Danica Patrick is Pretty Intense — Life Lessons From The World’s Greatest Female Race Car Driver

Imagine yourself the only female athlete in a very dangerous sport completely dominated by men. You don’t just hold your own. And you don't just break the glass ceiling. Instead, you obliterate it. Kicking serious ass, you make an indelible mark on the sport you love. Along the way, you inspire millions of women and young girls to rethink the limits of their personal potential. This is the extraordinary story of race car driver Danica Patrick (@danicapatrick) — an athlete whose life-long love for speed turned her into one of the most successful, revered, and recognizable professional sports figures on the planet. Although her accomplishments are far too numerous to list, among Danica’s many notable glass ceiling explosions include: * first woman to lead the Indy 500; * highest Indy 500 female finish ever (4th); * first woman to win an IndyCar circuit race; and * first woman to win pole position at Daytona 500 Off the track, Danica is a media magnet. She has served up hosting duties on Spike TV, been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and appeared in a litany of commercials, music videos, and television shows. In 2006, she published Danica: Crossing the Line*, an autobiography she followed up with the recent release of her brand new mind, body, spirit primer: Pretty Intense*. This is a conversation about Danica's extraordinary career. It's about the lessons she's learned along the way about life, performance and wellness. It’s about a piece of unfinished business she calls the Danica Double – her plan to race both the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 this year — and it’s a glimpse into the new chapter that lays beyond racing. But most of all, this is a conversation about personal empowerment. It’s about the mindset and practices that made Danica a champion, which can be leveraged to unlock the best version of yourself. In other words, take personal responsibility for your path. Stop wasting time. And start kicking ass. Danica is one of the sweetest badasses I know. I totally enjoyed our exchange. I hope you do too. For the visually inclined, you can watch the podcast on YouTube here. Peace + Plants, Rich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Rich Roll?

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• 1:05Speaker 01

  It's really not too late to follow a passion. Sometimes it might not be able to reach maybe its pinnacle or highest level based on maybe your age, but you can definitely still do it and have an effect and find joy in that. The journey is to find your truth and to really know who you are.

• 1:22Rich Roll?

  That's Danica Patrick, this week, on the Rich Roll Podcast. The Rich Roll Podcast. Hey, everybody. How's it going? What is happening? How are you? My name is Rich Roll. I am your host. This is a podcast. It's my podcast, the Rich Roll Podcast, and what I do here is I go deep with the most kick-ass people I can find. And the idea behind it all is to hopefully provide you with some tools, with some insights,

• 2:02Rich Roll?

  with some information to incorporate into your life, to, you know, implement so that you can be just a little bit better. So today, what do I want to say about today? Well, imagine being the only female athlete in a sport historically and thoroughly, utterly, completely dominated by men. Now imagine not just holding your own in that sport, but actually kicking ass, crushing it. Well, this is the story of race car driver Danica Patrick, who is an extraordinary athlete, someone whose lifelong love for speed made her one of the most successful and widely

• 2:42Rich Roll?

  recognizable athletes on planet Earth, as well as a hero and a role model for women and girls all across the planet. Her accomplishments are too numerous to list, but among them include Danica becoming the first woman to lead the Indy 500, which is unbelievable. I think she ended up fourth in that race, which is the highest finish for any female in the history of Indy 500. She was also the first woman to win an Indy car circuit race. And then she switched to stock cars, where she became the first woman to win the pole position at the Daytona 500. Unbelievable.

• 3:24Rich Roll?

  She's now on the cusp of retirement, and she just released a new book. It's called Pretty Intense, which is sort of a primer or a program for enhancing mind, body, spirit potential. And today, we sit down, we had a great talk, which we're going to get into in a second, but first...

• 3:50Rich Roll?

  Alright, so this is me and Danica Patrick in a conversation about her extraordinary career, her impending retirement, the lessons about life and wellness and performance that she has gleaned along the way, and what Danica's next chapter holds for her. Danica is a badass. She's super cool. I totally enjoyed this one, and I hope you do too. So without further ado, I give you Danica Patrick.

• 4:22Rich Roll?

  Alright, let's do this. Danica, thanks so much for coming out.

• 4:27Speaker 01

  Sure, thank you.

• 4:28Rich Roll?

  Psyched to talk to you.

• 4:29Speaker 01

  Do we turn the hourglass over?

• 4:30Rich Roll?

  We should.

• 4:31Speaker 01

  Is that our time limit?

• 4:31Rich Roll?

  No, it's not our time limit. We're definitely gonna go longer than that, I hope.

• 4:34Speaker 01

  I hope not.

• 4:35Rich Roll?

  I hope I don't run out of things to ask you.

• 4:36Speaker 01

  Is that like a five-minute clock?

• 4:37Rich Roll?

  And I hope you're not talked out. You just came from Rogan, right?

• 4:40Speaker 01

  I did, yeah.

• 4:41Rich Roll?

  Did you go three hours with him?

• 4:42Speaker 01

  Not quite, no. We went over two hours, but we didn't get to three.

• 4:47Rich Roll?

  I hope you're not too tired to tell your story once again.

• 4:50Speaker 01

  No, it's never a problem talking about things that I'm interested in.

• 4:54Rich Roll?

  Well, cool. Well, I'm psyched to talk to you. I know very little about racing, but I have had a couple race car drivers in here before.

• 5:03Speaker 01

  Have you?

• 5:03Rich Roll?

  Well, I'm good friends with Landon Castle.

• 5:05Speaker 01

  Oh, okay. Wow. Sweet. He's a really nice guy.

• 5:08Rich Roll?

  He's such a nice guy.

• 5:09Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 5:10Rich Roll?

  And Leilani Munter.

• 5:12Speaker 01

  Okay, yeah, I know her too.

• 5:13Rich Roll?

  Yeah, I know you do. So, we can unpack a little bit of that, but let's talk about the new chapter. I mean, it's been an interesting year for you. You're in transition from one world to the next.

• 5:24Speaker 01

  Ah, yeah. I've got a little bit left in my racing world. Just doing two races this year to finish off my career, and that'll be the Daytona 500.

• 5:34Rich Roll?

  The Danica Double? Is that sorted out?

• 5:36Speaker 01

  Well, it's called the Danica Double because for those who don't follow racing, the double is known as doing the Indy 500 on Memorial Day weekend on Sunday, and then going straight the same day to go race the Coke 600 in Charlotte. So, 1,100 miles of racing in one day. That's known as the double.

• 5:55Rich Roll?

  And two different cars.

• 5:56Speaker 01

  Two different cars, two different states, two different series, yeah. So, that would be the double. But this is the Danica Double because, well, it's just different. It's the way I would do it, and it's the two biggest races of both series. And since I've spent half of my professional career in Indy car and half of it in NASCAR, it's the Daytona 500 next month, which is the biggest NASCAR race of the year, and then finishing up with the Indy 500, which is what I started off in, Indy car racing. And so, it's the biggest race of their season. So, that's why we call it the Danica Double.

• 6:23Rich Roll?

  Yeah, well, it's been a long time since you've been in an Indy car, right?

• 6:26Speaker 01

  Yes, it has. It's been since 2011.

• 6:29Rich Roll?

  And do you have the sponsors lined up for that? And the cars and everything like that?

• 6:33Speaker 01

  Ah, yeah. We hope to be announcing all that stuff really soon.

• 6:37Rich Roll?

  That's cool.

• 6:37Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 6:38Rich Roll?

  That's awesome.

• 6:40Rich Roll?

  That's really cool. I mean, the idea of going from, you know, one kind of racing and car into a completely different one, especially one, you know, you haven't, you haven't done in a while, that's gotta be daunting. And what's weird and interesting about what you do, your sport, is that you can't do it every day. Like, if you're a runner, you go out and run every day. If you're a cyclist, you ride a bike every, you know, but you can't get out on the track and race a car every day.

• 7:05Speaker 01

  I mean, yeah, it's, for one, it's very expensive. Even if you did, it's tires and engines and fuel and all kinds of stuff, brakes and whatever else you wear out pounding around. So, yeah, it's not, it's just totally different. It's more of a, well, I suppose with, like, let's say if you were a runner, or something you could do every day, it's really just all you. But with racing, it's you, yes, but it's also the build of the car. So, really, no, there isn't many days that go by that something is not, there's not an effort being put towards the program. It's just not on track always.

• 7:43Rich Roll?

  And obviously, it takes, you know, teams and teams of people to support a driver like yourself. How involved are you in, like, the actual gearhead aspect of the cars?

• 7:54Speaker 01

  None, I'm not very-

• 7:55Rich Roll?

  Do you get into that?

• 7:56Speaker 01

  Uh, not at all. And in fact, I disappointed Joe very much on his podcast-

• 8:01Rich Roll?

  You didn't know anything about cars?

• 8:02Speaker 01

  Because I'm like, I'm not a car girl. And he was so mad. He's like, you're a race car driver. I'm like, well, I'm just not. I'm not, I just don't care. I said that, you know, drive, cars are like purses to me. I just need one nice one at a time. And when it wears out, I get a new one.

• 8:16Rich Roll?

  Mm-hmm. And you just never went under the hood that much. But your dad, your dad was kind of a guy like that, right?

• 8:22Speaker 01

  My dad was into racing and, you know, loves that stuff. It's more his passion.

• 8:26Rich Roll?

  Uh-huh. You're just like, let me drive.

• 8:27Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 8:28Rich Roll?

  Right. So, what is the training like for these kinds of races?

• 8:34Speaker 01

  I mean, you don't really, I mean, how sad is it? You don't really have to be that fit. I mean, there are some drivers in both sports, but especially NASCAR that you look at and you're like, "Yeah, you probably, probably don't."

• 8:46Rich Roll?

  Isn't that changing though?

• 8:47Speaker 01

  You probably don't really work out that much, do you?

• 8:48Rich Roll?

  I mean, like-

• 8:49Speaker 01

  Is it changing? Not really.

• 8:50Rich Roll?

  But you have, I mean, Landon's, you know, triathlete, guys are getting into cycling, Dale Jr. even.

• 8:55Speaker 01

  But that's just their interest.

• 8:56Rich Roll?

  Mm-hmm.

• 8:57Speaker 01

  I mean, Dale's still, Dale Jr.'s interested in it. It was his last year and he's not racing anymore, really. So, and I think he still goes out and does that. And Jimmy does it because he likes it and-

• 9:07Rich Roll?

  But you don't think that has any impact on-

• 9:09Speaker 01

  Oh, I'm sure, you know, it's, physical fitness is important, but, you know, then you've got guys like, you know, Tony Stewart or Ryan Newman that don't work out and they do just fine. So, um, so I don't think you really have to, so.

• 9:21Rich Roll?

  But it is an endurance event. I mean, I think I've heard you say, like, it's sort of like running a marathon.

