Do you want to infuse more joy, connection, and intention into your daily life? Tune into this week's episode of Elements of Community as host Lucas Root sits down with Sherri Richards, founder of Good Fat Life magazine and whole living enthusiast. Sherri shares how a profound sense of community and simple practices like “operational smiles” has powered her own inspired path - one focused on curiosity over blah blah blah.

Together, Lucas and Sherri explore how shared experiences can ripple out in positive ways, sparking more lightness and possibility for health in ourselves and our world. You’ll come away reminded of the community’s magic and excited to embrace a more vibrant, youthful approach to each new day. Don’t miss this uplifting conversation!

Um,

Sherri Richards: well hi hi Lucas thank you so much for having me I'm

so delighted honored humbled to be here and all of the above right

to to get to share some time with you Sedona was magic Sedona was it was one of those trips You know it was for our doc lab for our Ph.D to support each other in that journey.

Little, little nuggets all along the weekend just made my heart sing. So thank you.

Lucas Root: And we we actually got to experience what good fat means to me as well.

Sherri Richards: Yes, we did. Yes, we did. In the in the food that you cooked, cause you were the head chef for our meals and that was, and you embody, you practice what you preach and. And I loved that too. And I learned how to sharpen my knives. So it's easier to cut through things, which is huge in a meditative way.

And this issue that we just got yesterday, the new issue is. Has your recipes in it for a lunar New Year feast, which we which we will be making and hosting for our February 10th workshop,

Lucas Root: Oh, so much fun. Hmm.

Sherri Richards: the words. Right.

Lucas Root: That's how I feel about food. It's so much fun.

Sherri Richards: It's just so much fun, right?

Sherri Richards: Well, and that just adds, you know, another, it just notches it up a level for how special this all is.

Lucas Root: Hmm. Certainly for me. Yeah.

Sherri Richards: Yeah. Well, for me too, and for, like I said, for our community and for the people that are involved in sharing the preparation process, testing and, you know, and then, and then it comes with the the presentation, right? The plates, the flatware, the ambiance and all of that. So, so I look forward to having that discussion with you about creating the atmosphere and the ambiance for the event, too.

Oh,

Sherri Richards: Six.

Lucas Root: Six. Amazing.

Um You know, you can, you can carry around nuts, but the rest of it. So we developed a good fat snack that Absolutely delicious. And but I found what I was just so drawn to was the education piece is people were, people were asking all the time, well, how do I eat? What do I eat? What's keto? What's Mediterranean?

So we have the magazine now and we have the podcast and we have workshops and we have pop up events. We have challenges and we just sold out at Barnes and Noble. So,

Lucas Root: That's so amazing. So for the listeners who are tuned in right now 83 percent of adults in the United States are metabolically impaired. And most of them are metabolically impaired by being by, by eating poorly. And the result of their diet and lifestyle choices have them overweight or obese, 83%.

Number two, if you're if you are an evolutionarist and the world was created 5,000,000,000 years ago, we did not evolve to all be overweight. Imagine A whole bunch of overweight people who are borderline needing wheelchairs to get around trying to hunt and bring home literally the bacon in order for them to survive.

Like, this is not the way we were created again, either by God or by evolution. And if you look around at the world today and that's what you're seeing, it is not the result of genetic mistakes. I'm going to repeat that. It is not the result of genetic mistakes. You inherited the genes of a hunter. You inherited the genes of someone who can go out into the forest and bring home the bacon.

Sherri Richards: I love that. That is just hearing you say those words. You know, like we, we were born with the body of a hunter is inspiring.

Lucas Root: Hmm

Sherri Richards: Because it's, it's our essence,

Sherri Richards: Alzheimer's is now defined as type three diabetes, which is essentially lifestyle.

Lucas Root: Yeah, it's a lifestyle disease. If you're spending your entire life eating poor fat and taking medications that full out of your blood, well, we all know that our entire brain is made purely of fat. What do you suppose is going to happen to your brain if you don't give it the tools that it needs to continue to rebuild itself?

