Kreatures Of Habit Podcast

In this episode of the Kreatures of Habit podcast, Michael Chernow shares his deeply personal story of addiction, recovery, and transformation. Growing up in Manhattan, Michael turned to drugs and alcohol at a young age while trying to cope with childhood trauma and instability at home. What began as experimentation quickly escalated into selling drugs, struggling with addiction, and entering rehab by the age of sixteen.

Michael reflects on losing friends as opioids and fentanyl spread, and recounts the near-fatal heroin overdose that almost ended his life in 2004. After hitting rock bottom and being fired by a restaurant owner he saw as a father figure, he finally made the life-changing decision to ask for help.

With the guidance of his mentor Marcus, Michael adopted a disciplined plan centered on faith, AA, Muay Thai training, healthy habits, and personal accountability principles he still follows today. He also shares lessons about recovery, relationships, and how structure and humility helped him rebuild his life and dedicate himself to helping others.

TIME STAMPS
01:44 Home Life and Upbringing
07:37 Self Harm and Survival
10:58 Parenting and Attention
18:04 Early Rehab at Sixteen
22:18 Heroin Overdose Story
25:24 Rock Bottom and Mirror Moment
30:25 Fired and Final Wake Up34:21 Marcus Plan for Sobriety
40:33 Addiction Misconceptions
46:45 Meeting His Future Wife
58:35 Learning Self Love01:03:48 Advice for Getting Sober
01:09:27 Protein Bar Taste Test
01:12:06 Final Thanks and Wrap

In this Monday Moments episode of the Kreatures of Habit Podcast, Michael Chernow shares a deeply personal story about growing up with a difficult relationship with his father and the life-changing wisdom passed down from his grandmother, Grandma Chickie, a practicing Buddhist. Her mantra “Bless you, change me” became a guiding principle that transformed how he handles conflict, emotional triggers, and challenging relationships.

Michael explains that the phrase is a reminder that we cannot control or change other people—only how we receive, interpret, and respond to them. Instead of reacting with defensiveness or anger, the mantra encourages blessing the other person with positivity while doing the inner work to shift your own mindset. Whether you’re dealing with parents, bosses, coworkers, or anyone you can’t easily avoid, this episode offers a practical and spiritual framework for navigating conflict with maturity and emotional intelligence.

From childhood struggles to tattooing the mantra on his arm as a permanent reminder, Michael reflects on loss, perspective, and the discipline of responding instead of reacting.

If you’re working on personal growth, emotional resilience, or healing difficult relationships, this episode offers a simple but powerful tool you can start using today.

In this episode of the Creatures of Habit podcast, host Michael Chernow sits down with Andrew Aguero to delve into the intricacies of the restaurant industry, sharing personal anecdotes and discussing the nuanced challenge of leading a team in such a dynamic environment. 

They talk about the essentiality of leading by example, the concept of service both in and out of the restaurant, and the inevitable transition from the restaurant world to a more balanced lifestyle focusing on wellness. From hilarious and stressful restaurant stories to key lessons in leadership and the importance of supporting one's community, Michael and Andrew provide a heartfelt exchange about life, leadership, and personal growth. 

Don't miss this heartfelt, informative, and truly inspirational episode filled with practical advice and genuine human connection.

TIME STAMPS
03:44 The Restaurant Industry: A Community of Opportunity
09:29 Opening Restaurants: Challenges and Rewards
13:31 Restaurant Nightmares and Lessons Learned
27:17 The Magic of Restaurant Atmosphere
32:50 Creating Memorable Guest Experiences
33:59 Leading with Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
35:44 Understanding and Connecting with Your Team
37:06 The Complexity of the Restaurant Industry
42:52 Transitioning to a Wellness-Focused Lifestyle
47:36 The Power of Habits and Fitness
54:31 Building Meaningful Relationships and Networks
01:00:59 Final Thoughts and Reflections

In this episode of Monday Moments, entrepreneur Michael Chernow introduces the Daily Bar, Kreatures of Habit’s revolutionary plant-based protein bar designed to redefine clean, functional snacking. Packed with 20 grams of plant-based protein and 3 grams of creatine, the Daily Bar was developed over two and a half years with more than 50 research and development iterations to perfect its taste, texture, and formulation.Michael breaks down what sets this bar apart from traditional protein bars—including ultra-low added sugar (under 1 gram in Chocolate Peanut Butter Banger and under 3 grams in Cookie Dough Dazzler), real food ingredients, and absolutely no seed oils or sugar alcohols. The Daily Bar is also non-GMO, gluten-free, and dairy-free, making it a gut-friendly option for athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone committed to high performance and healthy habits.If you’re looking for a clean protein bar with creatine that actually tastes incredible, this episode dives into the full story behind its creation, the community response since launch, and why this could be a true game-changer in functional nutrition.Try the Daily Bar and get 20% off your first purchase with promo code KOH POD 20.Share this episode with anyone who eats protein bars or wants a better, plant-based alternative built for performance and daily discipline.

In this powerful episode, we dive deep into the realities of entrepreneurship — the stress, the identity crisis, venture capital pressure, and what no one tells you about scaling a company.

Our guest shares:
• Why she walked away from her startup
• The heartbreak of watching it shut down
• The hidden stress of venture-backed businesses
• Why she’ll never raise VC again
• How delegation saved her sanity
• Designing life instead of being consumed by work
• Spiritual habits that ground her daily (gratitude journaling, tarot, reflection)

We also discuss founder identity, investor pressure, scaling retail, AI in business, legacy vs exits, and what success really means.
If you're a founder, entrepreneur, executive, or someone navigating burnout this conversation will hit home.