• 9:25Speaker 01

  It is.

• 9:26Rich Roll?

  You have an elevated heart rate for a very long period of time. You need a certain amount of stamina. You gotta be able to maintain your focus, like incredibly so, right?

• 9:34Speaker 01

  Absolutely. I think the focus comes from practice, but the, but the stamina, you know, hydration is critical. Um, so, so that's, uh, that's something to think about. And other than hydration, then, you know, repetition with the muscles. So, um, you know, a general amount of a little bit of flexibility and some endurance. So, um, but you, you know, there's also like the whole being race fit, which is just basically being able to, you know, get in the car and you kind of get conditioned by doing it, doing the actual job itself. So, I am more fit than I need to be to do the job.

• 10:06Rich Roll?

  Yeah. But is that, oh, has that always been the case? Cause you know, now Pretty Intense is out, your new book, which is great. Congratulations. Um, and, you know, it's all about wellness, fitness. You have a fitness regimen in there. Is this something that you have practiced over the years to become a better driver? Or is this a newer-

• 10:23Speaker 01

  The regimen?

• 10:24Rich Roll?

  Thing for you?

• 10:24Speaker 01

  No, it's, it's not to become a better dri- it's not really about driving. It's really about being the best version of myself.

• 10:30Rich Roll?

  But, but in the context of driving, has that fitness regimen made you a better driver, do you think? Or is that relationship not that direct?

• 10:38Speaker 01

  I think the only thing that I would put towards being a better driver is that with- The style of working out that I do with the intensity level, with the competition of it at times, you know, I think it makes you mentally stronger. So that mental strength, I believe, translates.

• 10:57Rich Roll?

  Well, one thing that is another big part of the new book is mindset.

• 11:03Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 11:04Rich Roll?

  Sort of your mentality. I mean, the book is called Pretty Intense, right?

• 11:07Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 11:07Rich Roll?

  So you're an intense individual.

• 11:09Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 11:09Rich Roll?

  I presume, you know, God gifted with a certain level of intensity. So,

• 11:14Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 11:14Rich Roll?

  you know, what is that intensity all about? And what is your mindset approach?

• 11:19Speaker 01

  The mindset is really, I mean, the workout stuff is where I really get into the level of intensity and, you know, using things like mantras to get past it and techniques to push harder. But, but the mind, the mental part of the book, which is really, it's really cool that a lot of, almost everyone has said that's their favorite part of the book is the first five chapters on, you know, the sort of mind-body connection and the mental aspect of your life and gaining strength and confidence through certain techniques and doing certain things, activities. So I, but I really like that because that's where you're going to find your foundation for the rest, which is why it's the first five

• 12:00Speaker 01

  chapters of the book, because your mind, the body follows the mind. So if you can tell it to keep going, if you can teach it that, believe it, then it will. And so, yeah, the mind comes first and everybody's really loved that part. And I, I love the fact that they did because I feel like as a, as a culture, we're starting to scratch the surface on how powerful the mind is and what it's capable of. And I love that because I believe I was born with a certain amount of that already. And, you know, through the job that I have, which is unique and different, and you need a lot of that, I've been able to, you know, continue that development. And so, you know, unknowingly, really, if that makes sense, like just, you know, we understand you're supposed to be, believe in yourself and everything,

• 12:45Speaker 01

  but to really start to understand how powerful the mind is, is, is more new to me. And so I look back and see how, ah.

• 12:55Speaker 01

  Like many, but ahead of the curve a little bit on some of that stuff.

• 12:58Rich Roll?

  Yeah, I think that there's no question about it that the body follows the mind. That, you know, the mind has to be in order, in order for the body to follow. And what's interesting is we're in this period now where we're finally embracing that aspect. You know, the mental game aspect and, and the idea that the, the mind is trainable is almost like a new concept for a lot of people.

• 13:20Speaker 01

  I know.

• 13:21Rich Roll?

  And we have science now to back it up and meditation and all these things, but like it's sort of self-evident, especially if you're an athlete. Like you kind of know these things and you come up with this understanding, but I think for a lot of people, it's a struggle.

• 13:33Speaker 01

  Yeah, it makes me think of talking to an anesthesiologist a couple of months back about putting people to sleep and how amazing it was that you don't have to numb the body when you put them to sleep. And they're like, yeah, we don't, we don't really understand it completely. I'm like, wow, it's because you're in a different dimension mentally and like you don't, you, is pain even really happening? If we don't put any thought towards it.

• 13:56Rich Roll?

  Well, what is pain?

• 13:57Speaker 01

  Put any thought towards it then, right? Exactly. I mean, essentially your body's still there, you're still operating, you're still breathing, you're just kind of sleep state. Why don't you feel anything?

• 14:07Rich Roll?

  And even beyond that, the idea that, that you can become more focused, you can become more present, you can become more aware. You can train your, yourself into a state of, you know, positive outlook, all of these things. That we now understand we have agency over as opposed to, well, that person just has a sunny outlook or, you know, he's depressed or.

• 14:28Speaker 01

  He has all the good luck, I have the bad luck. It's about manifesting what you want for your life.

• 14:33Rich Roll?

  And what are the strategies that you employ?

• 14:36Speaker 01

  You know, one of, one simple one is just really getting out in nature. I think that nature is a really powerful element for us to ground us and give us some perspective. Feel at one, yet be in awe at the same time of everything. It kind of creates a state of appreciation, you know, gratitude, gratefulness, connection. I just, I don't think it's possible to go out in nature and feel worse. It's almost not even possible to just feel the same. You feel better, you feel more positive, you feel happier. So that's one of them.

• 15:13Speaker 01

  Also, this sort of concept of neuroplasticity and how your thoughts kind of create patterns in your mind of, and they become normal for you. And so you have to retrain your brain, which is the practice, right? That's just the practice. It's just, you know, correcting, first it's identifying your negative thoughts, and then it's correcting them, and then they eventually become all more positive overall. And so, you know, retraining your brain, and that, that chapter is called Mind River, essentially trying to say that as you, the river cuts in deeper and deeper, and the more you think about something, the deeper it cuts, and the harder it is to get out of that pattern. And so, make sure you're, make

• 15:55Speaker 01

  sure you're thinking of things that are positive and good. You can't have a happy life with negative thoughts.

• 16:00Rich Roll?

  And a, and a sort of counterpoint, or not counterpoint, but like cousin point to that, is this idea of acting as if.

• 16:09Speaker 01

  Acting as if?

• 16:10Rich Roll?

  Yeah, like sort of, and you talk about this in the book, this idea of like, if you're not feeling up for it, just like trick yourself into the mindset that you're capable of this, and sort of carry yourself accordingly, as a way of, you know, creating that new neural pathway, or like emboldening it.

• 16:26Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm, yeah. And because it's quick, it's amazing how quickly you do fall into that new attitude. If you, you might start off your day, and again, it's just your own thoughts, it's your own, you're creating your own reality. So if you tell yourself like, oh, it's a crappy day, then it will be. But if you, maybe you start off with one of those thoughts, and you quickly correct it and identify, and you're like, it's gonna be a great day, and I don't even care how over the top you are, be obnoxious about it. Like, say like, man, I just saw a unicorn fly by, this is gonna be wonderful. I don't care what you have to do, but you will find yourself being positive and in a good mood, much quicker than you think. I mean, honestly, it probably takes... I mean, you could probably change your mood in minutes if you wanted to.

• 17:09Rich Roll?

  And do you have a formal meditation practice?

• 17:12Speaker 01

  Yeah, uh, well, what would you describe as formal?

• 17:15Rich Roll?

  Sitting, as opposed to like, active meditation, like, oh, I'm jogging, or I'm walking around, like, just literally sitting down and, you know, practicing a specific technique.

• 17:24Speaker 01

  I wasn't sure if you meant like, once a day, when I wake up, no, no, there's no, um, pattern to it, but there is formal meditation practice, as well as moving meditation practice, which would be more of my nature walks and things like that of listening to. And for some reason, for me, um, music gets me there a little bit better than, than pure silence.

• 17:45Rich Roll?

  I would think that, it seems to me that every race car driver should meditate, you know what I mean? Like, because you have to stay so present for so many hours.

• 17:56Speaker 01

  So one thing I did when I was younger, that I do think there are a fair amount of drivers that do it, but I think there are lots that don't, is I would do visualization for sure. When I was a young kid in go-karting, I would visualize the perfect lap.

• 18:07Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 18:08Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 18:09Rich Roll?

  I don't know how you can maintain that level of just intensity for that many hours.

• 18:13Speaker 01

  Well, you do, you develop that, but then there's also the next level. And I think that every sport, you see that come out of an athlete, whether it be, um, the last 10 laps of a race, having to start from the back because you got a pit road penalty, and you were running really well, and you get mad, and you kind of, you're able to

• 18:35Speaker 01

  enter the next level mentally, and all of a sudden, while you had to start in the back, maybe you were running sixth, then you had to start last, and all of a sudden, you find yourself right back up to top five again, and it didn't take any time at all. You're like, wait, where'd that come from? You've been stuck right here for the whole race, you know? Where did that come from? I think as a driver, as an athlete, as a person, we can achieve the next level, but we can't stay there. That's not a sustained state, I don't think, that next level mentality. But by all means, probably what we do in the car in general is next level for a lot of people, but I think, you know, to the critical level, there is another level too.

• 19:13Rich Roll?

  Right, but that idea that, that, you know, let's say you're, you're in the front or you're in the mix near the front of the race and then something happens and suddenly you're in the back, you know, somebody with a less well-trained mind could then start looping negative, "Oh, I blew it, it's over, like, just forget it," you know, as opposed to understanding like, "Oh, there's still hours left in this race, there's plenty that can be done, like, keep it together."

• 19:35Speaker 01

  Some are mentally weak and melt down, and others dig deeper.

• 19:37Rich Roll?

  How much of it, racing, is mental versus physical?

• 19:43Speaker 01

  Oh, if I had to give it a percentage, I mean, I think as far as, I think mental is probably, if we're only talking about mental, physical, and we're not breaking it down in any more categories than that, I would say mental is probably, I would think, like, 75% of it.

• 19:59Rich Roll?

  Yeah, there's mental, physical, and then there's like, the mechanical aspect of it. You know, everything that goes into that, which most athletes don't have to worry about that kind of thing.

• 20:09Speaker 01

  The car is 100%, and then when you get beyond the car and you break down the rest.

• 20:13Rich Roll?

  Right. Yeah, so, the thing is, like, if you don't have a great car, like, there's only so much you're going to be able to do, and I think a lot of racers are in that position where they could be amazing drivers, but they're just dealing with equipment that's just never going to get them there, right?

• 20:26Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's 100% true.

• 20:27Rich Roll?