It's going to fall apart.

Sherri Richards: right, And I loved when you were talking about, then with the conversation we had about the cells. You know, like the cells of our body that holds our form to keep us from being puddles on the ground with a skeleton require fat to be healthy and function.

Okay Okay

Sherri Richards: Yeah. That was, just eye opening and that's why I, still appreciate you being, being in our community and bringing your wealth because I, I didn't know that. You know, full disclosure, I didn't know that. And since I heard that, it's, it's holy shnikes. And so I started I talked to Dr.

Kimberly to do research around that, right? Because it's so important.

Lucas Root: Like, how do you think this 80 percent water column holds itself together? By magic? I mean, yes, it is magic. It's absolutely amazing magic. And also, you know, we need this thing that holds the water together, and keeps it in shape, and keeps it in form, and makes it possible for us to do weird things like walk and talk.

Hmm.

Lucas Root: Full storyabout that. This, this is, after all, a community podcast.

Sherri Richards: it is a community podcast, and that was the epitome the essence of community and, Lucas is very fit and athletic and strong, and I am I wouldn't describe myself in those directions, but I, I love doing, I, I'm up for an adventure. How's that? I'm up for adventure and I never look at it as like, oh, I can't do that.

I'm like.

Lucas Root: Now, this particular adventure starts out with some crazy young guy, me, saying we should get at 4:30 in the morning and and go for a night hike.

It is, like I said, pitch black, the stars are out though. It's a gorgeous night and it's crispy. But we did have there are some of us that don't like to be cold. And there was that energy of, it could be really cold, so wear lots of layers so that you're comfortable, right? So, so anyway, so we start at the mountain, it's dark we're seeing the stars, and like, all is good until it's flat, but then you get to parts of the mountain where it's literally dark.

Right? So, so, and to make a longer story short on the way down my quad, my quad muscles are just like, I don't know. I just don't know because they were tired. They were tired. It was what a one mile hike up. And they, and they were tired and Lucas was and some of the other was just like, don't worry, I gotcha.

And there was such a community aspect around that, that it was magic. It was beyond magic. I will never forget that moment. In fact, that, photo is on the cover of this new magazine that just came out. So it was magic and

Lucas Root: listening and wants to see the magic, go buy the issue.

Sherri Richards: Yeah, there you go. Go buy it. And the two things really came away from me that day is really the power of community community that has the, let me say that the essence of. We're all in this together and how can we lift each other up? It was, there was no sense of there was no sense of me. I didn't feel less than because I wasn't as strong, right?

It's time, you know, it bubbled up some weaknesses that I had or areas that I would like to be better at. So, you know, I took the steps to, strengthen, strengthen my quads.

Lucas Root: That's amazing.

Sherri Richards: Right. Right. So it's all good.

Lucas Root: Yeah.

Sherri Richards: Exactly. Exactly. Or, you know, help provide a helping hand for the next person. So that's it's global. It's not just one thing.

Lucas Root: Yeah. Lovely. So, so you got to experience a really loving container. What did you do with that? Where did you take that? And how did that impact your life? In the last 3 months since then. Silence.

Lucas Root: Silence.

Yeah

Silence. Silence.

Sherri Richards: So, I can trust my blood sugar every day or every, you know, couple hours.

And I'm learning, Lucas, I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm learning. I just got curious, what's my body doing? Great. And so I get that I'm, you know, I need some strength in some areas and I'm, you know, taking Pilates three or four times a week. And I now added yeah, yeah, but just physically.

So that's a big deal for my family and my grandchildren and my friends. But the other thing is it will also was a huge reminder of the power of community. And how can we, how can we at Good Fat Life really tap into that and build it and create more opportunities to connect?

Lucas Root: Yeah.

