Rich sits down with Emmy-award-winning, NYT bestselling writer Suleika Jaouad to talk about navigating cancer, living a creative life, and her Netflix documentary, American Symphony. To read more about Suleika and peruse the full show notes, go here👉🏾https://bit.ly/richroll807
✌🏼🌱 – Rich
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FILMED AND EDITED BY BLAKE CURTIS, DAN DRAKE & MORGAN MCRAE
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FOOTAGE PROVIDED BY NETFLIX
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:05 Navigating life during treatment
00:05:55 The shock of a leukemia diagnosis at 22
00:08:32 Struggling with identity and ambition during illness
00:12:35 Finding purpose through creativity and writing
00:18:30 Challenging traditional narratives of illness
00:22:48 Embracing the in-between spaces of life
00:24:02 Struggling with moving on after treatment
00:25:13 Finding Rituals
00:26:12 Sponsor Break
00:27:18 PTSD Diagnosis
00:28:23 Lack of Support
00:28:52 Creating Support
00:29:34 Blogging Journey
00:32:04 Challenges of Writing
00:34:18 Visiting Strangers
00:38:40 Struggle with Vulnerability
00:41:17 Impact of Book and TED Talk
00:46:03 Facing Relapse
00:48:37 Fear of Relapse
00:49:41 Misdiagnosis
00:50:56 The biopsy
00:52:41 Diagnosis and relief
00:54:38 American Symphony
00:56:17 Making the film
00:59:36 Vulnerability and creativity
01:01:10 Ad Break
01:02:41 John’s commitment
01:13:25 Suleika’s creative process
01:18:25 Finding peace
01:18:39 The allowing and surrender
01:19:18 The inevitability of creativity
01:20:31 The surprise and manifestation in writing
01:22:32 The power of manifestation
01:24:50 Embracing limitations and finding meaning
01:27:54 Navigating uncertainty and living in the present
01:34:44 Living in the in-between
01:37:09 Transforming darkness into light
01:41:26 Facing fear and embracing creativity
01:42:24 Embracing ambiguity and improvisation
01:43:19 Reimagining survival as a creative act
01:46:36 Surrendering to the Power Outage
01:47:47 Navigating Change
01:48:27 Finding Agency in Response
01:49:25 Embracing the Journey of Response
01:51:38 Expressing Gratitude and Love
01:52:04 Podcast Closing and Support
* * * * *
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Hi I’m Rich Roll. I’m a vegan ultra-endurance athlete, author, podcaster, public speaker & wellness evangelist. But mainly I’m a dad of four. If you want to know more, visit my website or check out these two the NY Times articles:
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What a powerful interview. Rich you were just the right person to do this interview which you so sensitively do. She is being so strong and realistic. When the lights go out we improvise, we create, we decide our own response.
Thank you. It's not one of the, it is the best podcast – conversation, being together that I've heard in the internet space. Suleika Jaouad, no words to describe the experience she shared. I had to stop during the conversation few times, as if it was asking of me to pause again and again. It almost felt as if I wanted to receive each single sound of it. The space and questions and curiosities that Rich Roll created was beyond something sacred and deep and opening for all of us. It felt like a transmission (without sounding too new agey). Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I love Sullieka and Jon
If they were ethical vegans, I’d have so much more respect for them
Corporations test on animals—
torturing and murdering them— for cancer research
Plus, if people ate raw vegan
lifestyles, there would be no cancer
main thing is
there would be no Holocaust on the animals and earth,
people would be living healthfully and in harmony with eachother, also.
I just purchased your book Suleika
too thanks to this interview
🌱🌻☮️🌍
This was so powerful. Suleika Jaoad has a calm cadence when speaking, which allows the listener to absorb her depth and wisdom. I’m glad this podcast was 2 hours. Thank you to the Rich Roll Team and Suleika Jaoad for this gift.
Such elegance and grace. Truly moving and powerful podcast. 🫶🏻
🙏
So well spoken and what a great dress choice. She's got great style and has made me delve deeper into life today. ❤ Much love to her, Jon, and Rich
wow wow and WOW. Rich Roll, you never fail with your outstanding choice of guests, and your insanely beautiful talent at questioning. THIS is one of your best. Absolutely beautiful podcast. Thank you both for this share , all of the wisdom and inspiration,. xoxo
Thank you is the most honest comment.
I’m a cancer survivor and currently living with brain meningiomas. Will live with these for the rest of my life. I so connected with this interview. She is very articulate, thoughtful and demonstrates a grace that shows hope and living like it is your first day is how I feel. So grateful and live with joy for everyday. There is no rule that everyone is intended to live until old age. We are arrogant to expect it
What an extraordinary person and so grateful for how Rich engaged with her. ❤
What an unexpected coming together!! Love this before even viewing. Wishing Suleika such good health and a long life ❤
Thank you, thank you! I bow to Suleika – to her wisdom, beauty, bravery, generosity and love. And to you Rich – as always – perfect.
