Against The Norm – Details, episodes & analysis

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Against The Norm

Norman Calvo

Health & Fitness

Leisure

Frequency: 1 episode/19d. Total Eps: 10

It’s all about creating a thrilling, adventurous and extraordinarily healthy life as we continue to age. Most importantly, it is about living life to the fullest—daring to go against the grain of average and ‘what is expected’. Instead, to bravely go against the norm to lead an incredibly exciting life.

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Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - nutrition
22/07/2026
#91
🇺🇸 USA - nutrition
10/06/2026
#95
🇺🇸 USA - nutrition
09/06/2026
#94

Spotify

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Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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https://againstthenorm.net
12 shares
https://www.saviopclemente.com/
2 shares
https://substack.com/@richardsparks
2 shares

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RSS feed quality

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Score global : 48%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

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Latest published episodes

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He Lost 190 Pounds and Kept It Off for 17 Years. Here's How.

Tuesday, July 21, 2026 • Duration 33:40

At age 49, Stanley Bronstein weighed 367 pounds and was headed down a dangerous path. He had tried diets, quick fixes, and temporary solutions for years. Nothing lasted.

Then everything changed.

Today, more than 17 years later, Stanley has lost nearly 190 pounds and kept it off—without surgery, without weight-loss drugs, and without the shortcuts that so many people rely on today.

In this candid conversation, Stanley shares the mindset shifts that finally worked, why most people regain the weight they lose, and the simple daily habits that transformed his health and his life.

We also discuss the growing popularity of GLP-1 medications, the dangers of seeking quick fixes, how to recover after setbacks, and why perfection is often the enemy of progress.

If you've ever struggled with weight, fitness, aging, or making lasting changes in your life, this episode offers a powerful reminder that it's never too late to start over.

In this episode:

How Stanley lost nearly 190 pounds and kept it off for 17 years
Why most diets fail in the long run
His controversial take on GLP-1 weight-loss drugs
The importance of mindset and personal responsibility
Why "Are you willing?" may be the most important question you'll ever ask yourself
How to recover when you inevitably fall off track
The difference between perfection and excellence
Why getting older doesn't have to mean getting weaker

Stanley's final message is simple:

"Kick ass. I'm going to get started right now."

That's exactly how you'll feel when this episode ends.

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The Courage to Stay Curious with Richard Sparks

Season 1

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 • Duration 01:07:23

A retired schoolteacher becomes a fantasy hero. A television comedy writer discovers online gaming. A lifelong creator refuses to slow down at 75.

Meet Richard Sparks—Oxford graduate, television writer, novelist, and author of the “New Rock” series.

Richard shares stories from a remarkable career that includes writing comedy, working alongside some of Britain's most influential creative talents, and eventually finding inspiration in an unexpected place: online gaming.

But this conversation isn't really about fantasy novels or video games.

It's about curiosity.

It's about remaining open to new experiences long after most people believe they're supposed to have life figured out.

Richard offers a refreshing perspective on retirement, creativity, and what it means to continue growing as we age. We discuss why so many people abandon their passions too early, how creativity evolves over a lifetime, the importance of community and adventure, and why "doing what you love" remains some of the best advice at any age.

Whether you're approaching retirement, already retired, or simply wondering what your next chapter might look like, Richard's story is a powerful reminder that meaningful work, learning, and personal growth don't have an expiration date.

Enjoyed this conversation?
Subscribe to Against the Norm, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make the next chapter of life their most adventurous yet.

To learn more about Richard Sparks, read his writing, and follow his latest adventures, visit him here:

Connect with Richard Sparks:

Substack: https://substack.com/@richardsparks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardsparks_author/
YouTube:

Doctors Said “Let Him Go.” Instead, He Built an Extraordinary Life | Ken Kunken

Thursday, June 11, 2026 • Duration 48:36

At age 20, Ken Kunken broke his neck making a routine tackle during a Cornell football game. Doctors told his family he probably wouldn’t survive the week — and if he did, he would spend the rest of his life in a nursing home.They even said: “If he were my son, I’d let him go.”But Ken refused to let that prediction define him.

