful, honest episode about the pain of loss, the value of remembering what matters, and how facing death can teach us how to live. David's Writing at USA Today (https://www.usatoday.com/staff/2647916001/david-oliver/) David on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/doliver8/) Zach and Reflecting Back on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/zachstiffler/)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

60

Social presence

90

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact Reflecting Back with Zach Stiffler

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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