Thank you for this Rich Roll your skills as an interviewer are unique.
great interview .
❤❤
I have been fortunate to follow Suleika since her earliest days writing at the New York Times. I am so glad she is reaching a broader audience to share her wisdom and art. She is a true visionary having survived the mighty winds of life's biggest storms.. Many many blessings to Suleika and Jon as they continue their journey.
Beautiful.
I could listen to Suleika forever.She is a gift and helps me feel more human.
Thank you Rich, this is so beautiful and heart piercing. I somehow resonate with the internal battles she has and continues to deal with even though I have was never diagnosed with cancer. Love this studio.
Wow, this was an amazing listen. Thank you so much. I watched American Symphony and loved it but knew nothing about Suleika. Thanks to her for sharing her story and amazing resilience in the face of adversity. What a fabulous couple; you make a difference!
one of your best interviews to date rich 🙂
I purchased a few days ago
your book on audio that I listen to while I take my long drives in the mountains to teach yoga
you’re a great writer and storyteller and this is not just about you
it’s about so many like you that are successful creators of higher intellect
Why did you continue to eat the way you did after your diagnosis and not go raw vegan to clean out the toxins that had created the cancer
in the first place?
You never questioned all the drugs, toxins that the doctors pumped you full of enough
to seek out natural and alternative ways of healing? Why?
Even while the chemo was burning you from the inside out
you ate the same food you’ve always eaten
The corporations do not care about anyone’s health,
they want people to stay addicted to eating
tortured, murdered animals,
loads of sugar, dairy,
processed food,
regardless all the mental and physical disease they cause, the Holocaust on the animals and earth they’ve created and are continuing
it’s money in the bank for them!
you put your mind and body in the hands of big pharma, why?
Who only care about making money off of your illness
They test on billions of helpless, innocent pigs, cats,
dogs, monkeys, horses,
etc every year that live in
agony every second of their lives then are dumped into garbage cans when they are done injecting them with toxins, chemicals, while they live their entire lives in tiny cages never knowing a kind word or warm touch!
Why they don’t test on pedophiles and all these people who hurt animals and children,
is another absurdity of this upside-down sadistic system
Also,
all the medical waste from sick people kills animals and the earth.
Gillian Berry interviews people who have healed themselves from cancer and every extreme illness, disability, disease with fasting and raw veganism
Why did not change to this type of lifestyle?
You’re a lot smarter and more educated than me, but,
I never would have put my life into the hands of doctors who push drugs and surgery
Who kill diseases with toxins,
diseases that were created in the first place with toxins.
🤷🏿♀️😞🌱 🍉 🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍇🍌🍓🫐🍍🥭🍑🍒🥥🥝🍅🍆🥑🌶️🥒🥬🥦🫛🫑🌽🥕🧄🍠🧅
You are a wonderful person…I've been looking at your journey and you give lots of hope to people going through cancer. I WISH YOU PEACE AND LOTS OF HAPPINESS GOING FORWARD. HUGS FROM IRELAND. 🇮🇪🍀🙏💐
re the performance of the symphony: i spent much of the time (film) during the loss of power thinking that that was part of the symphony. that loss of power is part of the american journey, the human journey, and that working around and with loss of power, and then working again with what we perceive as our power, or obtaining power that is or feels real, i thought that that was a section of the written symphony. so it worked for me in that way. life. you don't know what's gonna happen.
SO powerful!! There are myriad takeaways from this discussion. I’m sure I will carry many in my heart for the rest of my life. Blessings. ❤
what a great interview…it certainly changed the way I go about my day… …Suleika and John…thank you for sharing your story with the world…your courage and LOVE are a great inspiration.
This conversation was beautifully amazing and insightful ❤ Nothing short of magical! Thank you both for sharing 🙏
“Our lives are not really ones of befores and afters. They’re marked by constant gradual transitions” 22:50
What a great conversation between you two. I appreciate the depth on both sides and how the questions are framed. It makes me think about how much I have gone through that nobody knows about, and how many unique stories we all carry around and can´t see on the surface. Also inspirering around how to integrate trauma.
Profoundly moving. Thank you.
Thank you!
I love this so much! Thank you so much!
In addition to being a conversation filled with wisdom, I greatly appreciated the feeling of mutual respect and co-introspection. Both Rich and Suleika were deeply present for the slow and meaningful unfolding. Rich’s genuine curiosity touched me a lot, as did Suleika’s thoughtful articulations. Her composure feels so deep and so centered. I agree that living each day as though it’s your first (rather than your last) invites a sense of wonder, attention and gratitude. As someone living with unresolved illness, I also try to live from this place of reverence. Thank you, Suleika and Rich, for this very moving and contemplative conversation