Sherri Richards: so one of the things we did with this issue of Good Fat Life, we have the 60 day happy self care.

it people, now in that bigger community that have the opportunity to learn about each other and connect in a real significant way. That's fun.

Lucas Root: So, I read a statistic recently, and this is going to tie into this, that said if you're in a good mood, it takes 22 people in a bad mood to interact with you directly before they start to negatively interact your mood.

Lucas Root: if you're in a good mood,

Sherri Richards: Okay.

it

Lucas Root: It takes 22 negative interactions to start impacting that mood. Okay? But the reverse is also true. If you're in a bad mood, it actually only takes one person in a good mood to start impacting your mood. So, Thank you. From a general perspective, when you're walking down the street and it's busy in the middle of the day, smile as big as you can because your smile is literally infectious. Your smile is equally powerful to 22 other people frowning.

Sherri Richards: Wow. I've never heard it quantified like that, but you can feel that, right?

Sherri Richards: I love that intentional smiling. And this is what I love so much about spending time with you is. You can, you're, you have a way of taking something that I just do, you know, just like it felt like the right next thing to do to build community. You know, it's like, the question was, how can we gather in the cold, dark, dreary months of winter, right?

In a way that makes us smile and you just gave it legs and content and structure And I, I can feel myself standing taller

As I'm talking about it because it's like, yeah, yeah, we're intentionally smiling. So,

Sherri Richards: so that is just so empowering with this, right? I could just see that it's like operation intentional smile. This year, this, this thing, our theme of our overall theme of good fat life or just life theme. Right. I was, I was, yeah, I was doing a visualization. And do you know who you know, justlost.com tut.

Lucas Root: hmm.

You think? And I'm like, well, that that just alone could encompass everything. Right. And it's simple,

Lucas Root: intentional smiling.

Sherri Richards: intentional smiling because it, it takes into relationships and peace and prosperity and good health, vibrancy. You can, you could put anything into that. That it, it encapsulates everything. So thank you, Lucas.

Lucas Root: And these was all inspired and

I'm,

I'm, not trying to take credit for it, but rather to point out how this is infectious. This was all inspired by you spending four days in a very loving container with six people, me being one of them. And so we, as a small group, we operationalized intentional smiling

Sherri Richards: I love

that

Lucas Root: you were

inspired.

Sherri Richards: Just

love that. Exactly.

Sherri Richards: In a good way. And one of my asks asks is yes, given the world that we live in right now, there's, it's. There's a lot of human suffering and sadness and big issues that, you know, aren't going away today. And. So the ask is always, you know, what can I do today? How can I show up and use my gifts, talents, and energies to somehow help, help with that?

And this is, this is a good, is a good thing.

Lucas Root: Yeah

it's amazing. I love it.

Hmm. Hmm.

Sherri Richards: Yeah. So, so thank you for that.

Lucas Root: Thank you. Like, thank you. You're, you're operationalizing smiling. It's amazing.

Lucas Root: Yes. So, a couple of different things were asked of me while I was there. And one of my biggest takeaways was to, to be intentional with what I give, when I give it and how I give it. So for example, on, on the second morning that we were there I, I, it was requested of me to lead a meditation and I said, yes I didn't end up doing that.

You remember? Because I realized as I was coming into that morning that a better use of my gifts in that moment was to lead a hug workshop.

Sherri Richards: Yes.

That was also changed everything for me too, but go ahead.

As a, as a facilitator of that space, not even necessarily the leader, but in, in true community dynamics, everybody who shows up is a facilitator of the space. We're all contributing to the community dynamic in the moment. And so being attuned to the difference between what I want. And what we as a community need in this moment opened me up to, to seeing that the right thing for me to do in that moment was not actually to lead a meditation. And it was beautiful. It, it was, it was a beautiful realization for me to, to pay attention to to that dynamic of what I want and what we as a community need.

Lucas Root: Hmm. Tell me about it.

