Calm CEO, David Ko, launches new ‘Recharge’ mental health podcast
Inspired by his book, “Recharge,” David Ko’s new podcast features insightful interviews about mental health with stars like Kevin Bacon, Jordan Chiles, and Common.
May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, and to kick things off, Calm CEO David Ko is launching a new mental health podcast, “Recharge with David Ko.”
This five-part limited podcast series explores the central question of his bestselling book, “Recharge: Boosting Your Mental Battery, One Conversation at a Time”: How do we recharge our mental energy when the world feels so draining?
In each episode, Ko engages in intimate, candid conversations with household names like Kevin Bacon and Chelsea Handler about their personal journeys, recharge techniques, and tips to manage mental wellness. Drawing from Ko’s own story and the themes of his book, the series aims to normalize mental health conversations, reduce stigma, and empower people to take better control of their own wellbeing.
🎙️ Listen to the Recharge podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you get your podcasts.
The concept behind Recharge
Many people think of the brain as a super computer, but Ko’s book and podcast are based on the idea that it’s actually more like a battery.
Every day, you use this battery to power decision-making, but exhaustion and mental health conditions including stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout can drain it quickly. Recharging it is necessary — but how? That’s what Ko aims to find out.
Episode 1 | Recharge with Kevin Bacon: From Footloose to Philanthropy
"You learn more from the bad experiences than you do from the good ones." — Kevin Bacon
Actor Kevin Bacon has worked in Hollywood for decades, but these days, he’s also focused on giving people tools for connection through his SixDegrees organization and the #IGETIT campaign, a new initiative promoting empathy, understanding, and meaningful action around mental health.
In addition to discussing this shift in his career and perspective, Bacon opens up to Ko about finding fame with “Footloose,” the challenges of voicing The Dream Boat Sleep Story, and how he defines success today.
🎙️ Tune into the podcast below or listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you get your podcasts.
3 key takeaways from episode 1
1. It’s okay to say no
Bacon says that for a long time, he was afraid to say no — and it shows: “My joke is that if you look on my IMDB, I have, like, over 100 movies and three of them are good!” Still, he adds, even his missteps were valuable. “I’ve never gone to work and walked away less knowledgeable than about what my craft was before,” he says. “You learn more from the bad experiences than you do from the good ones.”
2. Sensitivity and masculinity are linked
“I don’t see a separation between being masculine and being sensitive or compassionate or understanding of people who are different [from] you, or caring about women’s rights or social justice,” he says. “When you try to force your masculinity on people in some kind of macho way, I think it’s really just a mask for insecurity — and I am not insecure about my manhood.”
3. Check your ego
It’s easy to assume you know everything, and it’s important to remember you don’t. “The older I've gotten and the more experience that I've had, I've said [to myself], ‘Listen, you need to work at things. You need to learn. You need to listen to people. There are people who have things to offer you in your life, and you need to try to allow that,’” Bacon says.
Episode 2 | Recharge with Chelsea Handler: Unapologetic Resilience
“Be as unapologetic as I am about finding out who you really are … and refining yourself over and over.” — Chelsea Handler
Comedian Chelsea Handler talks to Ko about humor, healing, and the power of being yourself. She shares lessons from her childhood, how therapy “cracked me open,” and all the ways resilience has helped her create stronger connections. Handler’s experiences—some of which she outlines in her new book, “I’ll Have What She’s Having”—prove that growth and honesty go hand-in-hand.
🎙️ Tune into the podcast below or listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you get your podcasts.
Key takeaways from episode 2
1. Confidence comes with age
Handler shares that as she got older, she went to therapy, learned about meditation, and got comfortable being alone. "You become like a fine wine. You just keep getting better at being you," she says. "You kind of cultivate this innate security with whatever you do. And I think half of the battle of not being insecure. Not getting scared is to not take it so seriously. It's okay to be scared, and it's okay to be insecure, but you don't have to hide those things.”
2. Your presence is a present
Handler’s third grade teacher left an indelible mark on her. “[She] told me almost every single day, ‘You’re gonna be something special. You’re gonna be someone special.’ And to me, that is the best gift you can give any child,” she says. “When I see a kid that feels neglected, or any kid, I wanna always give them attention. To hear them and to be with them and to be really present with children, I think is one of the most important things that you can do.”
3. Don’t waste time wallowing
When Handler was in her twenties, she bombed an important set, and was sure her career was over. But the next time she went on stage, she nailed her performance, and ended up with a lucrative development deal from NBC the next day. “You never know what is coming around your corner. There is always a rainbow coming and you have to be ready to grab it when you see it,” she says. “You can't sit in your pity party for too long. Every failure is just one step closer to your success.”
