In this Special Season 2 Finale, David Ko presents a timely end-of-year gift: a compilation of advice on the single most crucial element for good mental health—sleep. This episode features the collective wisdom and top tips from all of this season's amazing guests, providing actionable insights to help you achieve a restful night's sleep.

David sits down for a candid conversation with Karen Lynch, a trailblazing leader known for her transformative work at the helm of major healthcare organizations like Aetna and CVS Health. Karen shares her deeply personal journey of vulnerability and resilience from the childhood tragedy that shaped her passion for mental health and reflects on the leadership lessons she’s learned throughout her career. She shares her personal strategies for finding balance, knowing when to recharge, and offers invaluable insights for leaders at any stage of their career.

Musician and actor Nick Jonas shares his journey living with Type 1 diabetes for 20 years, the mental toll of managing a chronic condition, and why community and technology (like continuous glucose monitoring) have been game-changers. He connects this personal health journey to resilience in leadership and fatherhood, underscoring how physical health and mental health are inseparable.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim joins David Ko, CEO of Calm, to talk about the mental side of elite performance and the pressures of being a global icon at such a young age. She shares her experience stepping away from snowboarding after the 2018 Olympics to protect her mental health, the role therapy and sleep have played in her recovery, and how she’s learning to balance ambition with joy. In a year when so many people feel stretched thin and overexposed, Chloe offers an honest look at burnout, identity, and what it really means to RECHARGE!

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai joins David Ko to discuss her new memoir Finding My Way and her journey of reclaiming her own story. She opens up about the weight of being thrust into the global spotlight as a teenager, the transformative role of college in helping her find her identity, and her candid experiences with mental health—including panic attacks and therapy. Malala reflects on the cultural stigmas around mental health in Pakistan, how she is redefining traditions for women and girls, and why sleep, friendship, and support systems are as vital as activism. In a year marked by global volatility, she offers a powerful reminder that even leaders need to rest, recharge, and find balance between tradition and modern life.

Dr. Vivek Murthy joins David to talk candidly about why mental health is “the defining public-health issue of our time,” and how leaders can protect their own battery and their teams’ well-being in a chaotic year. He lays out practical habits that fill (sleep, movement, meditation, time with loved ones) vs. drain (doom-scrolling, excess news, the wrong meetings) our “emotional tank,” and shares how modeling boundaries at work turns minutes of true presence into real impact. Murthy connects sleep to resilience (including his own shift from “badge-of-honor” sleep loss to disciplined routines), explains why loneliness is a health epidemic with physical consequences, and offers a simple prescription for volatile times: rebuild community through relationships, purpose, and service.

Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey opens up about his lifelong relationship with sleep, his fight against cynicism, and how belief shapes his outlook as a leader, parent, and partner. He shares how growing up in a household where “sleep was a sin” shaped his habits, why he’s unapologetically a 9½-hour sleeper now, and how daily rituals—from family dinners to naps, puzzles, or even quiet time with his wife—help him recharge. McConaughey also reflects on leadership as both responsibility and joy, the importance of solitude, and his vision of being inspired by “myself in ten years” and who his children are becoming.

This Fall, Recharge the Podcast by David Ko is back for Season 2 with deeper stories, new names, and more takeaways you can use every day. In honor of World Mental Health Day, this season turns the mic toward today’s most influential voices: CEOs reimagining leadership, athletes redefining resilience, and thought-leaders shaping culture worldwide.

From beating burnout to building connection, from overcoming loneliness to unlocking lasting well-being, these honest conversations aren’t just inspiring—they’re a roadmap for living and leading with purpose.

Subscribe now and join us on the path to recharging—one conversation at a time.