Sherri Richards: It change everything because, have always struggled with

hugs.

And it's not that I don't love to hug people or, and not a, you know, open hearted person, but I have this like. Just don't hug me unless I know you, or there's a compelling reason, but

what, and I don't know, that's a whole nother topic, but you know, it's been a lifetime thing and I've had numerous conversations with people about that who share that

sense

Lucas Root: thing. It's an American thing. Like, let's be realistic. We Americans like our personal space. We're like, I want, I want my good, like comfortable six feet of separation and then we're good.

Sherri Richards: And, and I was raised by German men. So, which.

Lucas Root: That probably didn't. Yeah. Yeah. That probably supported that whole American, like, I want my six feet.

It's not an ego hug, which changed everything.

Lucas Root: Oh, amazing! A heart hug, not an ego hug.

Sherri Richards: great.

Lucas Root: Oh, I love that.

Sherri Richards: Yeah. So fundamentally, and, and actually, Lucas, until just this moment, it's the first time I've articulated it because I hadn't really thought about it in words. It's more just a feeling. So yeah, wow is right. Wow is right. So this, you know, and I'm just going to do a little plug, if you will, for the community of Gateway, the, the Gateway community and what Dr Reverend Dr.

I was going to do research

Lucas Root: Silence.

Sherri Richards: doing that, right? We're all doing our research, but the bigger thing is we've stepped into a community of people who are. Very community oriented and have so much to bring and give in ways that you know, I don't even begin to imagine like heart hugs,

and operational, intentional

smiling,

Lucas Root: smiling Yeah, well, I mean, what's the use of having something that's powerfully infectious if we're not going to use it?

Sherri Richards: right? Right. And the, that I like your intentional, it's, what I want to say, it's important to, to be intentional about creating those opportunities to have those experiences.

Sherri Richards: Well, we have multiple communities on multiple levels, right? We have the people that are directly involved with creating the media, I guess you will, of Good Fat Life, you know, the magazine, the podcast, the like, like you with the food and, and so there's that community, which is phenomenal and growing like crazy.

There's like 60 people in that community now. And it, and it literally, it literally started with the idea or a little intuitive idea from, you know, my grandfather beyond. And so that's pretty exciting. And then we have the community of people who know and love us, you know, they support good fat life maybe as a reader, as a participant as a listener.

So,

Lucas Root: Okay.

Sherri Richards: and, and it's. The thing I love is it's local and it's global, So we have people in Australia and in Switzerland and Sweden and in the UK and Asia who participate as the community, global community, and then we have, you know, people that sit right next to me. So, and we have this amazing world headquarters it's at the Brighton Lighthouse in Brighton, Michigan.

Lucas Root: hmm. So cool. I can't wait to come experience it. Bye.

Sherri Richards: I know. I can't wait to have you here.

Lucas Root: Disneyland for entrepreneurs. Like, that's, I mean, I want to go to Disneyland for entrepreneurs.

Sherri Richards: Exactly. And all the, all the magic and wonder that that creates too. Right.

Lucas Root: Yeah.

Sherri Richards: Yeah. One of the things that's really cool. Just with the magazine or with good Fat life is we have an editor of wonder,

Lucas Root: wonder.

Sherri Richards: And we have a wonder budget because, because that's just important,

Lucas Root: I agree. Next,

Sherri Richards: attention.

Lucas Root: we, we can operationalize smiling this year. Next year. We need to operationalize wonder.

All right. So we already have the next two years planned out, right?

Lucas Root: Yeah, awesome. Thank you, Sherri so I like to I like to wrap up my interviews with 3.

questions The first one is very simple. It is for the people who've been inspired by you. By the way, the name of your podcast is Inspired Good Fat Life. For the people who have been inspired by you, what's the one best way that they can reach you?

