G’day everyone — welcome back to Rule of Reason.

In this episode, I’m in beautiful Samoa sitting down with Giovanni, the warm and unforgettable face behind one of the island’s most loved Italian restaurants, Paddles.

Giovanni’s story is one of identity, culture, and the surprising paths life takes when family makes a decision you don’t agree with — at least not at first. He grew up surrounded by hospitality, with an Italian father (from a village near Venice) and a Samoan mother (from Savai’i). After years living in Italy — studying, building a career, and living what felt like his “real” life — Giovanni was suddenly told the family was moving back to Samoa.

At first, he didn’t want to be there. He compared everything to Italy. He felt like his career had been taken from him. But over time, that resistance softened — and what began as frustration became a new home, a new mission, and a new understanding of what real wealth is.

In this conversation we talk about:

• Growing up Samoan–Italian and what that shaped in him
• Living almost three decades in Italy and thinking he’d stay forever
• The shock of being told: “We’re moving back to Samoa”
• How a family lease, a big risk, and a mother’s vision became a restaurant legacy
• Why Giovanni believes people are the real wealth — not money
• The power of gratitude, positivity, and choosing the next minute well
• A message to young people: don’t waste opportunities, and don’t miss real life by staring down at a phone

If you’ve ever felt torn between two places… stuck between who you were and who you’re becoming… or forced into a change you didn’t choose — I think you’ll get something out of this one.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a reminder that meaning is found in people.

Follow Rule of Reason

YouTube: @RuleOfReason

Instagram: @theruleofreason

TikTok: @rule.of.reason

X (Twitter): @TheRuleofReason

As we step into 2026, this episode of Rule of Reason is a moment to pause, reflect, and look ahead with clarity.

In this New Year’s episode, I reflect honestly on 2025 — what I hoped to achieve, what I learned, and why laying foundations mattered more than numbers or growth. I also share what I’m aiming for in 2026, including more long-form conversations, more stories, and a continued focus on meaning and hope.

This isn’t a political podcast. It’s a space for thoughtful conversation, for sharing real stories, and for reminding people that they’re not alone — even when life feels busy, overwhelming, or isolating.

We close with a simple but important question as we enter the new year:

What’s one thing you could focus on that would genuinely make your life — and the lives of the people around you — a little better?

If you’re interested in reflection, responsibility, faith, relationships, and building a meaningful life in a noisy world, you’re in the right place.

📺 YouTube: @RuleOfReason

📸 Instagram: @theruleofreason

🎵 TikTok: @rule.of.reason

🐦 X (Twitter): @TheRuleofReason

📩 Contact: ruleofreasonshow@gmail.com

Your body already knows how to heal itself — most of us just never learned how it works.
In 2016, Nobel Prize–winner Yoshinori Ohsumi discovered the mechanisms behind autophagy, your cells’ natural recycling and repair system.

In this Rule of Reason short episode, Zac explains autophagy in simple, everyday language — no jargon, no overcomplication — and shows how this discovery connects to personal responsibility, gratitude, stress, inflammation, and becoming the best version of yourself.

In this episode you’ll learn:
• What autophagy actually is
• How your cells repair themselves
• Why Ohsumi’s research matters for ordinary people
• How movement, rest, fasting, and lowering stress activate cellular repair
• Why modern life works against your built-in healing systems
• How to use simple choices to let your body reset

Rule of Reason exists to bring hope and perspective back into everyday life — cutting through noise, nihilism, and social media chaos by helping you see what’s still good, what’s still possible, and what you can still change.

⸻

Follow Rule of Reason
• YouTube: @RuleOfReason
• Instagram: @theruleofreason
• TikTok: @rule.of.reason
• X: @TheRuleofReason

⸻

If you found this helpful, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a hopeful perspective today.