John Joseph & Mishka Shubaly Are My Reservoir Dogs

500 EPISODES.

Over seven years ago, I sat down in a damp and echo-y warehouse on the north shore of Kauai and hit record for the very first time.

There was no agenda. No commitment to even record a second episode. And certainly zero idea that what began as a fun experiment would evolve into both a passion and a vocation.

And yet here we are. Without fail, beginning in late 2012, I have uploaded at least one episode every single week, amassing over 1000 hours of conversation and a global audience that downloads this show more than 3 million times a month — in total, over 70 million streams and counting.

The numbers are great, but they fail to capture what is truly meaningful: the opportunity to go deep and unfiltered with some of the most amazing people currently walking planet Earth; and in turn share their incredible wisdom with all of you.

Today I give thanks for taking this journey with me — a calling and a service I consider the best job in the world. It’s been a privilege — a great honor and a profound responsibility I don’t take lightly.

I believe in celebrating milestones. So today we do just that. And we do it in style with two of my most most beloved brothers from other mothers.

Enter John Joseph and Mishka Shubaly.

Between these two gentlemen, I count 14 total previous appearances on the show, including one vivid episode five years past (RRP #95) that involved the three of us huddled on a small bed in a cramped New York City hotel room.

Today we fertilize our bromance, reprising those sweet sweet punk rock, Algonquin table vibes with another turntable spin on plants & punk. On running and writing. And on addiction & sobriety.

For those new to the show, beloved brother John Joseph is the product of an almost impossible-to-imagine hard boiled upbringing. Born into abuse and reared on the mean streets of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, John spent his youth in and out of foster care. Struggling to simply survive, it’s a life marred by violence, homelessness, drugs, addiction, crime and prison. Ultimately music saved his life — and gave him an entirely new one. Best known for fronting the legendary hard core band Cro-Mags, today John lives a life of sobriety, PMA (positive mental attitude) and ahimsa — non-violence.

A Bhakti-yoga devotee, John is also an 11-time Ironman finisher (2 of which he completed with a hernia), motivational speaker, and author of three books: Evolution of a Cro-Magnon, Meat Is For Pussies, and The PMA Effect. Now 57, he continues to ferociously tour, perform, write, speak and serve his fellow man — all fueled on a 100% plant-based diet.

I can’t think of a better way to describe little brother Mishka other than stubborn. If you’ve been a listener since day one, then this gravelly voiced, self-deprecating creative should ring a warm bell for you. A cult singer-songwriter and obstinate van dwelling vagabond, Mishka is no stranger to getting in his own way. But he’s also a master storyteller. Lauded for his beguiling tales of drink, drugs, disasters, desire, deception, and their aftermath, he somehow landed a post at Yale University, where apparently students pay money and attention to hear what he has to say about creative writing.

Best known for his many chart topping Kindle Singles, I first came across Mishka by way of The Long Run, a short story that quite annoyingly continues to outsell Finding Ultra. His memoir, I Swear I’ll Make It Up To You is a beautiful and touching chronicle of talent, addiction, pain and redemption. And Mishka’s latest work, almost too predictably titled This Van Could Be Your Life, is your next must read.

This one is all over the place. No point in even trying to describe it other than that Mishka showed up with a bottle of Pepto Bismol. Kinda says it all.

Heads Up: This conversation is packed with expletives. It might even hold the RRP f-bomb record. As many of you know, these laddies simply can’t be muzzled, nor would you want them to be. So just an alert that this episode is neither family friendly nor workplace approved. So pop on the earbuds if you got kiddos in the backseat. And If you’re easily offended, perhaps this one isn’t your cup of tea.

500 episodes. It feels good. So good, I wore a coat and tie to mark the occasion, which you can of course watch on YouTube. And as always, the audio version streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Here’s to celebrating with those you love dearly.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,