Sherri Richards: Go to GoodFatLife.com our website, and there's a connect button, or you can send me an email directly at Sherri@GoodFatLife.com R

Lucas Root: yeah

Sherri Richards: So

And I love, absolutely love to hear from people. Right?

Sherri Richards: Okay.

Lucas Root: If there was 1 question you wish I had asked you, but I have not, what would that question be?

Sherri Richards: Oh, Lucas what gets you up in the morning?

Lucas Root: Oh, yeah. I love it. Tell us, what gets you up in the morning, Sherri

Sherri Richards: It goes back to the question about the community.

Lucas Root: Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

Lucas Root: Mm hmm.

Sherri Richards: And so now

And,

every morning

is

like

Oh my gosh what is today gonna bring Who is it gonna bring Who Am I gonna talk to Who would you like to share their story with Ah you know our community So it's all that stuff And so it just shifted up how I look at my day and now my day is just round curious I'm just curious and excited

And so my little, I don't want to talk to people because it's scary

is,

is. Vanishing.

Lucas Root: it's reverse overwhelm

Your sense of being overwhelmed has been overwhelmed by your curiosity.

Mm

Lucas Root: hmm. Let's step into curiosity. So curiosity gets you up in the morning. I think that there

Sherri Richards: What's today going to bring?

Lucas Root: I think that there are three different reasons for people to get up in the morning. Almost everyone. Maybe four if you consider sense of duty, but I don't really so. reason number 1 is to do things, right?

Sherri Richards: Yeah. Okay.

Lucas Root: I want to go hunting and bring home the bacon.

So reason number one is to do things. Reason number two is people. I get up in the morning because I want to spend time with my wife. I want to spend time with my kids. I want to spend time with my coworkers. I hope that's the case for all of you who go to work. That you want to spend time with your coworkers.

So reason number two is people. So to do things, to spend time with people. And then reason number three is what you've just mentioned, is to learn. I want to experience new things. I want to get better at karate or shooting a bow I, I, or sharpening my knife and, and cutting up tomatoes. I want to do, like, learn to be better at something, to improve myself, to improve the world because I'm improving myself.

Sherri Richards: They're all good. And it could be a mix of all of that. Right?

Sherri Richards: Okay. Sure. Sure. Yeah. That's cool. And that's what keeps us

Lucas Root: intentional about it.

Sherri Richards: right. And that's what keeps us. Youthful through the end of our days, till our last breath,

Lucas Root: Yeah.

Sherri Richards: right? I, that I do believe that having something to live for and that's the number one thing. So, so great. So your question wasn't, it was a great question with this.

Thank you.

Lucas Root: Thank you. And, and that was an awesome answer. I love it. And the final question is, is there anything that you would like to share as parting thoughts?

it is just so unmotivating and we are all here to have an amazing life, really to have this amazing life and it's here for you and not to give, not to give up, not to settle for the blah, blah, blah, get curious.

And just say, what does this look like for me? For me, Lucas Root or me, Sherri Richards, what does it look like for me? And just take that one step. And then you have this huge community here to support you. There's so many amazing people out there that are doing phenomenal work. And if you want to have a conversation about where to start, send me a text, you know, send me an email, call me, I'd love to have a chat, subscribe to the magazine, but start where you are.

Lucas Root: I'm, I'm so behind that. Yes, . Thank you. Yes. Don't settle for the blah, blah, blah

Sherri Richards: Yeah, no, and you can feel it, right? You can feel it when you're, you'll just like tune out, you'll look for the next thing. But let that next thing be something that inspires you that just goes, Oh, I want to know more. Tell me more.

Lucas Root: Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much, Sherri Thank you for being a guest and for sharing your amazing brilliance and inspiration here on this podcast with us.

Lucas Root: That's right.

Sherri Richards: So

Lucas Root: Yes, we do

we do.

Sherri Richards: yes, we do. So now we just get to live it.

Lucas Root: I'm here for it. Let's go.

Sherri Richards: Okay. All right. Sounds good.

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