Soul Boom is a series of intimate conversations hosted by Rainn Wilson exploring meaningful and inspiring topics that tickle the mind, heart and soul. Never too precious, yet unafraid to touch on the profound, we digs into the core of the human experience: creativity, spirituality and psychology. Bringing to the conversation some of the most brilliant and heart-felt artists, thinkers and doers, Soul Boom guides the listener toward transformation on both a personal and societal level. Also, laughs.
Latest Episodes
How to Humanize Your Enemies (w/ Valarie Kaur)
9 days agoThu, Nov 13th 2025
How can we humanize our political "opponents" and stop viewing the world as "them vs. us?" Revolutionary love in practice. Valarie Kaur returns to unpack how we can transform grief into courageous action, and build a bigger we that resists dehumanization while defending democracy. We walk through tools like wonder, grief, listening across difference, and experiments with love on the frontlines and at home.
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Executive Produced by: Kartik Chainani
Executive Produced by: Ford Bowers, Samah Tokmachi
Companion Arts
Production Supervisor: Mike O'Brien
Theme Music by: Marcos Moscat
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Spiritual Tools That ACTUALLY Work (w/ Shabnam Mogharabi)
16 days agoThu, Nov 6th 2025
Shabnam Mogharabi (co-author of the Soul Boom Workbook: Spiritual Tools for Modern Living, co-founder of SoulPancake) joins Rainn to unpack
their new book and explore awe, beauty, and gratitude, through practical “tools for turbulent times” that scale from the self to community. Shabnam also shares her vulnerable story about suffering, intuition, and why noticing” small needs can spark real change.
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Send Fan Creations, Questions, Comments: hello@soulboom.com
Executive Produced by: Kartik Chainani
Executive Produced by: Ford Bowers, Samah Tokmachi
Companion Arts
Production Supervisor: Mike O'Brien
Theme Music by: Marcos Moscat
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Comedian Roy Wood, Jr. (The Daily Show) joins Rainn to explore the fractures in American society, from racism and political division to technology, capitalism, and the myth of unity. Roy reflects on his upbringing in Birmingham, the lessons in resilience and hustle that shaped his path, and why he believes comedy is a spiritual tool for truth-telling. Can America find healing, or is division our destiny?
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Soul Boom Workbook (Available NOW!) 👉 https://bit.ly/soulboomworkbook
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Send Fan Creations, Questions, Comments: hello@soulboom.com
Executive Produced by: Kartik Chainani
Executive Produced by: Ford Bowers, Samah Tokmachi
Companion Arts
Production Supervisor: Mike O'Brien
Theme Music by: Marcos Moscat
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Part 2! Mark Ruffalo joins us again to talk about marriage as "soul
work," raising artists, healing family trauma, and why vulnerability
might be the bravest thing a man can practice. He opens up about his
father’s Baha’i journey, the sweetness of those early firesides,
Standing Rock, and the Lakota lessons that reshaped his activism and
hope.
Mark Ruffalo is an Oscar-nominated actor, producer, and activist known
for Marvel's Avengers, Spotlight, and his decades of environmental and social justice work.
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Send Fan Creations, Questions, Comments: hello@soulboom.com
Executive Produced by: Kartik Chainani
Executive Produced by: Ford Bowers, Samah Tokmachi
Companion Arts
Production Supervisor: Mike O'Brien
Theme Music by: Marcos Moscat
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yung Pueblo (Diego Perez) explore how inner transformation creates outer change. He and Rainn discuss impermanence, self-love, meditation, and why cultivating inner peace is essential to addressing today’s mental health crisis and global challenges. Yung Pueblo also shares his journey through silent meditation retreats, his new book How to Love Better, and the radical idea that healing ourselves is the first step to healing humanity.
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SOUL BOOM WORKBOOK (pre-order now!) 👉 https://bit.ly/soulboomworkbook
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FOLLOW US!
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Sponsor Soul Boom: advertise@companionarts.com
Work with Soul Boom: business@soulboom.com
Send Fan Creations, Questions, Comments: hello@soulboom.com
Executive Produced by: Kartik Chainani
Executive Produced by: Ford Bowers, Samah Tokmachi
Companion Arts
Production Supervisor: Mike O'Brien
Theme Music by: Marcos Moscat
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark Ruffalo (AppleTV's Task, Marvel's Avengers) explores how America can find compassion in divided times, the dangers of political violence, and why activism must be rooted in empathy. Ruffalo reflects on losing his brother to gun violence, the climate crisis, and his journey with The Solutions Project, which uplifts frontline communities fighting for change. Together, they ask: how do we move beyond fear, rage, and dehumanization into a future of justice, unity, and imagination?
Mark’s Organization 👉 https://thesolutionsproject.org
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
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Superpower 👉 Go to Superpower.com to learn more and lock in the special $199 price while it lasts. Live up to your 100-Year potential. #superpowerpod
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SOUL BOOM WORKBOOK 👉 (pre-order now!)