  Yeah. And when you look at your, when you reflect back on, on your career and the mental aspect, you know, of, of what contributed to your success and everything, you know, that you've enjoyed as a result of that career, like, can you pinpoint it to any one particular thing? I mean, intensity, yes, but what is that actually? And like, what do you think it is that, that made you great, or that distinguished you from other competitors?

• 20:56Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's the, it's the mindset of being able to focus critically, as well as dig deeper when times get tough. So I'd say in the longevity of my career and having the endurance to get through having no ride, or being put down, or being judged, or, you know, having bad days, whatever it may be, it's the mindset, it's the being positive, it's being, you know, it's, uh, it's being strong enough to endure those things without breaking down.

• 21:26Rich Roll?

  And where do you think that comes from?

• 21:28Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's a great question.

• 21:32Speaker 01

  What do you think?

• 21:33Rich Roll?

  I don't know. I don't know you well enough to know.

• 21:35Speaker 01

  Well, it's not really about me. It's about anyone.

• 21:37Rich Roll?

  Well, I think that on some level you, it's a result of your upbringing. It's how your parents raised you. It's your environment growing up and whatever stimulus you had to, you know, sort of weather or overcome to be the person that you are. And it's what is inherently driving you, motivating you to succeed. Like whatever is behind that, like, I don't know. Only you know that.

• 22:01Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think all those things matter.

• 22:03Rich Roll?

  All those things.

• 22:04Speaker 01

  I wonder how much you're born with. I wonder, you know, I wonder as we come into this world, I mean, how much does our spirit dictate things? Are we, I don't know. I don't know.

• 22:15Rich Roll?

  Were you always a competitive, were you competitive as a young kid? I mean, I know you started racing when you were like eight, right?

• 22:20Speaker 01

  So from the get go. I mean, I was competitive with my sister growing up. The phone would ring and I'd be like, all right, we'll race to the phone. Three, two, one. And I'd just sit there. So I won. Cause I didn't want to have to go get it. You know, things like that. I've been competitive my whole life. So there's a lot already there, but then, you know, my dad is a driven person and, um, you know, he owns his own business and he was, uh, never let being a girl be something that was a defining factor on how well I should do, which was just about being a driver. So, you know, my upbringing and my value system was good for that. I didn't really even think about being a girl in racing until I started being asked about being a girl in racing.

• 23:01Rich Roll?

  Yeah, it's amazing to hear you say that though, because it seems like such an obvious thing that would have been front of mind in the beginning.

• 23:07Speaker 01

  It really wasn't until I was 14 and I started being noticed for doing really well and being on, I was on, you know, getting on TV shows. And I remember the first thing, the first big thing was, it was on ABC Sports and it was, or on ABC, it was a Sunday afternoon special and it was called. Passion to Play: Making of a Champion. And it was an hour-long special and it was myself, Tara Lipinski, the figure skater, and Anna Kornikova, the tennis player. The three of us, and we're all 14.

• 23:34Rich Roll?

  Wow.

• 23:35Speaker 01

  And so, yeah, that was a long, long time ago. And they came and followed me around at my high school and went to the track with me and 20 hours of VHS videotape interviews and back in the day. So, yeah, so there was a lot of, a lot of footage back then. And then MTV came and shot something for one of their shows that was about, you know, kids doing extreme things and...

• 23:57Rich Roll?

  And that was before you went off to the UK?

• 23:59Speaker 01

  Yeah, I was 14. I was still, I was a freshman in high school.

• 24:02Rich Roll?

  So you had to have some awareness at that time.

• 24:04Speaker 01

  So that's when I started to get the awareness.

• 24:05Rich Roll?

  Like, oh, there's like a whole thing here. Like, I could, you know, I have like an opportunity here to really...

• 24:10Speaker 01

  That's when I started to notice. Yeah.

• 24:12Rich Roll?

  But let's take it back before that. So you're eight years old. You start racing go-karts.

• 24:16Speaker 01

  10.

• 24:16Rich Roll?

  10. Uh-huh.

• 24:17Speaker 01

  Yep, my sister was eight.

• 24:18Rich Roll?

  And your dad was like into it and all that kind of stuff?

• 24:20Speaker 01

  Yep. My dad used to race snowmobiles. Well, actually, he started off in motocross and then he did snowmobile racing and then midgets, which is like on a dirt track where the cars are sideways.

• 24:31Rich Roll?

  Uh-huh. And this is in Illinois?

• 24:33Speaker 01

  All over. I mean, he raced in up in...

• 24:35Rich Roll?

  But where you grew up?

• 24:36Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah. Northern Illinois, right on the border of Wisconsin. Actually, I was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, but we lived in South Beloit, Illinois. So we were right on the state line.

• 24:43Rich Roll?

  Right. And when you're in that circuit as a young kid, there's, I mean, what is that world like? There's like races all over the place? Like, there's a whole world there, right?

• 24:50Speaker 01

  Yeah. I mean, there's local. So I started off with like one track for a year. And then we started going regional, so around the Midwest. And then we started going, you know, all over the country. And I raced everywhere from California to New York, Canada, Florida. So, yeah, raced all over the place. So you just kept going further and further.

• 25:09Rich Roll?

  And then, obviously, winning, having some success, which leads to this decision to drop out of high school and go to, go to, go to Britain, right?

• 25:18Speaker 01

  I did. I, I won a lot in growing up. And then it was about, what do you do next?

• 25:23Rich Roll?

  Mm-hmm.

• 25:23Speaker 01

  And I didn't want to become... Professional go-kart driver, so I was like, well, let's go race cars then. And so, um, we, uh, I went to England when I was 16. I pulled out of high school my junior year halfway through. And in fact, my junior year, I only was there for the first few weeks and the last few weeks of the semester because I was in England, um, racing as well. So I, I pretty much only went through my sophomore year, but I officially pulled out of high school when I was, um, halfway through my junior year. And then I moved to England.

• 25:49Rich Roll?

  And why England? What was going on there?

• 25:51Speaker 01

  You know, there was, um, way back when I was 14. 14 was a, I wonder what, what was going on when I was 14. A lot was happening. But there was, um, where my family, my, we were at the Indy 500 and, um, we were invited to a suite, um, of a family that had a race team. And so there was a British guy sitting at the bar. And so I, I'm 14 at the bar. I just realized that I'm describing the story like that. Um, but I was just, so I mean, it was daytime. So we just hung out and I was asking questions about racing in England. And, um, you know, lo and behold, I must've struck a chord. So two years later, when I was 16, this family, they contacted me

• 26:34Speaker 01

  and said that they wanted to meet with me and my dad and talk about going to race in England. And so, um, it was an opportunity and we took it.

• 26:43Rich Roll?

  And so when you're there, there's like instruction, there's teams. Was the path or like the idea that you would end up in IndyCar? Or ultimately Formula One? Or was there like a sense of?

• 26:56Speaker 01

  It was definitely, I, I had said that if I don't make it to Formula One, I will fail, I will have failed.

• 27:01Rich Roll?

  Right. So let's maybe, maybe describe the differences between like NASCAR, Formula One, IndyCar, all of that. For people that don't know.

• 27:10Speaker 01

  Well, they're all the top levels of each of their sports. So Formula One is international. Um, IndyCar is domestic in the States. It's also open wheel, just like Formula One. And then there's, um, NASCAR, which is, um, stock car racing. So, um, open wheel literally just means the wheels are open and exposed. So, um, stock cars are just, the wheels are covered. So, um, NASCAR is the top level of that. And IndyCar is the top level, open wheel, domestic. And then international is top level is F1. So, um, I'm sure everyone could argue why theirs is better.

• 27:43Rich Roll?

  Right.

• 27:45Rich Roll?

  So you're in, you're in the UK. Formula One is what it's all about.

• 27:49Speaker 01

  Yep.

• 27:49Rich Roll?

  And like you, you were like.

• 27:51Speaker 01

  Formula One and soccer or football.

• 27:53Rich Roll?

  Of course. And at some point, at least I read this somewhere, like Jackie Stewart comes into the equation. Comes like a mentor to you.

• 28:01Speaker 01

  I was, um, there was a little bit that I thought I might race for him. He had a Formula Three team over there. But that didn't end up happening. But, um, yeah, I mean, I rode around in a car with Jackie Stewart and he was driving me around. And yeah, I knew, I knew him all right. Yeah.

• 28:16Rich Roll?

  That's crazy.

• 28:16Speaker 01

  If I saw him, he would remember me today. Yeah, we saw each other a few times.

• 28:21Rich Roll?

  Is that where you think like you got the crazy skills? Like you really learned how to drive a car? Or like what happened over there? I mean, not from him specifically, but from like being in the UK and that experience and kind of learning what that world is all about.

• 28:34Speaker 01

  Well, I think that when it comes to your ability, I mean,

• 28:42Speaker 01

  I kind of feel like you can or you can't.

• 28:44Rich Roll?

  It's either you have it or you don't.

• 28:46Speaker 01

  Yeah. That's why I think in racing you see just the driver on their own. It's not like any other sport where there's a coach for everything. You can't like learn a play and run it or, you know what I mean? Like runs, I mean, it's just, it's all instinct. It's all so, it happens so fast. It's a feel on such a fine level that, you know, you just have to have. And, um, yeah, you just have to have that ability for it. So, you know, usually if someone's good, they're always good.

• 29:18Rich Roll?

  Always good. It seems like there could be like virtual reality games that could help improve your drive. Like you know how pilots go into the simulator and learn how to, you know, learn how to fly a plane? Like it seems like there should be something like that for driving. So you could practice consistently.

• 29:33Speaker 01

  Maybe, um, from a visual standpoint, but you'll never replicate feel. So you can't replicate G-forces, lateral load, slip of the tires. You just can't replicate that. Video games in my mind, um, simulators, because I've been in a couple.

• 29:49Speaker 01

  Simulators are, are, I'm gonna be mean. Simulators are people who want to play video games.

• 29:54Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 29:54Speaker 01

  I don't like video games at all.

• 29:57Rich Roll?

  Well, that goes against the whole nature thing.

• 29:59Speaker 01

  So, yeah, yeah.

• 30:00Rich Roll?

  You know what I mean? So, what do you think it is that distinguishes like a good driver from a great driver?

• 30:04Speaker 01

  I think the only thing you can do that will help you develop as a driver is to put yourself in more scenarios where you're uncomfortable to expand your comfort zone. So, new cars, new environments, new conditions, different changes, all that stuff. That, I think, is about the only thing you can do that would really help you develop as a driver.

• 30:24Rich Roll?

  And the dividing line between a good driver and a great driver is?

• 30:31Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think one of them is probably what I was mentioning earlier about being able to sort of tap into that, that higher level of consciousness, maybe, or that much more in tune, elevated state that gets you to a further along place and on track where you can focus better, drive harder, believe more.