In this deeply moving episode of Against the Norm, Ken shares how he returned to Cornell University just months after becoming paralyzed, eventually became a successful trial attorney, found love, married, and became the father of triplet boys at age 54. This conversation is not just about overcoming adversity. It’s about purpose, resilience, family, identity, and refusing to let other people define what your life can become. Ken’s story is a powerful reminder that even when life changes in an instant, meaning, joy, and contribution are still possible. We discuss:

Surviving a catastrophic spinal cord injury
Depression, hope, and rebuilding identity
Returning to Cornell in a wheelchair before accessibility laws existed
Becoming a lawyer and helping others with disabilities
Marriage, fatherhood, and raising triplets
Why purpose matters at every stage of life
The mindset that kept him moving forward for over 50 years

Ken’s Links
📘 Memoir: I Dream of Things That Never Were
🌐 Website: Kenneth Kunken's Website
📸 Instagram:
@ken.kunken
▶️ YouTube:
Ken Kunken YouTube Channel
📘 Facebook:
Ken Kunken Facebook Page

Reinventing a Life in Paris--American Runaway by Audrey Edwards

Saturday, May 16, 2026 • Duration 01:02:08

What happens when you reach retirement age… and realize you’re not ready to simply “settle down”?

In this fascinating and deeply personal conversation, journalist and author, Audrey Edwards, shares the emotional story behind her decision to leave America after the 2016 election and begin a completely different life in Paris at nearly 70 years old.

But this episode is about far more than politics.

Audrey opens up about fear, reinvention, aging, risk-taking, identity, race, retirement, loneliness, freedom, and what it really means to create a life that still feels alive and meaningful later in life.

We talk about:

Why so many people stay trapped in lives that no longer inspire them
The emotional side of starting over in your 60s and 70s
Learning to live in a foreign culture without speaking the language
Why Paris changed the way she experiences life
The difference between comfort and fulfillment
Retirement, purpose, and the question: “Retire to what?”
Why risk-taking becomes even more important as we age
The surprising cultural differences between America and France
What truly makes a place feel like “home”

Audrey’s stories are funny, thoughtful, moving, and incredibly honest — from freezing winters in tiny Paris apartments to discovering a completely different rhythm of life abroad.

This is a conversation about courage, reinvention, and refusing to coast through the later chapters of life.

Audrey’s memoir:
American Runaway: Black and Free in Paris in the Trump Years

https://www.facebook.com/audrey.edwards.260471

If you enjoy stories about reinvention, purpose, travel, and living boldly later in life, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

His Life Fell Apart… So He Walked Away for 14 Years

Season 1 · Episode 6

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 • Duration 49:51

What would you do if your entire life collapsed all at once?

When Ray Martin’s marriage ended, his business unraveled, and his father died within the same period of time, he found himself emotionally shattered and completely lost. What was supposed to be a six-month sabbatical turned into a 14-year journey across Asia, Europe, and deep into himself.

In this fascinating conversation, Ray shares how a successful CEO with all the “right” badges of success slowly realized he was living a life built around other people’s expectations—not his own.

Along the way, he:

Ran marathons for charity
Worked with elephant sanctuaries and orphanages
Learned meditation in a silent Buddhist retreat
Became a leadership coach in Asia
Randomly auditioned for — and landed — the lead role in a stage play with no acting experience
And ultimately rebuilt his life around meaning, freedom, intuition, and service

This episode is about far more than travel or reinvention.

It’s about what happens when you finally stop asking:
“What am I supposed to do with my life?”

…and start asking:
“What actually feels true to me?”

If you’ve ever felt stuck, restless, burned out, or quietly disconnected from the life you built, this conversation may hit very close to home.

To learn more about Ray Martin, his book, coaching, and his journey of reinvention, visit:

Website:
https://lifewithoutatie.com/

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachraymartin/

Cancer Didn’t Break Him—It Forced Him to Ask the Question Most Men Avoid

Season 1 · Episode 4

Monday, April 20, 2026 • Duration 38:14

After surviving cancer twice, he discovered the one question that can wake up any man who feels stuck—and most men never ask it.

What would you do if life hit you with cancer… not once, but twice?

Most people would shut down. Most would ask, “Why me?”
But today’s guest, Savio Clemente, asked a very different—and far more powerful—question:

“Did I live the life I was meant to live… and what do I do now?”

In this deeply honest and thought-provoking conversation, Savio shares how facing two life-threatening diagnoses didn’t break him—it transformed him. What followed wasn’t just recovery… it was a complete reimagining of how to live, how to find meaning, and how to move forward with purpose.

But this episode isn’t just about cancer.

