Best Michael Burrell Podcasts (2025)

1
DC Black Pride, Chasing Pleasure, and Freedom Ain't Free 9:14

4d ago9:14

9:14

This week, your Overthinker-in-Chief Karmen Michael Smith spirals into a layered reflection on freedom—not just political, but personal, embodied, and spiritual. From a conversation about emotional well-being, to the joy and tension of DC’s Black Pride, to the cost of sexual liberation in a world that polices Black queer bodies, this episode asks: …

1
What Survives the Fire: Kim Burrell, Tamar Braxton, Orlando Brown, and the Performance of Pain 8:22

11d ago8:22

8:22

They make us laugh. They make us cringe. Sometimes they make us mad. But what do Kim Burrell, Tamar Braxton, and Orlando Brown all have in common? They’ve all been crowned “too much.” Too dramatic. Too messy. Too unpredictable. And yet… we can’t look away. In this episode of Overthinking with Karmen, your Overthinker-in-Chief Karmen Michael Smith s…

1
Raw Dogging, Barebacking & the Return to Reality 6:20

18d ago6:20

6:20

What do Gen Z’s “barebacking” trend, raw dogging flights, and the future of social media all have in common? Spiral with me as we explore the quiet rebellion against distraction, the power of presence, and why the next revolution won’t be posted—it’ll be lived.By Karmen Michael Smith

1
E13: Jobs, Dropouts, and Disappearing in America 8:51

25d ago8:51

8:51

What do being unemployed, your cousin dropping out of high school, and feeling invisible all have in common? Spiral with me as we unpack how capitalism confuses labor with worth, why the system ejects those who can’t conform, and why being pushed out might be the first step toward designing a life that’s actually yours.…

1
E12: The Met Gala, Janet Jackson, and Grandma’s House 7:08

29d ago7:08

7:08

What do the Met Gala, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation, and Grandma’s house have in common? Spiral with me as we explore how Black aesthetic has never just been about looking good—it’s been survival, sanctuary, and spiritual resistance in a world that never meant for us to thrive.By Karmen Michael Smith

1
E11: Unemployment, Ryan Coogler, and Strange Earthquakes 6:32

1M ago6:32

6:32

What do unemployment, Ryan Coogler, and your strange earthqukes have in common? Spiral with me as we explore why real freedom feels terrifying at first, why unprecedented moves often get mistaken for mistakes, and why stepping into a life with no blueprint might just be the real revolution.By Karmen Michael Smith

1
E10: Beyonce, Oxtails, and Generational Wealth 7:52

1M ago7:52

7:52

Why did Beyoncé pull her music off TikTok? Why are oxtails $40 a plate? And why are you giving away your family’s inheritance for free? Spiral with me as we unpack how protecting your legacy—your creativity, your culture, your voice—isn’t gatekeeping. It’s survival. Generational wealth isn’t just about making money; it’s about knowing what’s worth …

1
E9: DEI, Yoga, and Learning to Live on Purpose 10:40

1M ago10:40

10:40

What do job loss, noisy windows, Instagram fatigue, and skipping a yoga session with Black Q+ men have in common? Spiral with me as we talk about what it means to design a life you're actually living, not performing, and why the ones who really want to find you… will.By Karmen Michael Smith

1
E8: Being Stood Up, Missy Elliott, and Rising Costs 10:22

2M ago10:22

10:22

What do a second date that never happened, Missy Elliott’s Coachella performance, and high costs have in common? Spiral with me as we unpack the premium price we’re all paying for presence—how we spend big to be seen, but rarely show up for what matters. And why being rare isn’t the problem, but the world’s inability to value it just might be.…

1
E7: Halle Berry, Star Trek, Paradise on Hulu, and the Illusion of Black Excellence 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

What do Halle Berry, Star Trek’s holodeck, Hulu’s Paradise, and modern Black excellence all have in common? Spiral with me as we explore how illusion, approval, and identity collide—and why everything that looks like liberation might actually be a well-designed trap.By Karmen Michael Smith

