In this episode of The Human Upgrade, Host Dave Asprey explores the emotional roots of performance, leadership, and personal transformation with elite executive coach Joe Hudson. With clients influencing over a trillion dollars in capital, Joe shares how unresolved emotions silently sabotage decision-making, metabolism, relationships, and brain optimization—and how emotional mastery can unlock congruence, clarity, and resilience. You’ll discover how to regulate your nervous system, dissolve negative self-talk, and harness somatic awareness for real growth. The episode dives deep into trauma release, functional leadership, and the neuroscience behind fear, shame, and authenticity. Whether you’re focused on biohacking, supplements, high-performance coaching, or smarter not harder living, this conversation gives you the tools to rewire your nervous system, upgrade emotional intelligence, and lead with power and presence.
How do you make tough decisions? How do you make them without fear or lying? This episode shows you how unresolved emotions disrupt decision-making, relationships, and functioning in peak brain performance. You’ll learn tips to rewire your nervous system for decision making, optimizing emotional intelligence, and regulating your body for high-level clarity, energy, and resilience. Discover biohacking techniques that use emotional release and somatic awareness to boost mitochondria, activate neuroplasticity, and achieve lasting personal transformation.
Host Dave Asprey talks with Joe Hudson, a world-renowned executive coach to unicorn founders and billion-dollar leaders. Joe works with a select group of top performers to unlock emotional clarity, leadership mastery, and deep personal change. His methods combine neuroscience, trauma healing, somatic therapy, and conscious coaching to help people perform at their highest level while becoming more authentic, fulfilled, and connected.
You’ll learn:
This is essential listening for anyone serious about emotional intelligence, high-performance coaching, biohacking, somatic healing, trauma work, executive leadership, nervous system regulation, brain optimization, functional medicine, and building unstoppable inner resilience.
Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners,?The Human Upgrade?is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.
Episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (audio-only) where Dave asks the questions no one else dares, and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.
Keywords: Joe Hudson, Dave Asprey, emotional intelligence, nervous system regulation, somatic therapy, trauma healing, executive coaching, biohacking emotions, brain optimization, emotional mastery, making tough decisions, fear or failure, leadership development, negative self talk, childhood trauma, personal transformation, smarter not harder, stress relief tools, leadership listening
Thank you to our sponsors!
0:00 — Introduction
Dave introduces the topic: how fasting can be enhanced with a new anti-aging formula, featuring guest Joe Hudson.
2:42 — Why We Struggle with Fasting
Joe explains why fasting is emotionally hard for many people, and how internal resistance shows up.
6:28 — Identity and Control Patterns
The conversation turns to control, safety, and the emotional identity patterns that sabotage health goals.
11:56 — The Nervous System and Decision-Making
Dave and Joe discuss how the nervous system drives unconscious choices and how to shift it for better health.
17:24 — The Formula That Makes Fasting Easier
Joe introduces a step-by-step emotional awareness process that rebuilds your relationship with hunger and discomfort.
23:33 — Letting Go vs. Forcing Change
They explore why letting go of control is more effective than trying harder when it comes to upgrading health.
28:09 — Rebuilding Every Organ with Anti-Aging Work
Dave links the emotional formula to biological repair and stem cell activation during fasting.
33:51 — How to Actually Feel Emotions (Without Getting Stuck)
Joe teaches how to sit with emotions and feel them fully so the body can heal and rewire.
39:18 — Upgrading the Subconscious
They explore how conscious awareness rewires subconscious beliefs—especially the ones blocking fasting success.
45:02 — Final Thoughts and Takeaways
Dave summarizes the formula and how to start applying it immediately for better results from fasting and anti-aging.
Resources:
“Follow” or “subscribe” to The Human Upgrade™ with Dave Asprey on your favorite podcast platform.
Go to Apple Podcasts at daveasprey.com/apple and leave a (hopefully) 5-star rating and a creative review.
Got a comment, idea or question for the podcast? Submit via this form!
Follow @thehumanupgradepodcast on Instagram and Facebook.
Learn directly from Dave Asprey alongside others in a membership group: ourupgradecollective.com.
Smarter Not Harder: The Biohacker’s Guide to Getting the Body and Mind You Want is about helping you to become the best version of yourself by embracing laziness while increasing your energy and optimizing your biology.
Subscribe to become an “Insider”, and receive weekly biohacking tips and tech directly from Dave to start hacking your way to stronger mental performance and physical results.
Receive weekly biohacking tips and tech by becoming a Dave Asprey insider.