It’s about something far more relevant to many men in their 60s and beyond:
👉 drifting
👉 losing direction
👉 and quietly wondering if the best years are already behind them

We tackle the real questions:

How do you find purpose when there’s no crisis forcing you to change?
Why is joy the first thing you should focus on—not legacy?
What does it actually mean to “take inventory” of your life?
And how do you let go of regret before it defines your future?

Savio also shares powerful insights on resilience, identity, and what he calls “adaptive resilience”—the ability not just to bounce back, but to evolve.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, restless, or unsure what comes next…
this conversation might hit closer to home than you expect.

Connect with Savio Clemente:

Website: https://www.saviopclemente.com/

From Princeton to Mount Shasta: Peace, Presence, and Purpose Through Living Inside Out

Season 1 · Episode 4

Friday, February 20, 2026 • Duration 44:03

In this episode of Against the Norm, Norman Calvo sits down with fellow Princeton grad Andrew “Andy” Oser—a man who’s lived an unmistakably “against the norm” life.

After founding a nonprofit that served over 50,000 inner-city youth in Washington, D.C. through tennis and wellness programs, Andy has spent the last two decades guiding spiritual retreats at sacred sites on Mount Shasta.

This conversation is for anyone—especially men in their 60s and 70s—who has spent a lifetime playing the “outer game” and is now asking: What’s next?

We talk about:

Outside-in vs. inside-out living
Why striving can become a trap (even when you “win”)
How tennis taught Andy a radically different way to live (The Inner Game of Tennis)
Using breaks (like in tennis) to reset your nervous system during the day
Why nature helps us access the “real self” more quickly
Authenticity, purpose, and the surprising power of gratitude

Links & resources:

Resources mentioned

The Inner Game of Tennis — Timothy Gallwey
The Inner Game of Work — Timothy Gallwey
Thich Nhat Hanh (using your phone as a “mindfulness bell”)
Meister Eckhart (attributed): “Gratitude is the only prayer you need.”

Links:

https://mountshastaretreat.net/about/

https://www.facebook.com/andrew.oser1

Chosen Suffering: How Men Over 60 Get Fit (Without Waiting for a Health Scare)

Season 1 · Episode 2

Thursday, February 12, 2026 • Duration 51:47

What does it actually take for a man in his 60s or 70s to get fitter—especially if he hasn’t worked out in decades?

In this episode of Against the Norm, Norman Calvo sits down with his personal trainer and strength coach Brandon Chu (Liv Method, Manhattan), who shares a refreshingly real roadmap for older men: start smaller than you think, build consistency first, and use accountability to make it stick.

You’ll hear:

Why most men don’t change until a doctor or scare forces it
The “momentum” approach: tiny steps that actually lead somewhere
Why gyms feel intimidating—and how to lower the barrier to entry
The simple truth about muscle loss, bone density, strength training, and protein as we age
The mindset shift Brandon calls “chosen suffering”: pick the discomfort now, or pay for it later

This one is practical, funny, and motivating—especially if you’re thinking, “I should really start… but I don’t know how.”

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How to Start Something New—Without Fear of Failing (with Ron Drotos)

Season 1 · Episode 1

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 • Duration 43:34

In this first full episode of Against the Norm, host Norman Calvo sits down with Ron Drotos—acclaimed pianist, musical director, and Norman’s collaborator on his one-man cabaret show—to talk about something most adults struggle with: starting something new without letting fear, perfectionism, or past mistakes stop us.

Ron shares powerful insights from decades of teaching musicians, singers, and performers of all levels—including stories from Carnegie Hall, Broadway, and his long-running cabaret workshops in Fairbanks, Alaska. Together, Norman and Ron explore why adults become so afraid of making mistakes, how early experiences can shape lifelong insecurities, and why learning anything new—singing, piano, fitness, or even a foreign language—is really about building new neural pathways, not instant success.

This conversation reframes learning as a joyful, process-driven experience rather than a performance test. Ron explains why progress is rarely linear, why perfection is a modern illusion, and how community, consistency, and curiosity matter far more than talent. Norman also shares personal stories from his own journey into singing and performance later in life—and how doing something creative at 70 has been one of the most energizing experiences of his life.

If you’ve ever thought “I’m too old,” “I’m not good at this,” or “I don’t want to embarrass myself,” this episode is a reminder that growth doesn’t come from staying on the path—it comes from going a little further than feels comfortable.

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Podcast Trailer--Against the Norm

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 • Duration 02:25

A short introduction to Against the Norm—a podcast for people who aren’t done yet and are ready to create a bold, energized next chapter in their life.

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