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The Grateful Podcast with Jack Wagoner
Episode 66
Guest: Tristan Gregoire
What if you could enjoy the present moment and chase your highest potential?
In this episode of The Grateful Podcast, I sit down with Tristan Gregoire, the 23-year-old creator of The Best Self Protocol. We dive deep into the mindset that separates stagnant ambition from sustainable growth. From detaching your happiness from outcomes to making peace with the “now,” this conversation is a masterclass in living skillfully.
🎯 Topics we cover:
• The “trifecta” of spiritual, mental & physical growth
• Why you need a personal compass, not a fixed roadmap
• Balancing gratitude and ambition
• Overcoming the productivity guilt loop
• Wisdom from Socrates, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Naval
• How action—not just introspection—creates clarity
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro to Tristan & The Best Self Protocol
02:00 - Who is your best self?
04:20 - Why process matters more than outcome
06:15 - The paradox of wanting more
09:00 - Choosing between “good enough” and “great”
11:30 - The North Star & your personal compass
13:30 - What Tristan wants most in life
17:30 - Introspection and finding answers within
20:30 - Stoicism, Buddhism & ancient wisdom in modern life
23:00 - What true balance really means
26:30 - Coaching through imperfection and action
29:00 - Lazy ambition vs. real progress
32:00 - Productivity guilt and the happiness equation
36:00 - How to hold ambition and peace at the same time
39:30 - Coaching older clients at 23
44:00 - Age vs. wisdom and intentional growth
48:30 - Why Tristan is a guide, not a guru
50:00 - Fiction vs. nonfiction: where the deepest truths hide
57:00 - Downloading wisdom through stories
1:04:00 - Final thoughts: walk your own path
📌 Connect with Tristan:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamtristangregoire/
• Free community is linked in his bio
Key Takeaways
• You are both the artist and the canvas. Your best self is not a finish line—it’s a direction.
• Gratitude doesn’t slow you down—it fuels ambition.
• The rules holding you back are often imaginary.
• You can hold two truths at once: hunger for growth and peace with now.
• True intelligence is measured by your ability to get out of life what you want.
• Books and mentors offer guidance, but the answers are already inside you.
• Wisdom is not about age—it’s about intentional experience.
📺 Watch the full episode or listen on your favorite platform:
Spotify/Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grateful-podcast-with-jack-wagoner/id1725776061
Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏
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🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]
💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.
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🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.

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