Episode 52

Walking Away from the Money Trap w/ Ross Guttler (Ep #52)

June 5, 2026

00:58:55

Ross Guttler was 21 years old, sitting in an investment banking interview, when he asked himself: "What do I even want this money for?" He pulled out of every interview and moved to Aspen to wait tables. A decade later, making great money in Phoenix real estate, he did it again - walked away right before the big checks would have come. Then he did it a third time.Ross is the founder of House of Blue Lotus, former CEO of The Open Center (NYC's largest urban spiritual center, 450 programs/year, 50-person staff), and co-author of the WELL Building Standard - a healthy-building certification now in 140+ countries. He also studied under Deepak Chopra (whose board he served on) and attended one of Ram Dass's final retreats.What you'll take away:Why the "money trap" gets harder to escape every year - and how watching half his colleagues get divorced in the 2008 crash made Ross leave before it was too lateThe "you-ist you" test: a single question for evaluating whether a relationship or job is right for youHow your home may be actively working against your health - and what Ross learned building a company around fixing itLinks mentioned:House of Blue LotusRoss on Instagram: @rossguttlerFollow Curiosity Class:YouTubeSpotifyApple PodcastsLinkedInInterested in sponsoring? curiosityclasspod@gmail.com

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Ross Guttler was 21 years old, sitting in an investment banking interview, when he asked himself: "What do I even want this money for?" He pulled out of every interview and moved to Aspen to wait tables. A decade later, making great money in Phoenix real estate, he did it again - walked away right before the big checks would have come. Then he did it a third time. Ross is the founder of House of Blue Lotus, former CEO of The Open Center (NYC's largest urban spiritual center, 450 programs/year, 50-person staff), and co-author of the WELL Building Standard - a healthy-building certification now in 140+ countries. He also studied under Deepak Chopra (whose board he served on) and attended one of Ram Dass's final retreats. What you'll take away: Why the "money trap" gets harder to escape every year - and how watching half his colleagues get divorced in the 2008 crash made Ross leave before it was too lateThe "you-ist you" test: a single question for evaluating whether a relationship or job is right for youHow your home may be actively working against your health - and what Ross learned building a company around fixing it Links mentioned: House of Blue Lotus Ross on Instagram: @rossguttler Follow Curiosity Class: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts LinkedIn Interested in sponsoring? curiosityclasspod@gmail.com

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