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Sponsor Soul Boom: advertise@companionarts.com
Work with Soul Boom: business@soulboom.com
Send Fan Creations, Questions, Comments: hello@soulboom.com
Executive Produced by: Kartik Chainani
Executive Produced by: Ford Bowers, Samah Tokmachi
Companion Arts
Production Supervisor: Mike O'Brien
Theme Music by: Marcos Moscat
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love author) opens up about love, addiction, grief, and spiritual growth. She opens up about her relationship with Raya, the painful lessons of codependency, and why heartbreak can feel as devastating as substance abuse. Together, they explore life as “Earth School,” the healing power of unconditional love, and why telling the truth is often the only way out of life’s deepest traps.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Green Chef (50% OFF!) 👉 https://greenchef.com/50soulboom
reMarkable (FREE returns for 100 days!) 👉 https://remarkable.com
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Fetzer 👉 https://www.fetzer.org
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FOLLOW US!
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CONTACT US!
Sponsor Soul Boom: advertise@companionarts.com
Work with Soul Boom: business@soulboom.com
Send Fan Creations, Questions, Comments: hello@soulboom.com
Executive Produced by: Kartik Chainani
Executive Produced by: Ford Bowers, Samah Tokmachi
Companion Arts
Production Supervisor: Mike O'Brien
Theme Music by: Marcos Moscat
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Danny Rensch stopped being a pawn in his family's cult and broke free to
rebuild his life and found Chess.com. He and Rainn unpack what life is
like growing up in a cult, the painful process of leaving, and the long
journey of healing and reconnecting with his mother. Together they
explore resilience, forgiveness, and how meaning can be rebuilt after
spiritual manipulation and control.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Green Chef (50% OFF!) 👉 https://greenchef.com/50soulboom
reMarkable (FREE returns for 100 days!) 👉 https://remarkable.com
Ollie (60% OFF!) 👉 https://ollie.com/soulboom
Fetzer 👉 https://www.fetzer.org
⏯️ SUBSCRIBE!
👕 MERCH OUT NOW!
📩 SUBSTACK!
FOLLOW US!
IG: 👉 http://instagram.com/soulboom
TikTok: 👉 http://tiktok.com/@soulboom
CONTACT US!
Sponsor Soul Boom: advertise@companionarts.com
Work with Soul Boom: business@soulboom.com
Send Fan Creations, Questions, Comments: hello@soulboom.com
Executive Produced by: Kartik Chainani
Executive Produced by: Ford Bowers, Samah Tokmachi
Companion Arts
Production Supervisor: Mike O'Brien
Theme Music by: Marcos Moscat
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Comedian Lil Rel Howery (Code 3) joins Rainn to unpack how he got out of grief, panic attacks, and an extremely dark season after the death of his mother. He shares the wild prophecy that named his breakout roles years before they happened, why the Black church shaped his soul and service, and how stand-up became his medicine. They swap stories on Code 3, Get Out, The Carmichael Show, The Office and why comedy deserves the same respect as drama.
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CONTACT US!
Sponsor Soul Boom: advertise@companionarts.com
Work with Soul Boom: business@soulboom.com
Send Fan Creations, Questions, Comments: hello@soulboom.com
Executive Produced by: Kartik Chainani
Executive Produced by: Ford Bowers, Samah Tokmachi
Companion Arts
Production Supervisor: Mike O'Brien
Theme Music by: Marcos Moscat
In this episode, we discuss:
00:00 Prophecy Before Fame
01:18 Booking Get Out
03:12 The Cut Ending
04:23 Audition w/ Jordan Peele
05:28 Get Out's Massive Cultural Impact
07:02 Oscars and Stand-Up
07:48 Dwight, Legacy, Gratitude
09:10 Sitcoms Don’t Get Chances
10:50 Where Are The Comedies
11:34 Mentoring Young Creators
12:21 Black Church Community
14:52 Activism Roots, Family
17:12 Have We Lost Soul
18:02 Rereading Faith Anew
19:05 Jesus, Metaphor, Meaning
21:06 Faith, Patience, Peace
25:44 Prophecy After Grief
29:00 A Conversation With Mom
33:09 Panic Attack to Therapy
39:18 Comedy As Real Healing
47:03 Respect For Comedy
55:27 Chicago, Loss, Survival
56:06 What’s Funny Festival
01:01:04 Code Three Truths
01:05:50 Mental Health Scene
01:09:38 Theater Release Matters
01:10:23 Wilder Pryor Energy
01:11:57 Haunted Heist Preview
01:12:15 Lil Rel Defines 'Soul'
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The Daily Stoic's Guide to Spirituality (w/ Ryan Holiday)
2 months agoThu, Sep 4th 2025
Ryan Holiday (The Daily Stoic) joins Rainn Wilson to connect Stoicism’s
deepest roots to spirituality, from the Logos and justice to the common
good and service. They explore how ancient practice becomes modern
medicine for anxiety, purpose, and resilience, and why journaling and
radical acceptance still work.
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CONTACT US!
Sponsor Soul Boom: advertise@companionarts.com
Work with Soul Boom: business@soulboom.com
Send Fan Creations, Questions, Comments: hello@soulboom.com
Executive Produced by: Kartik Chainani
Executive Produced by: Ford Bowers, Samah Tokmachi
Companion Arts
Production Supervisor: Mike O'Brien
Theme Music by: Marcos Moscat
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices