From growing up in a trailer park eating ketchup soup as a child to COO of the world’s largest art dealer, John Block talks with us about imposter syndrome, fear of failure, and how to know when you’ve outgrown a friendship.

Thank you so much to The Clayton Hotel & Member's Club for hosting our live podcast and sponsoring this episode! Learn more about membership or plan your next Denver stay at The Clayton HERE.

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• Follow John on Instagram
• Learn more about Park West Gallery

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• Dive deeper with The Something More Society! The go-to place to level up your connection, community, and collaboration. By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, our monthly Book Club, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.
• Grab your "A Little More Humani-tea" & shop our other merch!
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Hanging upside down from a hot air balloon to pick cotton with some friends; a reluctant trip to New Mexico turns into 33 years of never missing the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and an induction into the Balloon Fiesta hall of fame; turning two balloon pins into 200,000 pins. We dug through our communities and connections to find some iconic characters of the worlds largest hot air balloon festival to talk to them about finding community, healthy addictions, fulfilling childhood dreams of flying on the tops of trees. Truly a cast like no other.

Sam and I have been attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta for nearly three decades, and it never gets old. Never. If you’ve never been to the festival, here’s your sign.

Christmas gift: check! Shop for you new favorite game or puzzle at Puzzled! A truly special thanks to some of our favorite people and a one of a kind small business, located in the heart of Old Town, Albuquerque. In an increasingly digital world, Puzzled brings the tangible joy of puzzles and the communal experience of shared problem-solving with handcrafted games you won’t find anywhere else.

Use code SMHPodcast for 10% off at Puzzled

Stay Connected with Sam & Elliot

• Dive deeper with The Something More Society! The go-to place to level up your connection, community, and collaboration. By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, our monthly Book Club, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.
• Grab your "A Little More Humani-tea" & shop our other merch!
• Follow us on Instagram & TikTok 

How does loneliness impact our health and what can we do about it? We just wrapped up The Art and Science of Connection by social scientist Kasley Killam in The Something More Society book club and we're unpacking our key takeaways, outlining how you can benefit from feeling connected in your day to day life.

Sam takes us back to a research fellowship she did in 2017, reminding us that community and connection are key elements in our overall health and confidence.

A 2018 study identifies "The Liking Gap," how we systematically underestimate how much people actually like us.

Elliot reminds us that limiting beliefs can hide in plain sight and how he's tackling his own. 

Stay Connected with Sam & Elliot

• Dive deeper with The Something More Society! The go-to place to level up your connection, community, and collaboration. By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, our monthly Book Club, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.
• Grab your "A Little More Humani-tea" & shop our other merch!
• Follow us on Instagram & TikTok 

Self-love isn’t a quick fix; it’s a journey made up of small, intentional choices.

Elliot unpacks his toughest questions with our guest, Sarah: How did she learn to embrace herself, even in difficult moments? This episode doesn’t offer a ‘perfect’ solution, but instead, explores the real steps toward self-acceptance that anyone can try. With surprising tools, and reflections from Sam, this is your invitation to start shifting self-talk from criticism to compassion—one step at a time.

Finally, we wrap up with Sarah sharing her favorite 3 questions to learn more about yourself and the people around you. Pause the episode after each question and share your answers with us!

Stay Connected with Sarah Smyth
Sarah is the incredible visionary behind the brand Raw & Rebellious and host of the Raw Intentions podcast. 

• Shop Raw & Rebellious & Follow them on Instagram
• Listen to Raw Intentions & Follow the show on Instagram
• Follow Sarah on Instagram

Stay Connected with Sam & Elliot

• Dive deeper with The Something More Society! The go-to place to level up your connection, community, and collaboration. By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, our monthly Book Club, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.
• Grab your "IF NOT LOVE THEN WHAT" hat, your new favorite tea & shop our other merch!
• Follow us on Instagram & TikTok

If we're in a friendship crisis, what do we do about it? We discuss data from The American Survey Center and the US Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community to better understand what it means to be in a friendship crisis.

And of course, we'll never leave you high and dry. We outline 4 strategies for improving your relationships, overall life satisfaction, and longevity. If that all sounds too good to be true, don't worry-- Elliot plays an excellent devil's advocate.

Stay Connected with Sam & Elliot

• Dive deeper with The Something More Society! The go-to place to level up your connection, community, and collaboration. By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, our monthly Book Club, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.
• Grab your "IF NOT LOVE THEN WHAT" hat, your new favorite tea & shop our other merch!
• Follow us on Instagram & TikTok

Improve your relationships by becoming a better conversationalist. We often hear complaints after a first date or catching up with a friend that the other person didn't seem invested because they didn't ask any questions. Tony Robbins says "the quality of your life is determined by the quality of the questions you ask" and we believe that questions hold the power to enable us to see and be seen in meaningful way. 

Sam walks us through 2 key strategies for tapping into the power of a question and Elliot shares a few personal examples of how this applies to his own life. 

Plus, we leave you with a challenge and a few questions to pose at your next dinner party! 