Episode 3 | Recharge with Jordan Chiles: Olympic Triumphs & Resilience
“Have fun. We only have one life to live.” — Jordan Chiles
Olympic champion Jordan Chiles joins Ko for a memorable talk about excellence, authenticity, and the power of self-expression. Not only does she dish on her viral performances and her friendship with Simone Biles, but she also reflects on finding the strength to overcome negativity. Chiles’ journey is all about resilience and inspiring the next generation to be bold.
🎙️ Tune into the podcast below or listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you get your podcasts.
Key takeaways from episode 3
1. You aren’t necessarily what you do
“I want to be able to inspire the younger generation to understand that your sport doesn’t define who you are. You can define everything around you,” Chiles says. “So I always have fun. I have fun everywhere I go.”
2. Don’t engage with negativity
Chiles’ 2024 bronze medal remains in contention after the Court of Arbitration argued that the U.S. coach appealed her score a few seconds too late. Chiles, who just released a new book, “I’m That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams,” says she sees the situation as “a blessing in disguise.”
“I'm very thankful that I had the right support around me and at the lowest time of my life,” she says. “I can say that my heart is back and better and that I'm just pushing forward and letting all the other people on the outside continue to fight. I'm continuing to fight and kind of just be me. I'm enjoying everything about life. I mean, what more can I do?”
3. Strength doesn’t come easily
Chiles says her father always told her that even her lowest lows “will always be a chapter in my book.”
“Everything that happened is a chapter in my book from my trauma, from me getting my braids cut off [to] me having racist comments from people telling me to hang myself, [to] me being suicidal. All these things. And it's more of a way to show how strong I became, because it didn't happen overnight,” she says. “I didn't become this strong overnight. It was gradually something that I was teaching myself every single day: ‘Look, this is just a chapter. Let's move on.’ It's getting stronger, getting stronger.”
Episode 4 | Recharge with Common: Rhythms of Resilience
“I never wanted to win the lottery, brother. I wanted to earn the things I have and get the things I envisioned.” — Common
Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy winner Common joins Ko to discuss creativity and living with purpose. In a soulful conversion, the singer reflects on how he stays mentally strong and what he wants others to know about protecting their own wellbeing. With wisdom and warmth, Common, who also authored the book, “And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self,” shares lessons on ambition, humility, and the power of art.
🎙️ Tune into the podcast below or listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you get your podcasts.
Key takeaways from episode 4
1. You have to put in the work
Common grew up with a mother who took privileges away when he didn’t try his best to excel. This taught him the value of hard work. As an adult, “I never wanted to win the lottery, brother. I wanted to earn the things I have and get the things I envisioned because I understood the journey means so much more,” he says.
2. Preparation is key
Common shares that he was doing a speaking engagement with Dr. Maya Angelo and he “tried to improv.” While people applauded for him and told him that he did a good job, his mother chided him for not being more polished.
“I was a little defensive at the time, but I knew deep down inside what she was saying was correct,” he says, “I owe it to people… to take time to prepare because they're given their time and people, if they show up, they want something. They want some inspiration. They want something that they can leave with.”
3. Self-acceptance is a journey
“When I lost my hair, I was really young. … [but] it taught me to be able to show myself to the world for all that I am. That means the things that people might laugh at, some things that people might squirm at,” Common says. “Some people might judge it, and it freed me up, David. It freed me up, man.”
4. Music is powerful
Common creates music in part because it’s “a divine thing.” “It's the divinity in it that has allowed me to connect with so many walks of life and human beings,” he says, “and I think it could serve as a healing mechanism.”
Episode 5 | Recharge with Sheryl Lee Ralph: Emmy Magic & Unstoppable Joy
[COMING SOON] Episode 5 launches on May 28. Check back here for more details.
‘Recharge’ the book by David Ko
“Recharge: Boosting Your Mental Battery, One Conversation at a Time” is a must-have guide to mental wellness, full of practical strategies to reduce stress, boost resilience, and increase work-life balance.
In addition to sharing personal anecdotes from his life and career in Silicon Valley, Ko speaks candidly with mental health experts, thought leaders, and entertainers all about how they manage their mental health.
The book also features a powerful foreword from Jack Rowe, former CEO of Aetna and a professor at Harvard Medical School, about the importance of mental health.
Not only does “Recharge” provide actionable tips for anyone looking to feel mentally strong, but it also helps to shatter the stigma associated with mental health struggles.
You’ll learn new ways to recharge your battery — and support a great cause too. All proceeds from “Recharge” will benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
