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Daily Stoic

Hosted by Daily Stoic

Author Ryan Holiday uses stories from ancient Stoic philosophers to offer short, daily lessons on resilience, virtue, and modern life.

The brief

A daily solo-narrative podcast that uses historical anecdotes, primarily from Roman and Greek history, as parables for Stoic principles. Host Ryan Holiday typically tells a story about a figure like Marcus Aurelius or Seneca and then explicitly extracts a practical lesson on topics like courage, self-control, or dealing with adversity. The episodes are short on weekdays, with longer interviews and Q&As sometimes featured on weekends.

Its daily cadence and singular focus on translating Stoicism for a modern audience make it unique. Unlike broader philosophy podcasts, it functions as a consistent, bite-sized practice, using historical storytelling as its primary teaching tool rather than abstract debate.
— What makes it distinctive
§1 · The host

Who hosts this show

Ryan Holiday is an American author and marketer who has become a prominent popularizer of Stoicism. After dropping out of college at 19, he apprenticed under author Robert Greene and later became the director of marketing for American Apparel. Through his Daily Stoic brand, which includes this podcast, a bestselling book of the same name, a daily email, and social media channels, he translates ancient Stoic philosophy into practical advice for contemporary life.

AI-extracted bio · help us verify· Source: gemini-video-grounded

Credentials & credits

  • Bestselling author of 'The Obstacle Is the Way,' 'Ego Is the Enemy,' and 'The Daily Stoic'
  • Former Director of Marketing for American Apparel
  • Founder of creative agency Brass Check
  • Apprenticed under author Robert Greene ('The 48 Laws of Power')
  • Writer for publications including the New York Times and Fast Company
  • Dropped out of University of California, Riverside

Other ventures

  • The Daily Stoic (book series, email newsletter, merchandise)
  • Brass Check (creative advisory agency)
  • The Painted Porch (bookstore in Bastrop, Texas)
  • The Daily Dad (podcast and brand)
  • Author of over ten books on philosophy, marketing, and strategy
  • Daily Stoic Live (speaking tour)
§2 · Classification

What kind of podcast

Region
usa
§3 · Cadence & catalog

When new episodes drop

Publishing rate
Daily
Not shown by Apple / Spotify
Total episodes
4.8K
Last episode
5 days ago
Jun 25, 2026
Status
Active
Recent episodes
  1. 01
  2. 02
    Stoicism Is What You DoJun 28, 2026 · 47s
  3. 03
    Trust The ProcessJun 27, 2026 · 24s
  4. 04
    Find A Good MentorJun 27, 2026 · 1 min
  5. 05
  6. 06
    You Must Seek Out DiscomfortJun 27, 2026 · 44s
  7. 07
  8. 08
§3b · Editor's picks

Notable episodes

AI-extracted picks + commentary · help us verify
  1. 01
    How A Stoic Would Respond To A Tyrant

    A representative example of the show's format, using the story of Roman senator Helvidius Priscus to illustrate the Stoic concept of political courage and speaking truth to power.

  2. 02
    14 Stoic Lessons Marcus Aurelius Learned From His Father

    This episode breaks down teachings from Marcus Aurelius's 'Meditations,' structuring the narrative around the specific lessons he learned from his adopted father, Antoninus Pius, making the philosophy highly accessible.

  3. 03
    Matthew McConaughey on His Stoic Philosophy

    An example of the high-profile weekend interviews, this conversation showcases how Stoic ideas are applied by influential figures outside of academic philosophy.

§4 · Signature

What you'll be asked on this show

How Daily Stoic interviews

This is a solo-host, narrative-style show. Ryan Holiday presents well-researched historical stories in a direct, didactic manner, always connecting them back to a core Stoic virtue or lesson. While the weekday episodes are short solo monologues, the podcast also releases longer-form interviews with notable guests and listener Q&As on weekends.

Signature segments

  • · Using historical anecdotes as philosophical parables
  • · Quoting directly from Stoic texts like 'Meditations'
  • · Connecting ancient wisdom to modern challenges
  • · Promoting the Daily Stoic email and store
  • · Weekend interviews with notable figures

Topics covered repeatedly

StoicismPhilosophyRoman HistorySelf-ImprovementMarcus AureliusSenecaEpictetusVirtueResilienceLeadership
§5 · Guests

Who gets booked here

AI-extracted guest list + profile · help us verify
Typical guest

While the daily episodes are solo, weekend interviews feature a wide range of high-profile guests, including authors (Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell), actors (Matthew McConaughey), athletes (Carli Lloyd), and politicians (Gavin Newsom, Mark Kelly).

Recent guests
  • Ezra Klein
    on Ezra Klein on Virtue, Self-Critique, and His Take on Stoicism
  • Carli Lloyd
    on The Mindset of a World Cup Champion | Carli Lloyd
  • Tom Junod
    on What Our Fathers Teach Us, For Better Or Worse | Tom Junod
  • Dr. Becky Kennedy
    on How to Feel Everything Without Losing Control | Dr. Becky Kennedy
  • Codie Sanchez
    on A Stoic Masterclass for Ambitious People | Codie Sanchez
§6 · Channels & links

Where to find this show

§7 · Stats

Audience & reach

YouTube · first-party
Subscribers
2M
2,040,000
Avg views / video
13.2K
Trailing window
Total views
215M
214,689,282
Videos published
4,823
Sponsor readEstimated

Sponsors include direct-to-consumer brands like Eight Sleep and financial services like Wealthfront, suggesting an audience of professionals with disposable income. The show's business model also heavily relies on promoting Ryan Holiday's own ecosystem of products, including books, medallions, courses, and a paid community.

AI-extracted sponsor read · help us verify

Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.

§8 · Contact

Pitch Daily Stoic

Sign-in required
Verified contact
Host / booking email
s•••@•••.com

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§9b · FAQ

People also ask

AI-extracted researched answers · help us verify
Who is the host of the Daily Stoic podcast?
The host is Ryan Holiday, a bestselling author and marketer known for popularizing Stoicism.
Is the podcast still running?
Yes, it is a daily podcast that has been running for several years.
What is the format of the show?
The typical format is a short, 2-5 minute solo monologue on weekdays, using a historical story to teach a Stoic lesson. Weekends feature longer episodes, including interviews with notable guests and listener Q&As.
Does the podcast only feature Ryan Holiday?
No. While the daily meditations are solo, the podcast regularly features long-form interviews with a wide variety of guests, from authors and athletes to actors and politicians.
Where can I listen to the podcast?
The podcast is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as on the Daily Stoic YouTube channel.
What is 'The Daily Stoic'?
It is a wider media brand created by Ryan Holiday, encompassing a bestselling book, a daily email newsletter with over 1 million subscribers, this podcast, and an online store.
Last updatedJun 29, 2026Not yet host-verified
Research depthDeep dossierHigh confidence · Jun 29, 2026 · gemini-2.5-pro

Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.

§9c · Methodology

Sources & how this page was built

This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence

  1. [01]Official Websitedailystoic.com
  2. [02]Ryan Holiday's Official Bioryanholiday.net
  3. [03]Ryan Holiday - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
  4. [04]The Painted Porch Bookshopthepaintedporch.com
  5. [05]The Daily Stoic - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
  6. [06]Ryan Holiday - The DO Lecturesdolectures.com
  7. [07]Ryan Holiday - Grokipediagrokipedia.com
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