• 30:56Speaker 01

  I think that's one of them. I think if you can get into that space and that zone more often for longer, that.

• 31:06Speaker 01

  I think that trickles down, right? So, confidence gets you a lot of places. So, you know, being able to not only believe what you're doing on track, but then have that translate to the people working on the car and, you know, having them believe it just as much as you. I think all those things are really powerful because then they're going to give you a better car and you go faster when your car's better.

• 31:29Rich Roll?

  What kind of like pedestrian driver are you? Like when you're just driving around?

• 31:34Speaker 01

  Crazy.

• 31:34Rich Roll?

  Are you?

• 31:35Speaker 01

  I'm, I'm, I'm...

• 31:36Rich Roll?

  Do you get tickets and stuff?

• 31:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, the only way...

• 31:38Rich Roll?

  What happens when a couple's you over?

• 31:40Speaker 01

  The only way I can guarantee that I'm not going to get a speeding ticket is if I don't drive. Because I won't, I will speed.

• 31:48Rich Roll?

  Do you drive, do you drive a fast car?

• 31:51Speaker 01

  Well, I, I've had various different cars over the years. I, I... I've had everything from a Lamborghini to um, um, um, a big mom SUV. So you know, I, I've run the gamut of all different kinds of vehicles. So

• 32:06Rich Roll?

  And when a cop pulls you over and sees who, sees it's you, does, does he

• 32:09Speaker 01

  God, I'm hopeful that happens. I'm hopeful that happens.

• 32:12Rich Roll?

  Does it happen? Has it happened?

• 32:13Speaker 01

  If it happens, I usually get out of the ticket.

• 32:15Rich Roll?

  Do you?

• 32:16Speaker 01

  But it's when they

• 32:17Rich Roll?

  Like, oh, she can't help it.

• 32:18Speaker 01

  You know, I think that if they knew who I was and they said it, I don't think they're, they're not going to give me a ticket. But I think sometimes they might know who I am and they don't say it so they can give me a ticket.

• 32:26Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 32:28Speaker 01

  And I recognize that I'm breaking the law. I do, but I, you know what I was thinking? Well, I can't help it. I have a large comfort zone. Um, but I think that I should, uh, I think I should pull out my FIA racing license. I only have a little bit more time to have that license since I got one year left on my schedule here. But, um, I'm going to pull that out if I, when I get pulled over again. I'm sure I will.

• 32:49Rich Roll?

  Right. Like, so if anybody's going to speed, it should be me.

• 32:51Speaker 01

  Yeah, like I'm more qualified than you, cop. And I am.

• 32:56Rich Roll?

  I know. That argument probably won't go over well though.

• 32:58Speaker 01

  I don't think it'll go over well, but they're probably going to give me a ticket anyway. So screw it.

• 33:01Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 33:02Speaker 01

  I gotta try, right? Cause what makes me mad is when I don't try at all. And I'm like, gosh, I just, I, as they're walking back to their car, I'm like, I really just hope that they recognize and know who I am and they put it together and they go, you know what? Slow down. Ha, ha, ha.

• 33:15Rich Roll?

  It cuts both ways though. It could be like, oh, she thinks she can do that because she's who she is. Like

• 33:21Speaker 01

  I do though.

• 33:21Rich Roll?

  Not going to get away with that. Yeah, I bet you did it right.

• 33:24Speaker 01

  I'm sorry. I'm just being honest. I'm qualified.

• 33:33Rich Roll?

  So you're, you're learning your craft in the UK. You start racing. You come back to the United States to give me, what happens next?

• 33:43Speaker 01

  Well, I didn't have a ride. Um, I was, um, I was over in England and it was towards the beginning of the season and 2000, I think it was. And, um, I remember my sister was over with me and my manager called and said, don't get in the car tomorrow. And I was like, oh my God. And it was a race the next day and I had already been on track practicing qualifying and I was like,

• 34:09Speaker 01

  This is the weirdest thing, not driving to the track today. And then I went home and I didn't have a ride 2000, 2001, and then, well, the last half of 2000, and the first half of 2001. Finally, at the end of 2001, I got a ride in another series. That car didn't end up racing, so it gave me another chance to look for the real ride that I wanted in open-wheel racing. So then I found one in 2002, and then I raced Formula Atlantic in three and four, and then IndyCar 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and full-time NASCAR 12 through now.

• 34:43Rich Roll?

  Right. And you start, you know, breaking through all these boundaries in IndyCar. You had some crazy success. Like, I'm looking at your Wikipedia, I was like, I can't remember all of these results. There's just like way too many races. Like, how do you even like, you know?

• 34:56Speaker 01

  I can't either. Some people have a real memory for that stuff, not I.

• 34:59Rich Roll?

  But, you know, the big, there were, there were two big ones. Third, third at the Indy 500 in 2005, right? And then 2008, you win Indy Japan.

• 35:06Speaker 01

  Yeah. And the first year really, in 2005, actually, at Indy. I came off of finishing fourth in Japan, qualifying on the front row. It was only my third IndyCar race, third, I think, third or fourth, only a few. And, and then Indy 500, I, I, I almost, I have, I, I get a little loose in turn one on lap one, because I told myself I wasn't going to lift in qualifying, and it was kind of cold that day. And so I got a little sideways. I still qualified fourth. And that was the race that I was leading really late in the race, and ended up finishing fourth. But that was quite a breakthrough, because there was a lot of buzz about me being there and being fast. And I really did almost win the

• 35:49Speaker 01

  race. So 2005 Indy 500, 2007 Indy 500, I finished third. And then 2008, I won in Japan.

• 35:58Rich Roll?

  And what was that like, that period of time? I mean, it must have been crazy, right? The amount of attention being thrown at you.

• 36:04Speaker 01

  2005, we kind of nicknamed Danica Mania, because it just kept coming. Like, I remember it was really close to the race, to the Indy 500 race in, in May. And again, I'd only been in IndyCar series for a couple of months. And I was so just over everything, interviews, and since I had just started to really rise in popularity right then, everybody kept asking for interviews, new ones every day. And so I remember I told my, my PR guy, I was like, Brent, I can't do a single, don't even ask me for one, don't, just don't even ask. And he was like, call, and he's like, Morning America. I said, don't even ask. And so we ended up doing it somehow. But, um, but I was, um, I had had enough.

• 36:45Rich Roll?

  Was it overwhelming?

• 36:46Speaker 01

  Yeah, well, I think when it comes so fast, it is. Um, um, you know, I could not handle what I'm doing these days, schedule wise, five years ago, and 10 years ago.

• 36:58Rich Roll?

  You're like 24, 25 years old when this is going on, right?

• 37:02Speaker 01

  Yeah. Mm hmm. Yep. So, you know, it was all kind of coming quickly. Uh, but, you know, I, you get used to it, just like races. I mean, my races were 10 laps long, and then they're 20, and then they're 40, and then they're 100. And, you know, you build up to five hours in the car.

• 37:19Rich Roll?

  And kind of baked into this is this mantle that then you're kind of shouldered with, that you're this empowering female role model. You're breaking these barriers. I mean, the only woman to ever win an Indy race, right? Highest finisher at Indy 500.

• 37:34Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 37:35Rich Roll?

  Um, and to this day-

• 37:36Speaker 01

  Highest finisher in NASCAR.

• 37:37Rich Roll?

  Are there, are there women in Indy car now? Is there any other women?

• 37:41Speaker 01

  Uh, not that I know of right now.

• 37:44Rich Roll?

  Yeah. And what about NASCAR?

• 37:45Speaker 01

  No.

• 37:46Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 37:47Speaker 01

  Not at the top level.

• 37:48Rich Roll?

  So 10 years after this, still, right? So how do you, like, how were you, uh, processing all of that at that time?

• 37:58Speaker 01

  Same way I am now.

• 37:59Rich Roll?

  Yeah. And, and what is it like now? Like, how do you think about your, your sort of role with respect to all of that?

• 38:05Speaker 01

  Uh, somewhat of a duty. Um, like I was given a special gift and an ability to do this. And, you know, I felt like, um, Felt, I feel like on some level, it's while I am retiring though, it's, it's been my duty to follow through and to keep pushing and going for, not only for myself, of course, which is the, look, if I don't want to do it, I won't do it anymore, which leads me to what I'm going, where I'm going now, but, um, but for the inspirational element to, that's the powerful thing that you don't really realize when you're doing things is how it can affect someone else. So that was a pretty cool element to kind of discover over time. And when you're young, you get asked about being a role model

• 38:48Speaker 01

  and you're like, shoot, I need one. Like I'm just, I'm just starting off. Um, but then you get older and, um, you answer questions about it, which is almost like therapy because you're like, you don't even know what to say, but you have to come up with something and

• 39:03Rich Roll?

  Somebody's waiting for you to say the inspirational thing.

• 39:05Speaker 01

  Yeah. And, or how or why, like, what do you, what would you tell young girls or what's your advice? And how did you get to where you are now? And you know, at first, when you get asked that question, you're like,

• 39:18Speaker 01

  I don't know.

• 39:19Rich Roll?

  You just did what you like doing.

• 39:20Speaker 01

  Yeah. But then you kind of end up identifying over time and in, in contrast to other people, how maybe your mindset is different and how it could help people.

• 39:30Rich Roll?

  Well, I would imagine you have young girls coming up to you all the time, right? Who, who want to connect with you or just want to tell you how much you've inspired them. And I would imagine that, that sort of, you know, has to impact you emotionally on some level.

• 39:46Speaker 01

  Yeah, it does. Um, yeah, it's a definitely a lot of, very grateful. Makes you want to do more.

• 39:55Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 39:56Speaker 01

  Do better.

• 39:56Rich Roll?

  And yet, you know, 10 years after these, you know, the, the sort of pinnacle, like your biggest successes, there still aren't, there's no women in these, in these sports.

• 40:05Speaker 01

  But that wasn't my goal.

• 40:06Rich Roll?

  No, I know. But just the trickle down impact of just you being, you know, this huge name in the sport. You would think like by now, I mean, maybe there are, I hope there are women who are kind of like coming up.

• 40:18Speaker 01

  Again, my, my goal to inspire has a lot more to do with people following their, um, following their dreams and, but for one, having one. I mean, that's, that's the start. If you don't know what you want, how do you get anywhere? And most people don't even know what they want.

• 40:36Rich Roll?

  Most people don't.

• 40:37Speaker 01

  They don't. That's why they're wasting money going to college for a general degree because they still don't know what they want.

• 40:44Rich Roll?

  So how do you get somebody to know what they want?

• 40:47Speaker 01

  Well, they have to, they have to let the ego step aside and they have to, um, really be true to themselves instead of what their friends or culture or high school or their buddies or someone like that tells them they're supposed to be like, or some guy tells some girl what she should look like or do, or how she's supposed to act. You have to get to the core of who you are. And, um, it's not as easy as it sounds. Um, and I, cause I, I think a lot of that comes from, um, being alone. And, um, that's not something that we do very much of when we're younger. We don't really want to be alone. It's a punishment to be alone.