Stay Connected with Sam & Elliot

• Dive deeper with The Something More Society! The go-to place to level up your connection, community, and collaboration. By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, our monthly Book Club, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.
• Grab your "IF NOT LOVE THEN WHAT" hat, your new favorite tea & shop our other merch!
• Follow us on Instagram & TikTok

What if the key to a fulfilling life isn't found in achievement, but in connection? In this episode, we sit down with Dan Harris, former ABC News anchor and renowned meditation advocate, to explore the power of deep relationships, the inner struggles we all face, and how mindfulness can change the way we live.

Dan opens up about his infamous 2004 panic attack on live TV, and how it set him on a journey to redefine his relationship with stress, anxiety, and the constant chatter of the mind. He shares candid stories of how therapy, self-reflection, and even a tough 360 review helped him rebuild his personal relationships—giving listeners practical insights on how to navigate their own inner critic.

We dive deep into why connection is so vital to human happiness, how disconnection fuels trauma, and how the simple act of being truly seen can be transformative. Plus, Dan offers real-world advice on managing conflict, sharing how we can turn difficult conversations into opportunities for growth rather than battles for victory.

This episode is for anyone who's ever felt overwhelmed by their inner voice or struggled to connect authentically with others. Tune in to discover how mindfulness can not only calm your mind but also deepen your relationships—and maybe even save them.

Stay Connected with Dan

• Listen to Dan's Podcast, Ten Percent Happier
• Join Dan's community
• Grab Dan's books
• Follow Dan on Instagram

Stay Connected with Sam & Elliot

• Dive deeper with The Something More Society! The go-to place to level up your connection, community, and collaboration. By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, our monthly Book Club, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.
• Grab your "IF NOT LOVE THEN WHAT" hat, your new favorite tea & shop our other merch!
• Follow us on Instagram & TikTok

How to get people to care about your projects? People can only be as excited about something you're working on as YOU are. We uncover the ideas behind manufacturing your own hype and what that looks like from artists to entrepreneurs to 9-5ers. Elliot says "don't take the wind from the sails of the boat that you built."

I also share with Elliot the power behind recognizing moments of transition and momentum in your life, how to leverage that momentum to go to the next level, and attempt my best impression of the Mario Kart PowerUp sound.

Got something new you're working on or accomplished recently? Let us hype you up! Slide into our DMs on Instagram and tell us all about it!

Stay Connected with Sam & Elliot

• Dive deeper into conversations and community with The Something More Society! By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, our monthly Book Club, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.
• Grab your "IF NOT LOVE THEN WHAT" hat, your new favorite tea & shop our other merch!
• Follow us on Instagram & TikTok

From being all alone in a new city to navigating the intense spotlight of The Bachelor Season 20, Ben Higgins faced the most Googled breakup of 2017. In this candid conversation, Ben opens up about the challenges of separating his identity from 'Ben the Bachelor' and the pitfalls of social media, including the comparison and envy that can come with it. He shares how a friend's life-changing advice led him to shift his focus from fame to a higher purpose.

Join us as Ben answers tough listener questions with honesty and vulnerability, reflects on the power of deep friendships, and challenges us all to consider whether we are a safe space for those we care about. This episode is more than just a look back at Ben’s journey—it's a deep dive into what it means to live a life of purpose, connection, and intentionality.

Stay Connected with Ben

• Generous Coffee 
• Follow Ben on Instagram 
• Ben's website (+ download the connection deck!)

Stay Connected with Sam & Elliot

• Unlock the full experience and dive deeper with The Something More Society!
  The go-to place to level up your connection, community, and collaboration. By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, monthly book club, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.
• Grab your "IF NOT LOVE THEN WHAT" hat, your new favorite tea & shop our other merch!
• Follow us on Instagram & TikTok

Sam says, "Not allowing your friends to help robs them of the joy of being a great friend" and I felt that.

Asking your friends for help is easier said than done. When was the last time you explicitly asked your friend to help you with something related to your relationships, mental well being, professional development, creative expression?

Sam and I talk about how we feel compelled to lie even to the best of our friends and why; I tell a story about some of my best friends and the concept of how the three of us need to die in ways that we may live in other ways we have yet to.

A lot going on in this episode - it's heavy but we believe it's necessary conversation to help ourselves and you maximize our friendships.

Stay Connected with Sam & Elliot

Dive deeper into conversations and community with The Something More Society! By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, our monthly Book Club, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.

Grab your "IF NOT LOVE THEN WHAT" hat, your new favorite tea & shop our other merch!

Follow us on Instagram & TikTok

Action creates clarity, failure is a rite of passage, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good! During her mindset coaching sessions around the time our podcast was just forming, Sam, inspired by her coaching, asked me, 'If I told you that episode 20 was where we figured it out, how fast would you fail through the first 19 to get there? If you apply that anywhere in your endeavors, only good things can come from that.

Plus some of Elliot’s existential ruminations, failed southern accents, and Sam’s always inspiring nuggets of wisdom.

“If moments can feel like seconds, and years can feel like moments, do I only have 30 more moments until I’m in my 60s?”

Stay Connected with Sam & Elliot

Grab your "IF NOT LOVE THEN WHAT" hat, your new favorite tea & shop our other merch!

Follow us on Instagram & TikTok

Unlock the full experience and dive deeper with The Something More Society!
By joining The Something More Society, you’ll gain access to vibrant community chat channels, exclusive mini episodes + ad-free listening, and the opportunity to connect directly with us and fellow listeners.