logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
1h 1m

Rising from Ashes | John Vaillant on Bui...

Daily Stoic | Wondery
About this episode

While in Vancouver on tour, Ryan Holiday met up with one of his favorite authors, John Vaillant, to discuss how destruction and crisis can fuel creativity and change. They talk about the lessons wildfires and other natural disasters teach us, not just about nature but about resilience, adaptation, and the stories we tell to make sense of disruption. John shares what it was like to be nominated for a Pulitzer, how success and recognition can be both motivating and distracting, and why embracing uncertainty is key to any creative process.


Follow John on Instagram @johnvaillant_.


📚 Pick up John Vaillant's books Fire Weather, The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival, and The Golden Spruce at The Painted Porch: https://www.thepaintedporch.com


🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast


🎥 Watch top moments from The Daily Stoic Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dailystoicpodcast


✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail


🏛 Get Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints to remember these lessons at the Daily Stoic Store: https://store.dailystoic.com/


📱 Follow us:  Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Today
Older But Never Wiser | Ask Daily Stoic
There is no wisdom without experience. But experience does not necessarily translate into wisdom, does it?📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Takes Work": https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work👉 Support the podcast and go ... Show More
10m 45s
Today
BONUS | If You’re Feeling Anxious Right Now, Listen To This
Feeling anxious lately? In this bonus episode, Ryan and author Chris Guillebeau break down what your anxiety is really trying to tell you, why fighting it makes it worse, and how to finally feel calm without forcing it.🪙 We are the creators of our anxiety. Which means we can als ... Show More
10m 59s
Yesterday
Don’t Be This Kind of Friend
We’ve all known these people. They say one thing and do another. They virtue signal but act without virtue. 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic ... Show More
2m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
Ep 168 - Gratitude, Grit & Glitter: Building Brave Spaces Through Truth with John Halcyon Styn (RAX Planning, Emotional Generator)
⭐️ Get your free Human Design Chart https://www.miranda-mitchell.com/free-human-design-chart-video ⭐️ In this episode of the Provoking Prosperity Podcast, host Miranda Mitchell is joined by social media pioneer, storyteller, and gratitude advocate John Styn. John shares insights ... Show More
49m 58s
Sep 21
ON WRITING... With Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro
Welcome to another special edition of How to Fail, where I revisit conversations from the How to Fail archives. Each week, we shine a light on a particular theme, hopefully offering inspiration, perspective and comfort through the words of past guests. This week’s theme is on wri ... Show More
24m 18s
Sep 15
When Life Gets in the Way: Finding Courage After Tragedy
Daily Boost Podcast Show Notes When Life Gets in the Way: Finding Courage After Tragedy September 15, 2025 | Episode 5171 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description This Monday hits different, doesn't it? Scott opens up about processing last week's tragic events and how life has a way ... Show More
16m 49s
Sep 23
Siula Grande: Over the Edge | Making Peace With It, With Simon Yates | 4
In 1985, high on Peru’s Siula Grande, everything went wrong, and two climbers made choices that became mountaineering lore. Simon Yates joins host Cassie De Pecol to talk about risk, survival, and being known as “the guy who cut the rope.”If you’d like to learn more about Simon's ... Show More
33m 50s
Jul 2023
John Muir’s Quest to Save the Great Outdoors
July 19, 1869. Naturalist John Muir watches the sun rise over the Sierra Nevada mountains. He’ll write in his journal of the stirring birds, glowing treetops, and even rocks that “seem to thrill with life.” He’s so taken with this landscape that he’ll decide to stay in the Yosemi ... Show More
30m 34s
Aug 27
Failure Throwback: Jameela Jamil
Jameela Jamil is an actor, activist, and founder of the I Weigh movement. From teaching English to starring in The Good Place, Jameela shares the highs, lows, and radical honesty that define her journey. This episode first went out in February 2021. We talk about: Her struggle to ... Show More
58m 34s
Sep 30
Lessons, Paradoxes and Hard Questions For Building an Authentic Life
We chase alignment with our purpose, values, passions but can sometimes get a little lost on the way. Life has a scary habit of passing us by in a rush and Sam has just turned 35 years old and feeling very philosophical about the whole thing. We take a tour of some of the big pro ... Show More
40m 2s
Apr 2025
#9 - The Levant Through War & Words: Mishka Mourani on Culture, Identity & Exile
In this episode of Tak on the Pod, Andrea sits down with Mishka Mourani, a writer, educator, and storyteller whose life has been deeply shaped by the history of the Levant. Born in Alexandria and rooted in Beirut, Mishka has lived through war, displacement, and resilience, using ... Show More
50m 38s
Sep 19
Matthew McConaughey On: His Morning Routine; When To Take Risks; How To Bounce Back From Fuckups; And the Dangers of Cynicism
A guide to navigating “the rodeo of life”. Academy Award–winning actor and #1 New York Times bestselling author Matthew McConaughey is a husband and a father, an eternal optimist, a hopeful skeptic, and a man of faith who believes that we should all start sellin’ Sunday morning l ... Show More
1h 7m
Apr 2025
Alisyn Camerota On: Surviving the News, Surviving the Teenage Years, and the Concept of Home
From punk rock to broadcast journalism. A veteran journalist shares her story.   Alisyn Camerota is an award-winning journalist and author. She recently wrote the memoir,  Combat Love: A Story of Leaving, Longing, and Searching for Home.   In this episode we talk about: Our mutua ... Show More
1h 10m