• 41:21Rich Roll?

  It's also harder and harder to be with yourself now because you're, we're just constantly distracted.

• 41:26Speaker 01

  Well, you pick up your phone and you're not alone.

• 41:27Rich Roll?

  We're on our phone. Yeah.

• 41:29Speaker 01

  It's so hard, which is why meditation practice is so valuable because like I always see stuff pop up on social media about, should meditation be a class in school? I'm like, yes. I mean, you should teach, teach kids from a young age, the value of being able to listen to them, listen to the inner voice and, um, be quiet and, um, well, there's truth in the, in the silence. And so, um, you know, that, that comes to people when they get good at listening to it. But, um, but you don't, if you don't ever learn how to be quiet, then how do you ever hear it?

• 42:02Rich Roll?

  Yeah, I agree completely. We're so socially conditioned to just get on a certain track and follow that track. And if you step a little bit to the left or the right of it, people get a little nervous. If you step outside of it, then they get really nervous. And if you decide to go, become a race car driver, then people freak out.

• 42:19Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 42:20Rich Roll?

  You know? And so people stay in their lane. And then 20 years later,

• 42:25Speaker 01

  Pun intended. Love it.

• 42:26Rich Roll?

  What am I, what am I doing? You know, I don't even know. And, and if you ask that person, What is your goal? Or like, you know, what, what makes you you? Or like, what is your heart song? Or what gets you out of bed in the morning? Most people don't even know how to answer that question. And it's not their fault. It's because they were reared in a system and in an environment where that kind of, that line of questioning was never a priority.

• 42:51Speaker 01

  I just agree with that somewhat. It is their fault. They're the only ones that can change it. But I do feel like-

• 42:56Rich Roll?

  They're the only ones that can change it. But if you're from a very young age, you're being messaged in a certain way.

• 43:01Speaker 01

  100% made more difficult. And some, sometimes you're not, you don't have access to different mentalities, environments. But you really are the only one that can change it. So, you know, so it's about access. It's about raising awareness about that, about your mind. It's about, you know, so that's why, I mean, I've written "Dream Big" on a million hero cards for people because I, especially for kids, because I mean it. And what's funny is when I go do like, let's say I go to something for like the Girl Scouts or something. And I, that is my message. But I also, because there's parents in the room as well, I'm also like, for kids, but adults too, because we all can, I mean, look

• 43:43Speaker 01

  at Betty White. Betty White's working and she's like 150, you know, like we, you know, you can work, okay, she's like 80 or 90 or something.

• 43:51Rich Roll?

  She's still kicking back.

• 43:51Speaker 01

  Yeah, exactly. So you can't tell me that you can't have a career when you're 40 or 50 or 60. I mean, you can take on new projects and no one wants to just sit at home and do nothing. So you're not, it's, it's really not too late to follow a passion. Sometimes it might not be able to reach maybe its pinnacle or highest level based on maybe your age, but you can definitely still do it and have an effect and find joy in that. And so the challenge for everyone that I give them is what would you, to answer the question, if you could do anything in the world, what would you do? And most people don't have an answer. Most children do, though.

• 44:30Rich Roll?

  Most children do. It gets beat out of them at some point.

• 44:33Speaker 01

  Yeah. Well, they get put on, you know, like you said, but like I would, I might, you get put on the wheel, right? You're just like on the mouse wheel and you just keep going because you know, you go to school and you're, you know, your, your creativity is dampened by, you know, reading out of a book and sitting in a specific chair, raise your hand and do the, can I go to the bathroom? You know, like it's just, you know, very regimented and then, you know, you, you've got to figure out what you want to do in life, but you've not been given the mental capacity or creative space to really actually know what you want to do. And you've been cultured by, you know, media and social media and TV and all the other things that go on. And then you are like, well, I don't know what to do, but I gotta go to college and now you're in debt. So you get whatever job you can get because you gotta pay the bills now because you're out of college and you got your

• 45:18Speaker 01

  general degree and then you're doing a job that you don't like, but you have to do it because you have no other option. And you're too scared to try anything new because you're stuck there and you have to pay your bills. And it's just like this horrible cycle.

• 45:28Rich Roll?

  And then you become resentful. That resentment devolves into anger and then you start trolling people on Twitter.

• 45:36Speaker 01

  Social stalking. Okay. It's called social stalking.

• 45:38Rich Roll?

  But even that kid, you know, back in elementary school.

• 45:41Speaker 01

  Social stalking and trolling, trolling are the mean people.

• 45:43Rich Roll?

  Those are two different things. Yeah. Well, it's when they're, the trolls are, it's more about, it's all about them and their mental state, of course.

• 45:49Speaker 01

  I feel such sympathy and sadness for those people, the trolls on social media. Because I have, I can't do that. Like there's no way I'll be able to tell a stranger, especially like if it was a famous stranger, like, oh, you're such a piece of whatever. I wish you would have died in that wreck or, you know, you're such a, you don't know me. So it's lucky for me because, you know, 99.99% of those people I don't know. Um, but like now sort of shift it to

• 46:20Speaker 01

  school and kids and, you know, somebody says something mean on social media. I mean, like, look, they've got, you know, what, 38 followers?

• 46:27Rich Roll?

  Yeah. And they know all their followers. They know those people. It's so brutal.

• 46:31Speaker 01

  More impactful because they're like, wow, you called me fat. You know what I look like. You know what I mean? Like, or, you know, you, you called me mean. Oh, shoot. You walk by me in the hallways, you know? There's just, it's so much closer to home for kids. They can't escape it. And social media is just so dangerous from that perspective. So even myself, I find myself like. Unfollowing people as I go along to some degree, just because if I'm like, if I have a negative thought enough times about someone and what they're doing or saying, I have to unfollow them because I realize it's a bad pattern, a bad mental pattern. It's not productive for me.

• 47:05Rich Roll?

  Well, you're allowing that into your space.

• 47:07Speaker 01

  You're allowing it into your space.

• 47:08Rich Roll?

  You're making a decision about what you, you know, what you're consuming and what's coming into your boundary.

• 47:13Speaker 01

  Yes, exactly.

• 47:13Rich Roll?

  And I think being more mindful about that is important. But to your point about kids, it's devastating. You know, bullying is bad enough without the, the tools of technology that can amplify it.

• 47:23Speaker 01

  And you can hide behind it.

• 47:25Rich Roll?

  Yeah, it's, it's, it's really devastating.

• 47:27Speaker 01

  It is, it is.

• 47:28Rich Roll?

  And, and you know, like kids, back to your earlier point, like a kid in elementary school who maybe is a little bit different because he wants to draw comic books or become a stand-up comedian or showing any kind of like creative flair or interest that's outside the narrow scope of whatever's being taught in that, in that classroom.

• 47:47Speaker 01

  Right.

• 47:48Rich Roll?

  Is rather than encouraged, maligned and, and, and told that they're different or there's something wrong with them.

• 47:54Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 47:55Rich Roll?

  Right? And we really need systemic structural changes.

• 47:58Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 47:58Rich Roll?

  To identify those kids and to support them.

• 48:01Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 48:01Rich Roll?

  So that they can be that person who, you know, they want to be.

• 48:04Speaker 01

  I've heard about some schools that are a little bit more progressive and uniquely different in their structure. Um, I don't know a lot about them, but I've heard a few different examples. But I, I mean, I think that the school structure is just so outdated. The, the institution of it is so outdated.

• 48:21Rich Roll?

  Yeah, definitely. Did you see, uh, what's, how Sarah Silverman dealt with a troll recently? Kind of like made news?

• 48:28Speaker 01

  Oh, no, I saw something pop up, but I didn't read it. What did they say?

• 48:32Rich Roll?

  I can't remember what the person said, but it was, it was just a bit of nastiness with a nasty word, like the C word or something like that.

• 48:37Speaker 01

  She did to them or somebody said to her?

• 48:39Rich Roll?

  No, no, somebody did to her. Somebody said to her and she kind of responded to this person with this unbelievable like message of compassion. Like, I'm so sorry. You must be a very unhappy person or, or I, I can hear your pain, you know, behind that. And, you know, let's talk about it. And she ends up in this dialogue with this person at the end of it, like this guy is like

• 48:59Speaker 01

  You're amazing.

• 49:00Rich Roll?

  confiding all of his secret and like, I'm so unhappy and this happened to me and that happened to me. And she ends up like getting this person help wherever he lives for his, I can't remember whether it was depression or he had back problems or all these kinds of things. It was like

• 49:13Speaker 01

  Wow, that's fantastic.

• 49:14Rich Roll?

  This masterclass in how to like Really flip the switch on the whole thing.

• 49:18Speaker 01

  You're just gonna find yourself on Oprah in no time then.

• 49:20Rich Roll?

  I know. Well, she's amazing, so.

• 49:23Speaker 01

  Do you watch the, um, what is it on Oprah? It's, uh, Sunday. It's, um, Super Soul Sunday?

• 49:29Rich Roll?

  I haven't watched it.

• 49:30Speaker 01

  Those are great. Those are great. It kinda gets more than, yeah.

• 49:33Rich Roll?

  Inspirational people. So you've had it, but you've had to deal with haters and detractors and all that kinda stuff.

• 49:38Speaker 01

  People would say, I wish I would, I would have died in an accident. Of course, people are so mean and rude.

• 49:42Rich Roll?

  So crazy.

• 49:43Speaker 01

  People that say mean things about the way I look, or the way I act, or what I do. Absolutely. But again, they're strangers, so.

• 49:51Rich Roll?

  And what do you think that's about? Like, you're just, just your existence is threatening to their worldview or something?

• 49:56Speaker 01

  I, uh, like, it is a reflection of what they can't do, and they, they are, it's their insecurities screaming out that they can't.

• 50:07Rich Roll?

  And you just, you just block them, or mute them, or what is your strategy?

• 50:10Speaker 01

  Sometimes, but I've done a lot less of that. I just tend to not look at it that much, to be honest.

• 50:15Rich Roll?

  Yeah. Well, it's an interesting.

• 50:17Speaker 01

  I mean, like, I might look at the feedback on Instagram, let's say, like, maybe some recent ones, or maybe I'll flip back a couple, but, you know, there's 500 responses, so I'm, I'm not gonna read them all. And I, I don't recommend anyone does.

• 50:29Rich Roll?

  Right. It's an interesting time right now. We're in this, you know, moment of incredible female empowerment with the Me Too movement and a lot of bad behavior getting rooted out. And as you, you as somebody who's, you know, basically emblematic, like this ambassador of female empowerment, do you, how do you see, do you see yourself as somebody who needs to speak to that at all, or are you just doing your thing?

