Author, Mentor & One-Half Of The Minimalists
Ryan Nicodemus - Author, Mentor & One-Half Of The Minimalists
After growing discontent with corporate life and consumerism, Ryan began to incorporate simple practices into his life to help find happiness and fulfillment.
Alongside the other half of The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn, Ryan has helped over 20 million readers live more intentionally with less through their blog, books, podcast, and documentary.
Ryan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RyanNicodemus
The Minimalists: https://www.theminimalists.com/
Verbatim from the transcripts — each quote links to the moment.
“No one's ever died from an overdose. And if you feel like you're gonna die, you just have to remind yourself like you're not going to.”
“I think happiness is kind of a farce, honestly. I think it's like the pursuit of happiness is kind of bullshit.”
“We keep our standards high, we keep our expectations low.”
“My secret is I spend less money than what I make.”
“I just look at them like they're a seagull, man. Like, they're just like flying by... they're shitting on my stuff and then they fly away.”
“Simple ain't easy, man. Like simple is simple. What is easy is going with the flow. That's what's easy. Simple is, um, simple is deliberate.”
“Life is a shit tornado, and it's not about trying to keep as much shit off of you as possible. It's being able to, like, look in the mirror covered in shit and being like, 'This is all right. This isn't that bad.'”
What should someone do the first time they try a cannabis edible?
Start with a much smaller dose (around 50mg rather than a full 200mg edible), and remember that no one has ever died from a marijuana overdose — if you start to feel like you might die, remind yourself that you're not actually going to.
How should you plan a long-term creative project or business like a 10-year show?
Don't think too far out (e.g., 10 years) as it creates stress; instead look at projects on a yearly or six-month basis, focusing on one or two big projects at a time and letting new opportunities be added incrementally rather than planning everything upfront.
How should creators balance ambition with avoiding burnout or disappointment?
Keep your standards high (do the best work you can and feel good about it) but keep your expectations low about how it will be received or perform, so you can let go of outcomes without falling apart when things don't go as planned.
What makes for good relationships and partnerships?
Be radically honest with each other, admit when you're wrong, and focus on trust, genuineness, consistency, and respect — the same four things apply whether it's a romantic relationship, business partnership, or friendship.
How can someone actually start reducing debt and downsizing their life?
Have a plan and start making different daily decisions rather than waiting for a 'magic answer'; simple is not the same as easy — simple requires deliberate choices, while going with the flow (accumulating debt and stuff) is what's easy. Anyone can pay off debt and build a retirement by consistently choosing differently.
Ryan recounts running into a tree snowboarding about a year prior, breaking five transverse processes in his lower back, briefly fearing paralysis when he couldn't feel his legs, and his recovery through massage therapy and chiropractic care.
Ryan describes giving his business partner Josh a very strong 200mg cannabis edible (recommending 50mg), after which Josh reportedly had a difficult experience including forgetting how to use the bathroom and fearing he might die, though he wasn't actually at risk.
Ryan explains how being prescribed opiates for a broken thumb in Dayton, Ohio led him down a path of escalating pill abuse to chase a euphoric feeling, nearly progressing toward heroin, until he sought help and got sober, describing withdrawal as the worst experience of his life.
After filming documentary footage in a warehouse in January 2018 with filmmaker Matt D'Avella, Ryan and Josh decided the result felt like 'a comedy special without the comedy' and chose to scrap most of it and start over, despite the time and opportunity cost, because they prioritized high standards over low expectations.
Ryan describes holding a 'packing party' where he boxed up all his belongings and unpacked only what he needed over three weeks, discovering 80% remained packed, which sparked his realization about wasteful spending and eventually led to starting The Minimalists after being laid off.
Ryan recounts a vivid dream where he impulsively bought a Tesla with cash from his house fund, only to feel underwhelmed and realize in the dream that the purchase didn't bring the happiness he expected, illustrating his point about inflated expectations around material goods.
Drawn from the episode transcripts.
He advises starting with a much smaller dose than the full edible (e.g., a quarter of a 200mg edible, or around 50mg), and emphasizes that no one has ever died from a marijuana overdose — if you feel like you might die, you just have to remind yourself you won't.
From episode 516→Standards are about whether you're happy with the quality of work and have done everything possible to make it great; expectations are about outcomes you demand from that work. He advises keeping standards high but expectations low, so you can let a creation go without being crushed if it doesn't perform as hoped.
From episode 516→Nicodemus held a 'packing party' where he boxed up all his belongings and only unpacked items as needed over three weeks, realizing 80% of his stuff stayed packed. This realization about unnecessary spending and debt led him to start making different financial decisions, eventually being laid off about 18 months later, after which the blog, books, tours, and documentary followed as opportunities arose rather than a planned 10-year roadmap.
From episode 516→Mentioned on 5 episodes Ryanwasn’t on.
Josh references a bit Ryan Nicodemus did about setting and reaching a goal only to realize it wasn't the right goal, later admitting he got a quote attribution wrong.
A local contact the hosts plan to see, noted as someone who 'loves a bit of pot' and could offer insight on edibles.
Mentioned as having done a parody 'Day in the Life of a Minimalist' style video that Matt admired.
Referred to as 'Ryan', Millburn's lifelong best friend and co-founder of The Minimalists, described as his opposite in personality.
Referenced as comparing Melbourne's street art scene to Berlin during a visit.
Every episode featuring Ryan Nicodemus on The Daily Talk Show.
