Marc Champagne is the author of Personal Socrates: Better Questions, Better Lives, a book that distills the wisdom of great thinkers—from Marcus Aurelius to Rosa Parks, Ryan Holiday to Kobe Bryant—to show us how asking the right questions can unlock entirely new possibilities in our lives. He’s also the host of Behind the Human, a podcast where he explores the thinking habits of some of the most successful minds of our time.

But Marc’s insights aren’t just about high achievers. He believes anyone can benefit from learning to ask better questions—whether you’re making a big life decision, navigating challenges, or simply trying to be more present in your daily life.

And that’s exactly what we talked about when he joined for this interview. Never have I had an interview that has such a clear and succinct message as this one with this episode’s guest, Marc Champagne. Through the entirety of t

We are all just one question away from a different life.

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The Art of Asking the Right Questions

Marc’s passion for better questions didn’t start in a philosophy class—it started, as it does for many, with a rock-bottom moment. He was the founder of a journaling app that had reached an astonishing 86.9 million people—but one day, he found himself staring at that number on his screen, about to press delete on the entire project.

The app was failing financially, and shutting it down felt like deleting his own identity. He’d poured years into it, believing it would be his legacy—and because of that, in that dark moment, his mind was filled with all the wrong questions. ‘How did I fail?’ ‘What will people think?’ ‘Where do I even go from here?’

Then, a single question from a mentor changed everything. Chip Conley, the renowned entrepreneur and author, responded to Marc’s plea for advice with just one sentence:

“What do you want for your life?”

That question snapped Marc out of his downward spiral. It gave him space to pause—to stop dwelling on failure and start thinking about what was possible.

And that’s the heart of his message: Questions have power. The right question, asked at the right time, can shift your mindset, open new doors, and put you on an entirely different path.

So how do we start asking better questions?

Marc shared a fascinating insight from legendary journalist Cal Fussman, who built a career interviewing world leaders and cultural icons. Fussman’s trick?

He wrote down every question he could think of before an interview—then ripped up the list.

Why? Because the best questions don’t come from a script. They come from being fully present in a conversation. Instead of rapid-firing pre-planned questions, he trusted that once he organized his thoughts on the subject, the right question would surface at the right moment.

That’s something we can all apply to our day-to-day—whether we’re in a meeting, talking to a loved one, or reflecting on our own lives. Instead of relying on pre-scripted assumptions, we can learn to listen more deeply and let the right questions emerge.

Marc also offered a practical tip for tapping into our own wisdom:

🔹 Go to sleep with a question on your mind.

It’s a simple habit, but it’s one that great thinkers throughout history have used to unlock insights and breakthroughs. Instead of falling asleep with worries plaguing your thoughts, pose a question to yourself—something like, ‘What’s a fresh approach to this challenge?’ or ‘What really matters most here?’ 

Our subconscious works on these problems overnight, and we often wake up with a clearer perspective on them in the morning.

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Lessons from Kobe Bryant: The Mamba Mentality

Marc’s book highlights thinkers across all walks of life—philosophers, athletes, activists, and artists. One of my favorite examples was James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits. His guiding question?

“Who am I optimizing to become?”

It’s easy to feel stuck in our routines. But the truth is, we are always becoming something—the question is who and what we are building toward (and whether we’re doing it on purpose, with purpose.)

James Clear’s approach focuses on tiny, daily improvements—just 1% better each day, 1% closer to your goal. Those small shifts, when stacked over time, can lead to profound transformations. So instead of thinking, ‘How do I change my life overnight?’ a better question might be:

What’s one small change I can make today that will move me in the right direction?

One of the more surprising names in Marc’s book—discussed, not just for his athletic talent, but for his philosophical approach to life—was Kobe Bryant. His guiding question?

“How do I get to the rim?”

For Kobe, “the rim” wasn’t just the basketball hoop—it was the big goal, the ultimate vision—becoming the legend that we remember him as today. Getting there required daily discipline and mental stamina. One of Kobe’s practices was to get in four workouts a day instead of the typical three. Of course, he couldn’t magically stuff more time into the day, so his fourth workout happened before sunrise. 

Was he excited to leave his warm bed at 4:30 AM? No. But he didn’t negotiate with himself—because he had already decided that this was the work it would take to reach his goal.

Marc paired this insight with Mel Robbins’ “5-4-3-2-1” method—the idea that as soon as your alarm goes off, don’t think, don’t negotiate—just get up and go.

And that’s what makes Marc’s book so valuable: it’s not just about lofty ideas—it’s about practical tools we can use right now.

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We Are ALL One Question Away

One of the greatest takeaways from my conversation with Marc is:

The human condition hasn’t changed. The world might feel chaotic, but people have been facing uncertainty, fear, and self-doubt for centuries—and they’ve found ways through it.

The difference between being stuck and moving forward is often as simple as the questions we ask ourselves.

🔹 Instead of Why is this happening to me? → Ask What can I learn from this?
🔹 Instead of What if I fail? → Ask What if this actually works?
🔹 Instead of What’s the worst that can happen? → Ask What’s the best that could happen?

If we shift our mindset even slightly, new doors start to open. New opportunities appear, and we realize that we have far more control over our future than we ever imagined.

So maybe today, the most important question you can ask yourself is:

“What’s the one question I’ve been avoiding—but need to ask?“

It just might change your life.

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Want more of Marc Champagne’s insights?
📖 Read his book: Personal Socrates: Better Questions, Better Lives
🎧 Listen to his podcast: Behind the HumanAnd if you’re looking for more conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to The Conspiracy of Goodness Podcast—where we highlight the people proving it’s still an amazing world.

• Book: Personal Socrates: Questions That Will Upgrade Your Life from Legends & World-Class Performers by Marc Champagne
• Podcast: Behind the Human with Marc Champagne
• Website: Marc Chamapagne
• Dr. Srikumar Rao’s CoG Episode #5

• 00:00 — Intro & Welcome
• 03:20 — The One Question That Can Change Your Life
• 08:14 — Stoicism and the Art of Asking Better Questions
• 12:23 — Mark’s Personal Journey: From Rock Bottom to Reinvention
• 19:55 — The App That Reached 86 Million People… and Was Deleted
• 24:30 — Mental Fitness: Training Your Mind to Work for You
• 27:53 — Break
• 30:15 — Lessons from Great Thinkers
• 52:39 —  We All Have the Answers Inside Us
• 57:05 — Closing