• 50:55Speaker 01

  Um, yeah, I, I mean, I, I know what you're talking about. I don't find myself in sort of those very public sort of Hollywood circles of like awareness on something, or getting involved in movements, or whatnot. I try and live my life as an example in and of itself, and stress the importance of confidence and, um, knowing who you are and what you want from life. Um, I think if it affected me directly, that I would say whatever the hell I wanted to.

• 51:23Rich Roll?

  Yeah, I mean, you're, you're a straight shooter.

• 51:25Speaker 01

  Yeah, cuz that's my truth. But, um, I also, you know, depending on what's going on, there's, it's hard to know the truth about anything completely. And so, you know, I, I tend to see things that pop up in the media, and I'm like, wow, but, you know.

• 51:42Speaker 01

  What about this and what about that? And really, it's a matter of knowing your own personal space, your own personal confidence, your own worth, and not putting yourself into situations that are risky. But then, there's a lot of it where, you know, humanity in and of itself, you know, probably a little bit more men towards women at times, there needs to be a respect. It just has to be. I mean, we all need to respect each other more. Like those great commercials, like, we're more alike than not, all of us. And, you know, we need to embrace that and understand that. And the old saying, can't we all just get along?

• 52:19Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 52:20Speaker 01

  I mean, why? Why can't we?

• 52:22Rich Roll?

  I don't know. I wish we could. Maybe we can help. Help together, we can help get there.

• 52:26Speaker 01

  I agree. I do believe that's somewhat of my role. I look forward to that. In fact, one of my hopes is, is that the book is successful and that especially the mental part of the book resonates with people. And I've heard great stories about it, just from my own friends, and how like, one of my friend's mom will read the book, and I just heard this story the other night, and how she loved it so much, and she was surprised almost by it, and she's like, buying it for all of her girlfriends. But I would love to make a book for each section of the book, the mind, the body, and the food, and have it, but the mental book is what I'd want to write first, because I think that's what our culture needs the most.

• 53:12Rich Roll?

  What I like about the book and kind of what preceded it was this intention, this idea of not just writing a book, like, here's all my secrets, or whatever, but doing, like, involving your community, like, by setting up this website, prettyintense.com, and the Facebook group, and like, really crowdsourcing, you know, the people that are into what you have to say and do, and getting them involved, and taking them on this journey with you towards, whether it's weight loss, or changing their diet, or whatever, to get them healthy, and then sharing those success stories, like, throughout the book. I think it's really cool.

• 53:47Speaker 01

  The focus group test was a great idea, and... I loved that I was able to test it out and so as I also was sure that incorporated into the program, we did this a year ago, so January through March of last year, 700 people signed up for it and which they had to send a before picture in and every one of them was screened, like they had to be a qualified before picture because I didn't want everyone to just sign up and then be like not take part or think like, why would I buy the book now? I already got the workout. There is so much more to the book than just the workout. So 700 people were in and there was just such incredible success stories. But my point that I wanted

• 54:29Speaker 01

  to make was that it was very important to me that there was a forum so that I could talk to anyone that had questions because again, I'm new to this. I know what I'm doing, but you know, providing structure from a diet standpoint or a fitness standpoint or even like a mental standpoint. Like I loved being able to be honest with these people in this new capacity that I was in, this new space, because a lot of it had to do with telling them. They just loved making excuses why they couldn't stop eating dairy or they couldn't stop doing this or that. And I wanted, I just was able to tell them that they're on their own way and they can do whatever they want to do, kind of thing. So, but there was such, it just really went so well and it was fun to engage with them on that level,

• 55:12Speaker 01

  but a limited level. Like I can't, I couldn't do a, I couldn't do a forum right now.

• 55:16Rich Roll?

  Spending all day, answering emails all day.

• 55:17Speaker 01

  With the people that are buying the book and doing the program because it's not, you know, it's not like a core group of 50 people that keep talking to me on it. It's, you know, wider than that, so I can't do it now. But it was great to do in developing the program and understanding more so I could make it better for everyone else when the book came out.

• 55:34Rich Roll?

  In the book, you say kind of point blank, "I'm not going to bore you with my personal story."

• 55:41Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 55:42Rich Roll?

  And you kind of just don't, and you don't.

• 55:43Speaker 01

  I wrote that, yeah.

• 55:44Rich Roll?

  I know. And then it's just all about like, here's how to help yourself, you know, here are all these tools, etc. But at the same time, I was like, "Yeah, but your story's cool." Like, that's not going to bore anyone. You know what I mean? Like, like, let's hear a little bit about your story because I think that, like, that's why people are buying your book because they want to connect with you and who you are.

• 56:05Speaker 01

  But they can't be me.

• 56:06Rich Roll?

  No, they can't be you, but they can, they can learn from your example. You know, to

• 56:10Speaker 01

  But these are all the things that I've found make me a better person and have helped me. And so it's really about finding your own inner confidence and your own worth and your own dreams. If you don't, then it's all temporary.

• 56:24Rich Roll?

  Mm hmm. Yeah, I guess that's true.

• 56:27Speaker 01

  No, you have to have, you have to have a goal. You have to know why you're doing something. You have to have. And even in the program, I don't even recommend that your goal be to lose weight. Like, I don't even recommend that be your goal because you will. Like, if you do the program, you will. There's no way around it. You're going to. You're gonna lose weight. You're gonna feel better. You're gonna have more energy. You're just gonna. If you do the program as it's written out, you will. What I really hope is that people wanna keep doing it and it becomes a new way of life. And that's why I also say, and I said this when I wrote the website for the, for the focus group test a year ago, that it will change your life in ways and, and, and it will absolutely change your life. It's written on the cover of the book and it will, um, but in the best of ways, I say, because

• 57:12Speaker 01

  it's gonna change everything. It's gonna change the way you eat, the way you grocery shop, what standards are okay for yourself. And within your family, for your friends, for your children, for, for anyone, it's gonna, it's gonna change somewhat of your structure about what is important for you, like, you know, going out for drinks or is it going to get a workout? You know what I mean? Like, I mean, it's just, there's certain structural things that will change, but it's gonna be all the best for the best. I mean, you're gonna feel so much better. You're gonna be better for you, which when you're better for you, you're better for everyone else.

• 57:40Rich Roll?

  What I found with these kinds of things, just in my own personal experience and, and, you know, other people that I've worked with, is the goals change because when you begin, if you're not used to practicing certain lifestyle habits, they're not rote and part of who you are. You set a certain goal, but that goal isn't, is most likely like not the right goal for you because you're so disconnected from who you are. You don't even know what your own goal is. It goes back to what we were talking about, about if you don't know yourself well enough to know what it is that you aspire to, or what it is that you wanna pursue with your life. Then how can you be expected to set a goal that is in alignment with that? Higher sense of self, right?

• 58:21Rich Roll?

  So, but you set it, you achieve it, but in the practice of achieving it, you learn something about yourself. That reveals more to you. And then perhaps you set a different goal, or you realize like, maybe that goal wasn't the right goal for me.

• 58:33Speaker 01

  I do believe that once you finally, if you set goals for yourself that aren't in alignment with your true self, they just aren't going to happen very easily. And they're going to meet resistance, they're going to be tough, it's going to be, it's just not going to flow. Like, things are just not going to flow with that, with that goal. Once you do set ones that are in alignment, though, all of a sudden, things start to click and happen, and synchronicities going left and right, and you're like, oh, my God. And to me, those are like the green flag, like someone waving going, doing good, keep coming, like, you know, you're on the right track. But when things are not happening easily, it's about recognizing that maybe it's not about giving up, but understanding this is not the way.

• 59:17Speaker 01

  And conceding and understanding that shifting to a new direction is, in fact, just the smart, wise thing to do, instead of trying to force something, because things that are meant for you and in alignment will flow to you easily.

• 59:32Rich Roll?

  So then, what are the goals that you have for yourself now?

• 59:36Speaker 01

  Well, I don't know, be specific. Like, I can, I can start just listing things? Or you mean for myself, like, business-wise?

• 59:44Rich Roll?

  Well, I think it's interesting that now that you're not, you have the Danica double coming up, but that aside, you're entering this new phase of your life, where it's not just about getting a certain race result, like, you're trying to build this new career, essentially. And what's interesting is that you didn't wait until you were retired to then figure out, like, oh, what am I going to do now? Like, you've kind of set this in motion, you know, and you've stepped into this with, you know, some grace and success. And you have this amazing social media platform that you can then leverage to talk about the things that you're interested in, that you care about. So, in your mind, like, where, you know, why is this the path that you've chosen, and where do you want to take it?

• 1:00:27Speaker 01

  Well, I will say that as far as sort of doing things that are in alignment with you happen easily, I mean, I have wine that's out finally after a long process because it just is, not because it wasn't a good path, but with a great name, Somnium, which is dream in Latin.

• 1:00:45Rich Roll?

  That's in Northern California, right?

• 1:00:47Speaker 01

  Yeah, it is. It's in Napa Valley. So that's finally for sale and that's all flowed really well. It's just, you know, you can only grow grapes as quickly as you can get them, get the permits and dig it up and plant the vines and plant the root stock and all the rest of it. But that's coming through now, which is really great and it really follows in line with my lifestyle of food and taking care of yourself and lifestyle and being present. And so there's the wine, then the clothing line Warrior. That, like, things like, I'm gonna use an example. I remember I was trying to do a perfume like many, many years ago and I couldn't even get a name that worked. Like everything's

• 1:01:28Speaker 01

  taken. It's just not possible. And so I happened, I tried to do it twice and it didn't work out. Now, like, that's just an example, one example. Now, fast forward to my clothing line. I don't know how Warrior was available, but it was. And it was like effortless, easy, no problem. So I have the clothing line now. It's all flowing very easily. You know, we got picked up by HSN to sell it, which is a great starting platform. And then the book was pretty intense. I was asked by my agent if I was interested in writing a health and fitness book and I was like, um, yeah, actually I think I am. I think I finally have something

• 1:02:11Speaker 01

  that I want to say and a program that's worked better for me than anything I've ever done. So the book came, the name came easily, the, you know, workout program. I mean, I write workouts for myself every single day. So this was like, but this was the real start of it, you know? I wrote the whole thing and writing it with some fluidity and build for someone who like is working on air squats and I'm over there doing clean and jerks. I mean, that's a pretty big difference between the two of those things. So, you know, building the progression up was really fun and it just flowed really nicely and it has impacted lives in such a, I'm talking about like my mom, like not just strangers, but my mom even, who I'm like, mom. I'm your daughter. I could have done this for you any day you wanted. Like, I could have

• 1:02:53Speaker 01

  wrote a program for you any day, but, um, so, you know, just affecting lives and having that go so well. And, you know, it just all, I mean, the book has recipes. I love to cook. So, food and wine and taking care of yourself, working out and the mind and presence and all that stuff. It just all flows really well. So, you know, I would say that, you know, on the heels of doing things that are in alignment, I feel like they've all been very easy to me. They've all come very organically. Um, even the clothing line came as a result of me going to this company wanting to sell clothes at the racetrack. And, um, cause us as drivers get such a little cut of that. So, we, we just, I was looking for a way to make money that way, um, while I was still around. And they never made up clothes

• 1:03:37Speaker 01

  for the racetrack. They came up with a whole different, the whole bigger, bigger idea for me. So, all that stuff just came really easily.

