What if the biggest thing holding back your performance isn't your mindset, your training, or your work ethic, but your nervous system?

In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Dr. Kien Vuu sits down with Dr. Jo Brown, performance physiotherapist, nervous system expert, and Head of Human Performance at Nuropod, to explore why nervous system regulation may be the missing link between good performance and sustained excellence.

Learn more about Nuropod and its work in nervous system regulation and human performance:
https://nuropod.com/

After working with Olympic champions, NBA players, NFL athletes, and world-class competitors, Dr. Brown discovered that lasting success isn't simply about physical ability or mental toughness.

It's about intentionality, nervous system regulation, and consistently recovering well enough to perform again.

Together, Dr. V and Dr. Brown break down why so many high achievers stay trapped in "go mode," how chronic stress quietly erodes performance long before symptoms appear, and the practical tools anyone can use to regulate their nervous system and improve recovery.

They also explore the future of performance medicine, including heart rate variability (HRV), wearable technology, vagus nerve stimulation, and why the nervous system may be the last frontier in optimizing human performance.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, athlete, or simply looking for more energy, resilience, and longevity, this conversation offers actionable strategies to help you perform at your highest level without sacrificing your health.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why nervous system regulation is the foundation of sustainable high performance
• The difference between recovery and readiness
• Why sleep remains the most underrated recovery tool
• What separates legendary athletes from everyone else
• Simple nervous system regulation tools you can start using today
• How HRV should actually be interpreted
• Common signs you're heading toward burnout
• Why stress isn't the enemy, but poor recovery is
• How wearable technology and vagus nerve stimulation are changing recovery
• Why showing up as your authentic self improves performance

Follow Dr. V:
https://instagram.com/doctorvmd

Get the #1 Bestselling Book Thrive State:
https://thrivestatebook.com

Download the FREE Thrive State Starter Guide:
https://thrivestatestarter.com

Join the Thrive State Membership:
https://mythrivestate.com/join

Learn more about Dr. Jo Brown:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jo-brown-279311172/

https://performance-state.com/

Ever wonder why you still feel exhausted even after a "full night's sleep"? The answer might be sitting in your medicine cabinet or in a disorder you've never been tested for.

In this episode, Dr. V sits down with Dr. Meredith Broderick, a triple board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine physician (one of only four in the world boarded in neurology, sleep medicine, AND behavioral sleep medicine) and founder of Sound Sleep Guru in Seattle. Together they break down why modern life has broken our sleep, why common sleep meds may be doing more harm than good, and what actually works to restore deep, restorative rest.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why sleep apnea is the most undiagnosed sleep disorder in the world

• How sleeping pills like Ambien and Zolpidem block your brain's glymphatic "cleaning" system

• The link between anticholinergic sleep meds and dementia risk

• Why alcohol, benzodiazepines, and cannabis wreck your sleep architecture

• How artificial light and modern life decoupled us from our circadian rhythm

• New GLP-1/GIP medications now FDA-approved for sleep apnea

• How Ozlo Sleepbuds use audio and biometrics to improve sleep

• Rapid-fire scores on melatonin, naps, morning sunlight, exercise timing, and temperature

• How to build a simple, effective wind-down routine

• Where to actually go for help with a sleep problem

Explore Sound Sleep Guru: https://soundsleepguru.com/

Follow Doctor V https://instagram.com/doctorvmd

Get the #1 bestselling book Thrive State https://thrivestatebook.com

Download the FREE Longevity & Human Potential Starter Guide https://thrivestatestarter.com

Join the Thrive State Membership https://mythrivestate.com/join

What if the future of medicine means doctors stop asking "what's wrong with you" and start asking "what is your body trying to tell you?"

In this episode, Dr. V sits down with Dr. Gregoryory Burzynski, an integrative and functional medicine physician (Houston Concierge Medicine, Restore Longevity) who trained in internal medicine before pioneering a more personalized, prevention-first approach to health.

Together they unpack why modern medicine reacts too late, what true "thriving" really looks like, and what the next decade of longevity science might bring.

In this episode, we cover:

• Dr. Burzynski's path from internal medicine to integrative and functional care

• Where conventional medicine falls short — and how to bridge the gap

• The personal health crisis that changed how Dr. Burzynski practices medicine

• What "true health" really means beyond just the absence of disease

• Early warning signs your body gives before things go wrong

• The link between stress, mitochondrial efficiency, and telomere length

• Epigenetics today vs. the epigenetic drugs of tomorrow

• Personalized medicine and why age changes everything

• Longevity escape velocity and the future of aging

• How Dr. Burzynski would redesign healthcare from the ground up

• The one thing he hopes every healthy person remembers

Follow Doctor V https://instagram.com/doctorvmd

Get the #1 bestselling book Thrive State https://thrivestatebook.com

Download the FREE Longevity & Human Potential Starter Guide https://thrivestatestarter.com

Join the Thrive State Membership https://mythrivestate.com/join

What if the biggest thing holding back your growth isn't a lack of knowledge, but a lack of curiosity?

In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Dr. Kien Vuu sits down with keynote speaker, magician, and innovation expert Nash Fung to explore why curiosity may be one of the most powerful skills for thriving in today's rapidly changing world.

From immigrating to the United States as a teenager to overcoming insecurities through magic, Nash shares how curiosity helped shape his journey and ultimately became the foundation of his work with organizations around the world.