1
E6: Starbucks, Sugar, and the Death of the Third Place 6:31

2M ago6:31

6:31

What do Starbucks, sugar, and the death of the Third Place have in common? Spiral with me as we explore what we actually need from our spaces—and why good coffee might not be enough to save them.By Karmen Michael Smith

1
E4: Ryan Davis, Amazon, and the Church 6:32

2M ago6:32

6:32

What do Ryan Davis, Amazon, and the "Church" have in common?By Karmen Michael Smith

1
E5: The Gym, My Mind, and the Battle Between Them 7:08

2M ago7:08

7:08

What does the gym, my mind, and the battle between them really mean? Spiral with me as we explore why showing up for ourselves—physically and mentally—is the real workout.By Karmen Michael Smith

1
E3: Kanye, Tiger Woods, and the disappearing Big Mama 7:08

2M ago7:08

7:08

What do Kanye, Tiger Woods, and the disappearing Big Mama have in common? Spiral with me as we explore grief, identity, and why the loss of Big Mama might be costing us more than we realize.By Karmen Michael Smith

1
E2: Oprah, Jess with the Mess, and the 5-Second Memory Problem 5:31

2M ago5:31

5:31

What do Oprah, Jess with the mess, and the 5-second memory have in common? What do we have in common with them? Why do we forget the lessons life keeps trying to teach us? Spiral with me as we explore what—and who—we are missing.By Karmen Michael Smith

1
E1: Welcome to the Spiral: Overthinking Starts Now 3:20

2M ago3:20

3:20

I almost didn’t start this podcast. Not because I didn’t want to—but because I spiraled about it first. Who am I to do this? Will anyone listen? What if I say too much… or not enough? But then I realized—that’s exactly the point. Overthinking with Karmen is where I question everything, challenge the script, and spiral publicly so you don’t have to.…

1
Run Beyond with Rafal Nazarewicz 1:15:31

3+ y ago1:15:31

1:15:31

We had the great privilege to jam with Rafal Nazarewicz the founder and nutritional wizard behind Spring Energy. Rafal is a sports nutrition scientist, ultra runner, and health fanatic. We touch on a number of ideas and practices that may be interesting to anyone, not just ultra-endurance athletes. Rafal makes a case for eating real food at all tim…

1
Run Beyond with Michael Fojtasek 54:55

3+ y ago54:55

54:55

Michael Fojtasek is a compassionate, curious, and courageous human, a husband, father, chef, and neophyte trail runner. After a 6 year hiatus spent building the Olamaie Southern Food restaurant in Austin, TX, Michael transitioned from a background in road running (up to the marathon distance) to trail running. He took his first stab at the ultramar…

1
Run Beyond with Buzz Burrell 1:17:56

4y ago1:17:56

1:17:56

We had the great fortune to catch up with ultra-running pioneer, Buzz Burrell. Buzz pioneered several game-changing innovations in the sport of ultra-running including water bottles on the front of running vests and the concept and world of the Fastest Known Time. We philosophize about trail running history, lore, and culture. We compare internatio…

1
Run Beyond with Nick Pedatella 53:24

4y ago53:24

53:24

Follow Nick on His Colorado Trail journey (8/27 through about 9/3). https://share.garmin.com/rmr Nick Pedatella is a trail running legend you may have never heard of. His ultramarathon race record stands on its own, including an age group win at San Juan Solstice this year followed by a 6th place male finish at Hardrock 100, but his FKT resume is w…

1
Run Beyond with Sabrina Stanley and Dylan Bowman 59:21

4y ago59:21

59:21

We had the great fortune to catch up with Dylan Bowman (2nd male) and Sabrina Stanley (1st female) to chat with them about their 2021 Hardrock 100 performances and their training approaches. We hope you find some inspiration in this conversation! 4TYptRFazt2jy8wZkZzwBy Run Beyond

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Run Beyond with Julian Carr and the Cirque Series 1:09:57

4y ago1:09:57

1:09:57

The Cirque Series is underway in North America. Julian Carr's vision was to create a series of short mountain races that are challenging and that reward you for accepting the challenge. The courses will climb high, present you with awe-inspiring views, and then guide you back to a celebration of mountain running among a community of mountain sports…