• 1:03:45Rich Roll?

  Right. So, the point being like you go where the energy is, is, is, is working, right? So, the perfume, like you can, you're gonna bang your head against a wall. You're like, maybe I shouldn't be doing this, right?

• 1:03:55Speaker 01

  And just as like, you know, driving, you know, racing beyond last year full-time, it just wasn't happening. So, let it go. Not in the way that I want to do it anyway.

• 1:04:05Rich Roll?

  Yeah. I mean, it was like you had another year on your contract, right?

• 1:04:08Speaker 01

  I did, but my, but this is another thing too. At the beginning of 2017, my primary sponsor left. So, that's new to me. I've been fully funded since day one of everything I've ever done. I've always had support. So, you know, it just was one of those unique scenarios I had never been in before. That was to me a sign that maybe it's time to move on.

• 1:04:26Rich Roll?

  Did you feel like you weren't able to leave on your own terms?

• 1:04:30Speaker 01

  Um, I think that there was a little bit of that. And I think that's part of kind of what ended up leading into how am I going to finish my career off in a way that is appropriate and, um, feels good to me. Um, so I was okay to be done, but then we were throwing, you know, my agent kept throwing around ideas and I kept saying, no, you need to be okay with me being done. It's coming. Relax. And then he asked me, um, last year, late fall, if I wanted to, he's like, what if you finished up with the Daytona 500? And I was like, hmm, what about the Indy 500? And I really was only referring to the Indy 500, like just doing that one race. And he was like, man, he's like, it'd be really cool if you did both. And I'm like, oh, both.

• 1:05:15Speaker 01

  That's a good idea, actually. That's perfect. Let's do it. And I got off the phone. I called, I made a couple of other phone calls and I was like, uh, hi, am I crazy that I just agreed to this? And they're like, no, it's effing awesome. We love it.

• 1:05:26Rich Roll?

  It's ama- I mean, it's perfect for creating like a media frenzy to like people. It's because it's a story. It's super interesting.

• 1:05:33Speaker 01

  Yeah. Well, and for those who have followed this story, they, they, they probably are recognizing that it wasn't all done and dusted when I said it. I mean, like I, I agreed to this like maybe October of last year and then November we made the announcement and I thought we were close with the team, but we weren't and a sponsor. And then, you know, we kind of had, and here we are in mid-January and things are still not to the public, although they are very, very close now.

• 1:05:55Rich Roll?

  Daytona is February.

• 1:05:56Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's a month, less than a month away now, almost. So, you know, it took a lot longer, but it, the deals were not done. I just looked at everyone and I was like, this is happening? It's going to happen. And I like willed it so. And, and I will say, yeah, a manifester, exactly. And so I, and I also have recognized in the process how there have been things that have just been difficult. And I'm like, why is it difficult? And then in the end, the way everything's coming together now, I recognize why it was difficult and it just all needed, certain things needed to not happen to allow other things to happen. So it could fit in this really nice space of getting the right support and waiting long enough to reach out to certain people about certain things. And it's like,

• 1:06:37Speaker 01

  oh, it makes sense now. And so, you know, it doesn't mean don't try. It just means don't force something.

• 1:06:45Rich Roll?

  Yeah, because if you had, on another circumstance, if you had finished out your contract, then the idea of the, the double wouldn't have occurred, wouldn't have occurred.

• 1:06:54Speaker 01

  Yeah, it wouldn't have occurred. I'd just been done.

• 1:06:56Rich Roll?

  You would have been done and that would have been it.

• 1:06:57Speaker 01

  I'd either done another contract or I'd have just been done.

• 1:06:59Rich Roll?

  Right. It's interesting that, uh, if, I feel like, as somebody who doesn't know that much about racing, I feel like, uh, you know, look, there's, there's been a lot of changes in NASCAR, like their advertiser dollars weren't what they were and ratings seemed to be not what they were. And it, it seems like there's more pressure on the drivers to deliver the sponsors as opposed to the teams. And there's this imbalance, um, in terms of the drivers, um,

• 1:07:33Rich Roll?

  Ability to kind of control the situation. You know what I mean? I don't know. I'm not saying it very eloquently, but like-

• 1:07:38Speaker 01

  They don't advertise much, so they're relying on you to go out there and win the race so that they get on TV for it. And it's like, the way that we always do our deals is, no matter who it is, we try and make sure that the sponsor wins before I ever get on track. And everything that I do on track and any attention I get is icing on the cake.

• 1:07:57Rich Roll?

  But there's no, there's no like driver union though, or association, is there?

• 1:08:01Speaker 01

  NASCAR, and NASCAR, we did, there was an effort to try and kind of create a little bit of a driver council union group.

• 1:08:09Rich Roll?

  Right, but that wasn't-

• 1:08:09Speaker 01

  It got kiboshed by NASCAR pretty quick.

• 1:08:11Rich Roll?

  But that also wasn't, that, my understanding is that wasn't generated by the drivers, right? That kind of came down from NASCAR, was it?

• 1:08:17Speaker 01

  Yeah, no, that came from the drivers, but you know, when people catch wind of it, again, you know, nobody wants to lose power. So our point was to make ourselves more powerful as drivers with a voice. And so, you know, people find a way to kind of damper that.

• 1:08:29Rich Roll?

  Yeah. Well, there's the superstars at the top, and they don't have a lot of incentive to get all mucked up by that, right? But then there's everybody else who could really benefit from that kind of-

• 1:08:40Speaker 01

  Yeah, and there's people that just want, don't want to rock the boat.

• 1:08:42Rich Roll?

  Right. How does all the merchandising stuff work?

• 1:08:45Speaker 01

  That's terrible.

• 1:08:46Rich Roll?

  Is it?

• 1:08:46Speaker 01

  It's absolutely terrible. I made so much more in IndyCar. I made so much more money in IndyCar merchandise sales than NASCAR, like probably four times the amount.

• 1:08:54Rich Roll?

  Does the team take the money, or where does it, who gets paid?

• 1:08:57Speaker 01

  Shoot, they've got sponsors cut in on the advertising. Like, oh yeah, even sponsors get a chunk of, of like t-shirt sales.

• 1:09:04Rich Roll?

  So somebody buys a Danica Patrick t-shirt.

• 1:09:05Speaker 01

  Sure. Yeah. Cause it used to flow like the rivers of Capistrana.

• 1:09:11Rich Roll?

  Right.

• 1:09:12Speaker 01

  Um, it was, uh, it was, um, you know, back in the day, drivers were making millions of dollars off their t-shirt sales. And now, shit, nope.

• 1:09:22Rich Roll?

  That's a big reason to unionize right there, because that doesn't seem fair at all.

• 1:09:26Speaker 01

  It's just a terrible infrastructure. Too many hands in the cookie jar.

• 1:09:30Rich Roll?

  And do you ever wish that you had raced Formula One? Like, what, how come you never ended up pursuing that?

• 1:09:35Speaker 01

  I don't, because what I ended up realizing after I came back from England and having the whole, the whole saying of like, "I will have failed if I don't make F1." I realized that succeeding was about being, to be, is to be good on track. And to be good on track, I need to be in an environment where I'm happy. I realized that at the end of the time that I was in England. And I realized that I was happiest when I was home. And with not only my family and friends, but creature comforts of like, even just something simple like breakfast. Like, in England, they don't really do very good breakfasts over there. So, you know, the side of the road is not really gonna do the trick. And, you know, sweet onion jelly, you know, sandwiches from the roadside are not, are not gonna cut it. So, I'm, I'm, I'm a little high maintenance in that category.

• 1:10:20Speaker 01

  So, I was just like, I just like being home. And I realized I was happier, and when I'm happier, I do better. So, I had to redefine my levels of what successful was to me.

• 1:10:29Rich Roll?

  Are you still living in Charlotte now?

• 1:10:31Speaker 01

  No.

• 1:10:32Rich Roll?

  No, you moved?

• 1:10:33Speaker 01

  I moved, yeah. Back to Phoenix.

• 1:10:34Rich Roll?

  Oh, back to Phoenix. Wow. Yeah, you've had some, some lifestyle changes.

• 1:10:38Speaker 01

  I've had some lifestyle changes, yeah.

• 1:10:40Rich Roll?

  I mean, we don't have to go into that. We don't have to talk about, I mean, that's like, you know, paparazzi stuff. But like, you, you concluded a long-term relationship.

• 1:10:49Speaker 01

  I did, yeah.

• 1:10:50Rich Roll?

  And kind of around the same time that you're shifting into this new life. And so, you know, that's a lot.

• 1:10:55Speaker 01

  Timing is, I mean, timing was great. I mean, if I was still racing, I would still be doing that same exact schedule. And I wouldn't be entering a new space and happy and, you know, doing, doing these other new things.

• 1:11:07Rich Roll?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can we talk about the migraines?

• 1:11:11Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah.

• 1:11:12Rich Roll?

  I forgot to tell, when you met Julie and they're-

• 1:11:13Speaker 01

  Not racing as much, I might get, I used to get them on Sunday nights after my race.

• 1:11:17Rich Roll?

  After your races, right?

• 1:11:18Speaker 01

  And so, for Monday and Tuesday, they would be horrible. And I, I probably had a dozen or so in the last two years that are just like- Sometimes they get to the point where I have to just close my eyes and go to sleep. Sometimes it was like I'm nauseous and I feel horrible. I threw up once or twice. I mean, like there are ter- do you ever get them?

• 1:11:34Rich Roll?

  I don't, but Julie, my wife, who you met, like I forgot to mention to her that you suffer from those because she has gone through like the gamut with this, like, and she's determined to get to the other side of it and she does all kinds of, you know, amazing experiments on herself to try to resolve them.

• 1:11:51Speaker 01

  Neurological stuff or?

• 1:11:52Rich Roll?

  No, just more like lifestyle stuff.

• 1:11:55Speaker 01

  Food or?

• 1:11:56Rich Roll?

  You know, yeah, like she's really into Ayurveda. So like all kinds of Ayurvedic treatments. And we got a clear light infrared sauna and she's doing like hot oil massages in the sauna. And like she's just journaling everything and paying attention to like what is impacting that.

• 1:12:10Speaker 01

  Identifying the common denominators.