Together, they discuss the connection between curiosity and innovation, what children can teach us about creativity, how assumptions limit our potential, and why human connection may become even more valuable in the age of AI.

Along the way, Nash reveals surprising lessons from nearly two decades as a crisis counselor, explains what magic teaches us about human perception, and shares practical ways to cultivate more wonder, creativity, and possibility in everyday life.

In this episode, we explore:

* Why curiosity is the fuel behind innovation and growth

* How childhood experiences shape the stories we tell ourselves

* The surprising lessons learned from 18 years on a crisis hotline

* What magicians understand about memory, perception, and human behavior

* Why assumptions are the enemy of curiosity

* How children naturally think differently than adults

* The role of human connection in an AI-powered future

* Simple ways to cultivate curiosity in your work and life

If you've ever felt stuck, uninspired, or trapped by old ways of thinking, this conversation offers a refreshing reminder that curiosity may be the doorway to your next breakthrough.

Follow Doctor V: https://instagram.com/doctorvmd

Get the #1 bestselling book Thrive State: https://thrivestatebook.com

Download the FREE Longevity & Human Potential Starter Guide: https://thrivestatestarter.com

Join the Thrive State Membership: https://mythrivestate.com/join

Learn more about Nash Fung: https://nashfung.com

You're getting things done, but at what cost?

In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Dr Kien Vu breaks down the biology of stress and reveals the hidden middle stage that most high performers are unknowingly living in: a dangerous "coping zone" where productivity masks depletion.

He explains why willpower alone won't save you, and introduces a powerful 60-second reset tool called the IMPACT framework to bring you back to your center without adding a single hour to your day.

In this episode, we cover:

• The biological definition of stress and why it's not the enemy you think it is

• The 3 stages of stress: Anticipation, Coping, and Exhaustion and how to identify where you are

• The sleep paradox: why 8 hours of rest still leaves high performers waking up depleted

• Why high achievers are the most vulnerable to burnout and why it hits them the hardest

• The science of recovery: why growth never happens during stress, only after it

• How to engineer micro-recovery moments into your day without losing productivity

• The IMPACT Framework: a 60-second reset practice to ground your nervous system anywhere, anytime

Ready to stop running on empty? Take the 7-day challenge: find one friction point in your day and add a micro-recovery moment before it. Then share this episode with a high performer in your life who needs to hear this.

Follow Doctor V https://instagram.com/doctorvmd

Get the #1 bestselling book Thrive State https://thrivestatebook.com

Download the FREE Longevity & Human Potential Starter Guide https://thrivestatestarter.com

Join the Thrive State Membership https://mythrivestate.com/join

Most people think mental health is "all in your head," but your nervous system is constantly syncing with every person in the room. That's why the right relationships can literally regulate your biology, and the wrong ones can burn you out.

In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, we break down the science of co‑regulation, how human nervous systems connect, calm, and heal each other.

You'll learn why a "best friend at work" isn't just nice to have, it's a biological necessity, and why chronic loneliness is as dangerous as smoking a pack a day for your long-term health, resilience, and performance.

In this episode, we cover:

• What co‑regulation is and how your nervous system "talks" to other people's

• The difference between co‑regulation and emotional contagion

• Why having a "best friend at work" boosts engagement, resilience, and retention

• The shocking stat: chronic loneliness and the mortality risk of smoking 15 cigarettes a day

• Why high performers and leaders are often the most lonely and dysregulated

• A practical audit for your relationships (who calms your system, who constricts it)

• Scripts and practices to ask for support and co‑regulate with others

• How generosity and vulnerability attract safe, regulating relationships

• How to become the "strongest signal in the room" — calm, grounded, and contagious in the best way

Whether it's a breathing exercise with your spouse or simply being a calm presence for your team, small acts of co-regulation can ripple out and transform the health of everyone around you.

Follow Doctor V
https://instagram.com/doctorvmd

Get the #1 bestselling book Thrive State
https://thrivestatebook.com

Download the FREE Longevity & Human Potential Starter Guide
https://thrivestatestarter.com

Visit Dr. V's website
https://kienvuu.com

Are you exhausted, stressed, or on the edge of burnout?

What if your biggest problem isn't your circumstances… but the unconscious signal your nervous system is stuck in?

In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Dr. V, triple-board-certified MD and performance & longevity expert, breaks down how your nervous system, epigenetics, and identity are silently shaping your health, relationships, and future.

You'll learn:

• Why most people are reacting to life instead of consciously living it

• How your energetic state becomes a signal your cells and relationships constantly respond to

• The role of the default mode network and old emotional wounds in your daily reactions

• The IMPACT Framework: I Am, Pause, Awareness, Choice, Take Action

• Practical tools to regulate your nervous system (including 4–7–8 breathing)

• How to create micro-moments of pause that shift you from survival into creation

• Why healing is not just supplements and protocols, but changing the signal you live from

• How to live in the Thrive State of health, longevity, and peak performance

Follow Doctor V https://instagram.com/doctorvmd

Get the #1 bestselling book Thrive State https://thrivestatebook.com

Download the FREE Longevity & Human Potential Starter Guide https://thrivestatestarter.com

Join the Thrive State Membership https://mythrivestate.com/join

Learn more about Jhourney retreats: www.jhourney.io