1
WSER 100 Rundown with Emily Hawgood and Kyle Curtin 58:54

4y ago58:54

58:54

We caught up this week with Emily Hawgood and Kyle Curtin. Emily finished 7th female (19:13:55) at this year's Western States 100 and Kyle was the 9th male (18:18:31). Emily and Kyle shared their experiences ranging from the challenges of getting into this iconic race to their race strategies, their problem solving, and the community and energy tha…

1
A Grand FKT with Mallory Brooks 53:40

4y ago53:40

53:40

We had a chance to catch up with our Run Beyond Co-Founder, Mallory Brooks, right after her Grand Canyon 2 x R2R2R FKT this May (2021). Mallory shares how she learned from her failed attempt in 2019, how she prepared for so much climbing while living in Austin, TX, the value of a solid support crew, and so much more. You can find Mallory on IG @hil…

1
Run Beyond with Jay Kleberg 1:08:37

4y ago1:08:37

1:08:37

We sat down with the Cowboy of Conservation, Jay Kleberg. This conversation is full of insight and encouragement. We riff on pursuing passion and impact through our lives, we explore the fear and reward of taking career risks, and we celebrate our shared love for conservation and how we are all trying to affect change in that space. You can follow …

1
Run Beyond with Jeff Browning 56:13

4y ago56:13

56:13

We have the great privilege to bring you a conversation with the legendary Jeff Browning. Jeff is one of the winnest 100-mile endurance athletes of all times (tied for the second-most wins with Ann Trason). We talk to Jeff about his training regimen, his diet, and his recovery strategy in between 100-mile races. This is a killer episode and we hope…

1
Run Beyond with Grayson Murphy 1:05:55

4y ago1:05:55

1:05:55

All-Star athlete and all-around badass human, Grayson Murphy, joins us on the Run Beyond podcast this week. We chat with Grayson about bridging the worlds of track/road running and trail running at a championship level, longevity in endurance sports, leveraging an athlete's platform to create a positive impact, and mental health advocacy. You won't…

1
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) with Marco Altini 1:05:04

4y ago1:05:04

1:05:04

Connect with Marco: HRV4Training: https://www.hrv4training.com/ Twitter: @altini_marco Strava: Marco Altini Show Notes 10:45 - What is Heart Rate Variability (HRV)? 14:35 - What is the value of monitoring HRV? 18:10 - Context matters. Marrying subjective feedback with quantitative data 24:38 - Acute vs. Long Term Trends 32:37 - How your HRV baselin…

1
Conquering Type 1 Diabetes and Building a Mammoth Keto Food Enterprise with Tim Krauss 58:24

4y ago58:24

58:24

Tim Krauss is an Austin-based trail runner and Co-Founder of Mammoth Creameries, an Austin-based Keto Ice Cream company. Tim received a Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis at the age of 28 and his story of adapting to this new reality is as inspiring as his mindset. Thanks to Tim for openly sharing his story. We hope you all find inspiration in Tim's outlook…

1
Our Coaching Philosophy in 4,000 words! 34:30

4y ago34:30

34:30

In this episode, Jason and Jason share their backgrounds in coaching and competition and explain how their experiences as athletes and coaches have produced the coaching philosophy that guides the Run Beyond training community.By Run Beyond

1
Run Beyond Trailer! 2:12

4y ago2:12

2:12

Run Beyond is a community of athletes and outdoor culture enthusiasts. We value a life rich in experiences over one rich in material possessions. Like our ancestors before us, we thrive on exploring what’s beyond our physical and metaphorical horizons. We follow in the footsteps of visionaries like Shakelton and his crews, Mallory and Irvine, and o…

1
Meet The Team 38:34

4y ago38:34

38:34

Enjoy an introduction to the cast of characters behind the Run Beyond experience. Jason Brooks, Mallory Brooks, and Jason Schlarb share insights into who they are as humans tell fun stories from their experience as ultrarunners, coaches, and race directors and, through the process, provide a little insight into what the Run Beyond community is.…