• 1:12:11Rich Roll?

  Yeah, exactly.

• 1:12:12Speaker 01

  I was able to identify mine. Mine were number one that came up really easily was, um, obviously understanding that it was probably some level of dehydration. Um, so if I had, you know, one or two drinks on a Sunday night after a race, I had a much higher chance of having a migraine the next day. Like didn't take very much. Um, so that was one of them for sure. Um, for another one that's out of my control is, and I found this out later because I ended up doing a deal with, um, Excedrin migraine, um, because I had them and they heard about that, um, is coming down. So adrenaline up or adrenaline down can also be a trigger. So I can't do anything about that, about the adrenaline coming down. Um, hydration is still important, yes, um, but that's not the

• 1:12:56Speaker 01

  critical element. Um, what else? I also cut out, um, I also cut out in my drink and my, in the car, in my Camelback, I changed to just water because I realized that my, my like hydration mix that I was using has fake sugars in it. I mean, almost everything does like that. That's meant to, so I was like, oh my gosh, like that stuff causes headaches. So, um, you know, maybe it causes migraines too. So, um, so I cut that out and shifted to just water. And so I tend, I did a little bit better at the end with.

• 1:13:28Rich Roll?

  So, but since you have, since you've stopped racing, do you still get them from time to time or no? It's only, it was only always like the day after racing?

• 1:13:36Speaker 01

  Um, it was usually, but I've had them outside of that too.

• 1:13:40Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 1:13:40Speaker 01

  Um, I had one, the last one I had was, uh, Yeah, it was kind of, it was like late November. It was after the season, but it was, um, it lasted about two days. It never got to being nauseous, but man, I was like two, three days.

• 1:13:53Rich Roll?

  That's a long time.

• 1:13:54Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's so miserable. People that I used to, I mean, I'm, I'm kind of one of those suck it up buttercup kind of people. Like get on with it and your headache, just take a Tylenol or take a Excedrin or take a whatever and drink some water and just stop complaining. But yeah, until you've had one, you really don't know how bad they are. They're pretty debilitating.

• 1:14:14Rich Roll?

  Yeah, I've never had one, but I just see how much Julie suffers and I just, I can't imagine.

• 1:14:18Speaker 01

  You can't get away from the space. I couldn't even sleep. That's, that's the real problem is that it would wake me up because my head hurts so bad.

• 1:14:27Rich Roll?

  That's brutal.

• 1:14:28Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:14:28Rich Roll?

  So, but you haven't found the ultimate cure.

• 1:14:30Speaker 01

  I have not found the ultimate cure yet, but um, maybe just it'll be something that just fades away over time. I don't know.

• 1:14:36Rich Roll?

  Well, I hope so.

• 1:14:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, I hope that your wife figures it out too, because they're, they're, uh, they're no fun.

• 1:14:41Rich Roll?

  No. All right. Well, we gotta wrap this up here, but I want to, I want to, um, take us out with maybe some, you know, words of inspiration or encouragement to, you know, somebody who's listening to this, who's, you know, inspired by your story, your example, is looking for a lifestyle change and just needs, you know, that spark to get them off, off the couch and, and begin.

• 1:15:04Speaker 01

  Well,

• 1:15:07Speaker 01

  the journey is really about, the journey, actually my word of the year last year in 2017 was truth. And the journey is to find your truth and, um, to really know who you are. Um, there's so much strength in that. And so the book is scratching the surface, um, especially at the beginning on the getting to that point. I mean, there's even a chapter about, um, mantras and there's like a magic marker mantra section where you can kind of help develop your own with keywords that are triggers for you that feel good and resonate with you. Um, so, uh, but it's really about having a.

• 1:15:46Speaker 01

  Healthy association with food and exercise in a way that's going to help you be better because food is medicine and exercise is incredibly productive for not only your body physically and your agility and your flexibility and your ability to be able to maneuver throughout your life into old age, but also from a hormonal standpoint and from a confidence standpoint. And just the, you know, when people, people look at 100 pushups, they're like, I can't do 100 pushups. And I'm like, yeah, no kidding. I can't do 100 straight either, but I do 10 sets of 10. And I'm not, it takes me a few minutes, but I get through it. And, you know, some people it takes more, but it's all doable. So there's a level of confidence that comes through that. And so when we're at peace with ourselves and confident in ourselves

• 1:16:28Speaker 01

  and feel good and are not dragged down by food that isn't real. I mean, if the food, if your food isn't made by the sun or a byproduct of the sun, then it's not really food. So it's about getting to real food and taking care of yourself. So I love seeing people coming to their own with a level of confidence. And it's not, again, if your goal is to lose weight, what are you going to do when the three months is over? Stop? I hope that you're,

• 1:16:53Rich Roll?

  I hope that- That's what most people do.

• 1:16:55Speaker 01

  They, well, I hope that with this book, if they do read it and they do the program, your life will change, but for the best and that you won't ever turn back and you'll be waiting for hopefully the next Pretty Intense book to come out.

• 1:17:08Rich Roll?

  Awesome. I love it. Danica Patrick, you're an inspiration. The book is Pretty Intense. It's awesome. Everybody should pick it up. I appreciate you coming to talk to me today.

• 1:17:17Speaker 01

  Thank you. It's great. Appreciate it. It smells like knock champa in here. Is it sandalwood?

• 1:17:21Rich Roll?

  Yeah, I think maybe this was your-

• 1:17:23Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah.

• 1:17:24Rich Roll?

  I burn incense on the daily, so.

• 1:17:28Speaker 01

  Mmm, that smells lovely.

• 1:17:29Rich Roll?

  What else do you have going on here in LA?

• 1:17:32Speaker 01

  Uh, well, let's see.

• 1:17:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, we went to Joe Rogan, got one more podcast and then um maybe see some friends that I haven't seen in a while. Oh, I'm shooting, doing a Warrior photo shoot, so I'm like fully like doing this all on my own to develop like a really, really great website to

• 1:17:54Speaker 01

  create some branding around Warrior. At this point in time, for the last year, it's really just been on HSN and it's been just like basic, basic shots with the clothes on their website. But you know, some of my friends are like, where do I get it? And there's some stuff that's not all available there and you know, I want to help develop it. I want it to be my baby and and done in the way that I want. And so I really want, I really am going there with the branding. So hired models.

• 1:18:18Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 1:18:19Speaker 01

  I hired the stylist, hired the photographer. In fact, the photographer for the cover of my book and all the lifestyle photos in it is shooting Warrior tomorrow. So so I'm really excited to see him. His name is Scott. And um, and so yeah, it's a full production shoot and gosh, I don't know, whatever else, whatever else pops up. You gotta live life and flow, you know?

• 1:18:38Rich Roll?

  Becoming this crazy entrepreneur, lifestyle entrepreneur.

• 1:18:42Speaker 01

  I love it. It's fun. It's really just flowing through things and their passion projects. And when we do things that we're passionate about, it resonates with people. They can tell, you know, they can feel it. Yeah. And then when you go to an interview, you actually know what the heck you're talking about because you did it, you know? I mean, the worst thing is, is when you do something and you have to talk about it and you really don't have content because it wasn't your thing. Where there's nothing in my life that I do that I don't understand to a very high level. I mean, okay, do I understand every last detail about wine making? No, but I understand quite a bit about it. So do I ever understand every element to how clothes are manufactured in the process? No, but I'm like constantly working on it and you know,

• 1:19:22Speaker 01

  making that all better for myself and for the consumer. So you know, I am, I'm very, very involved with everything I do. And the the most involved thing that I've done over the last two years has been this book. And I do call it my worst paying job because of how much time I put into it, but it was by all means my most fulfilling job as well. Even if all I did was change my mom's life.

• 1:19:44Rich Roll?

  Yeah, that's very cool.

• 1:19:45Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:19:46Rich Roll?

  Awesome. So, thank you.

• 1:19:48Speaker 01

  You're welcome. Thank you very much.

• 1:19:49Rich Roll?

  Uh, if people want to connect with you, @DanicaPatrick, pretty much everywhere.

• 1:19:54Speaker 01

  Yeah, prettyintense.com, somniomine.com. Warrior's coming.

• 1:19:59Rich Roll?

  No website.

• 1:20:00Speaker 01

  Warrior website's not done yet. That's what the photo shoot's for.

• 1:20:02Rich Roll?

  But you have, you have like Instagram accounts set up for all of those too, right?

• 1:20:06Speaker 01

  Yeah. Yep. There's Instagram accounts. Yep. Um, so we, uh, we try and get the information out there.

• 1:20:10Rich Roll?

  All right. Awesome. Thanks so much.

• 1:20:12Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 1:20:13Rich Roll?

  Peace.

• 1:20:18Rich Roll?

  All right. I hope you guys dug that. I enjoyed talking to her. Give Danica a shout out on the social channels. Let her know what you thought of today's conversation. And if you would like to support my work, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Come on, it's so easy to do. It's just, uh, something that'll take you one second, but really does help us out with enhancing the show's visibility and extending reach and all kinds of other great things that allow me to grow the show and book the very best people for future episodes. Also, it would be very beneficial and helpful if you would share the show with your friends and on social media. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, if you haven't done so already. Subscribe to my YouTube channel, youtube.com/RichRoll.

• 1:21:02Rich Roll?

  This Danica episode is up on YouTube if you want to experience it visually. Uh, and also we have a Patreon set up for people who want to support my work financially. And again, I am going to be scheduling an AMA, a live Ask Me Anything Q and A for Patreon supporters in the very near future. And finally, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, @RichRoll. Do you need help with your diet and nutrition? If so, please, I implore you, check out our meal planner. It is such an amazing tool. It's helping so many people. I stand behind it 110%. It's beautiful. It is easy to navigate and it is packed with so much. Incredible, powerful information.

• 1:21:44Rich Roll?

  Thousands of custom-tailored, plant-based recipes, grocery lists, and even grocery delivery at your fingertips. Amazing customer support. It's everything you need to eat the way that you deserve for just $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year, which is incredibly affordable when you consider what it's actually delivering. To learn more, visit meals.richroll.com or click on Meal Planner on the top menu at richroll.com. I want to thank everybody who helped put on the show today. Jason Camiolo, audio engineering, production, interstitial music, show notes help, WordPress help. He does a lot of things. He's multi-talented, multifaceted, multitasking. Shawn Patterson for help on graphics and all the video clips with the text and all that kind of stuff. That's Shawn. He does an amazing job.

• 1:22:28Rich Roll?

  Michael Gibson for videography and editing the video versions of the podcast. And theme music, as always, by Analemma. Thanks for the love, you guys. Can you hear all the wind out there? It's pretty windy out. Anyway, all is good here. I hope it is with you as well, and I'll be back here next week. Until then, make it great. Peace, plants. Namaste.