The Answers Are Not On The Surface
A peer-to-peer podcast about the nervous system, movement, nutrition and identity-level change. Hosted by Keith Simmonds Jr. and Eric. Real conversation, not a motivational highlight reel.
This Is Not That Podcast
Most podcasts about health and personal development will tell you to eat better, move more, and think positive. This is not that podcast.
Above Xpectations exists for the person who has already tried the surface-level solutions and found them empty. The one who knows what they should be doing and still can't figure out why they aren't doing it. The one who is not broken but is tired of operating like something is.
That person deserves a real conversation. Not a motivational highlight reel. Not a sponsored supplement stack. A real conversation about what is actually happening beneath the patterns, the plateaus, and the quiet frustration of knowing you are capable of more and not being able to close the gap.
At a Glance
- Hosts: Keith Simmonds Jr. and Eric
- Format: Peer-to-peer conversation
- Episodes: 12 and counting
- Topics: Nervous system, movement, nutrition, identity
- Listen: Spotify, clips on YouTube
Three Things To Know
What We Talk About
Above Xpectations sits at the intersection of neuroscience, movement, nutrition, and identity-level transformation. Every episode is built around one belief: the body and the mind are not separate systems. They are one system operating from a root, and until that root is understood, every strategy applied above it is temporary.
We go into the nervous system, movement, nutrition as biological information, and the mind using real frameworks drawn from Polyvagal Theory, epigenetics, somatic practice, and Jungian psychology, translated into language that is direct, grounded, and immediately applicable to real life.
How It Sounds
This is not expert-to-audience content. It is peer-to-peer. The conversations here come from lived experience and years of working at the root level with real people navigating real difficulty. You will not be talked down to. You will be met where you are, given frameworks that make sense of what you have already been experiencing, and pointed toward the level of change that actually lasts.
Who It Is For
Anyone who is done circling the same problems. Anyone ready to stop managing symptoms and start addressing sources. If you have ever felt like you were doing everything right and still not getting where you want to go, this podcast was made for you.
The answers you have been looking for are not on the surface. Neither is this show.
Browse The Conversations
12 episodes
Ep 1 We've Been in Your Shoes5 Jan 2026
Keith and Eric have known each other for 25 years. Over that time, they've faced obstacles, setbacks, and moments that tested them in every way. Each challenge shaped them, making them stronger, wiser, and more humble. This isn't a welcome introduction. It's a message of understanding. They've been where you are, and they're here to prove that growth, redemption, and purpose are possible.
Ep 2 When Healing Becomes Another Job12 Jan 2026
Join Eric and Keith this week as they discuss the highs and lows of the healing process and get into their own personal experiences.
Ep 3 Your Body Isn't Broken, It's Protecting You20 Jan 2026
Your symptoms are not proof that you're failing. They're proof that your system learned to survive.
Ep 4 Living vs Surviving26 Jan 2026
This week, we dive into living vs surviving, the difference between the two, signs to look out for and our own experiences.
Ep 5 Course-Correction Without Collapse7 Feb 2026
Moving forward doesn't require you to be cruel to yourself. It requires you to stop confusing pressure with progress.
Ep 6 The Art of Reconditioning9 Feb 2026
Healing is BORING! You don't think your way into change. You train your way into it. Real change happens after insight, after survival, after motivation fades. This is about retraining the body, mind, and identity through repetition and safety.
Ep 7 Reconditioning in the Real World17 Feb 2026
Growth doesn't create peace first. It creates tension. That tension isn't regression. It's recalibration.
Ep 8 The Language of Positive Narratives24 Feb 2026
Most people think a positive narrative means pretending everything is fine. That's not what we're talking about. We're talking about the language that either stabilizes your system... or keeps it frozen.
Ep 9 Family and How They Shape You9 Mar 2026
We all have them whether we like them or not. This week we talk about families and how they mold the person you were, are and will become.
Ep 10 Relationships and How They Can Make or Break Us16 Mar 2026
You're not bad at relationships. You're just addicted to confusing chemistry with compatibility, and that's where the complications begin.
Ep 11 The War Inside and the One Outside20 Apr 2026
The most intense battles often happen in our own head long before anyone else notices.
Ep 12 The Consumer Default27 Apr 2026
Society is architecturally designed to make consumption effortless and creation friction-heavy. Scrolling is a reflex; building requires a decision. The first act of a creator mindset is choosing to interrupt that default.
Podcast FAQ
What is the Above Xpectations Podcast?
The Above Xpectations Podcast is a peer-to-peer show from Keith Simmonds Jr. and Eric about the nervous system, movement, nutrition and identity-level change. It is made for people who have tried surface-level solutions and want to understand what sits beneath the patterns.
Who hosts the podcast?
The podcast is hosted by Keith Simmonds Jr., a Movement & Mindset Coach and founder of Above Xpectations in Leonardo, New Jersey, and Eric, who has known Keith for 25 years.
Where can I listen?
You can listen on Spotify, and find clips on YouTube at Above Xpectations Shorts. Episode links and the full episode list are on this page.
How often do new episodes come out?
Episodes have been released roughly weekly. Follow the show on Spotify to get new episodes as they publish.
Is the podcast medical advice?
No. The show is educational and personal conversation, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk to a licensed clinician about any health concern.
The podcast is educational and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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