Episodes
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Transitions can be tough. Especially in the wake of falling short of a dream you’ve worked for more than a decade to achieve.
But that’s exactly the position Jen Hudak, freestyle skier turned writer and life coach, found herself in after a crash tore her ACL, knocked her out of contention to be named to the first-ever U.S. Women’s Olympic ski halfpipe team and effectively ended her professional skiing career.
Well versed in mental toughness as a former world champion skier, Jen joined Matt to discuss the transition away from skiing into the “real world,” as well as themes that include facing your fears, the power of visualization, having willingness to fight through adversity and so much more for the Mental Toughness Podcast.
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Change is hard. Especially when you’re making a big life change — be it leaving your job, starting a new company, moving on from a relationship or any other difficult decision.
But change can be even harder when the change you’re in pursuit of is the intensely challenging process of becoming an expertly trained and highly specialized member of the Navy’s Sea, Air and Land Forces — commonly known as SEALs. Requiring “the kind of mental and physical fortitude that few possess,” retired Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine knows what it takes to make a big change — an unbeatable mind. This podcast is exactly what you need to hear today.
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It’s time for another episode of The Mental Toughness Podcast, and I’ve got a good one for you today! Meet Jenna Powers! Jenna is a 51-time marathoner and ultra-marathoner since 2014 and has completed races of up to 206.5 miles. She believes strongly in the intersection between an endurance sport and career success and works passionately to help others seeking to improve themselves in both areas. When she’s not running, Jenna leads a global team of over 200 people, as the Director of Recruiting Operations for Amazon.com, where she has been employed for 7.5 years in a variety of capacities, including labor and employee relations, training, leadership development, and M&A. She’s powerful, passionate, and was a blast to have on the podcast. I know you will enjoy this one too! Check it out!
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I was stoked recently to sit down with Jason Khalipa, 2008 CrossFit Games champion, founder of NCFIT, and author of The AMRAP Mentality and a new book, As Many Reps As Possible. Throughout his 8-year CrossFit Games career, Jason has only placed outside the Top 10 once, has won every regional competition he has participated in, and won the Spirit of the Games award in 2009.
Now obviously Jason is the epitome of Mental Toughness, but how he got there is perhaps a different path than most. As an elite CrossFit Games athlete, Jason had to develop both physical and mental toughness at an unbelievable level to be able to compete in – and win – what is considered one of the most grueling physical contests in the world.
So what is his advice? You will have to listen to find out!
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We’ve all faced experiences where who we thought we were — or wanted to be — doesn’t work out for whatever reason. And this is, oftentimes, when most people have nervous breakdowns or spiral out of control.
Whether it’s losing your physicality after an injury, being diagnosed with a disease or losing a job you have had for 10-plus years, pushing through that unexpected loss of identity can be challenging.
While Jeff Harmon couldn’t pinpoint a “magic moment” for his identity shifting back to rediscover his purpose, after a difficult conversation with his wife, he realized that how he leads matters and that it’s not all about him.
“I was full of crap, and here's why. Because I'd stand on stage or I'd stand in front of a group of leaders and I'd preach. I talked a good game but I can remember the conversation with my wife, she said, ‘you teach about this stuff, but you don't do it here.’ I teach it, talk about it, coach it, but I wasn't fully living it.”
For Jeff Harmon, the underlying element is fear. Fear of failure, of being embarrassed, of looking inferior because they don't have the answers.
Fear stops people from stepping into a new way of thinking about how they lead and how they show up. We live in a crazy world and unpacking where fear is showing up in your life and how it is holding you back is a constant, ongoing battle.
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We’ve all reached low points in our lives, but how many of us had someone shooting at us, trying to kill us in those moments?
For Charlie Engle, ultramarathon runner and author of “Running Man,” that is precisely the precarious scenario he found himself in before beginning his journey to overcome addiction. Charlie recently sat down with Matt to discuss the transformational power that running has had on his life for the Mental Toughness Podcast.
Diving into themes that include motivation, goals, failures, progress and taking ownership of every aspect of one’s life, Charlie and Matt’s enlightening discussion offers listeners interesting insight into how to overcome your inner demons and be successful in every aspect of your life.
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Now here is an interview that is guaranteed to change your mindset! Let me introduce you to the one and only, Mark Allen! For those of you who don’t know Mark, here’s a snapshot of his resume:
● 6x Ironman Triathlon World Champion
● Olympic Distance World Champion
● Longest Winning Streak In The History Of Triathlon - 21 Straight Races
● ESPN's Greatest Endurance Athlete Of All Time
● Greatest American Triathlete of All Time
● Ironman University Advisory Board
● Member of the Ironman Hall Of Fame
● USAT Hall Of Fame
● ITU Hall Of Fame
Mark and I had a blast on this podcast interview and we really get a glimpse into how he approaches races and life. His perspective will blow you away. I hope you enjoy it!
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I recently had the chance to chat with Joe De Sena, the Founder & CEO of Spartan Race. He’s a New York Times bestselling author several times over, and an astounding 1 million people annually around the world in 15 countries participate in a Spartan Race. I wanted to pick Joe’s brain to find out the most important lessons he’s learned while building his Spartan Race empire.
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I had the opportunity to speak at a big-time commercial real estate firm, CRESA about two months ago, and absolutely loved my time there. The people in the room, who happened to be some of their top producers, fired me up as I was firing them up. What I found was that CRESA is building an amazing culture!
One of the best parts of this speech was being introduced by Jim Underhill, CEO of CRESA, because it led me to today’s podcast! I appreciate his intro of me before my speech, and loved getting to spend time with him in today’s podcast to talk leadership and mental toughness.
You will love this interview...have a listen!
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Today’s podcast is a bit different than others I have done. Some of you remember Peter Lynch from a prior podcast, and I am excited to make him a return guest.
Peter and I have actually decided to launch a new event in Denver in May 2019 and wanted to share a few stories around how we decided to launch The Shift Experience!
There are always certain circumstances that lead you to do new things, and we had a few line-up that made us launch this event. Have a listen to learn more!
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It’s not often that we get a glimpse into the mind of a Super Bowl Champion, but today is the day!
Let me introduce you to Ryan Harris. Ryan is a 10-year veteran of the NFL and Super Bowl 50 Champion with the Denver Broncos. He protected the blind side of Peyton Manning during their Super Bowl run, so he has also worked alongside the best of the best.
He is now a speaker, author, radio show host and recently came out with the book Mindset for Mastery: An NFL Champion’s Guide to Reaching Your Greatness, which is a must read!
To get to the next level, we must be willing to learn from the ones who have made it happen, and Ryan is one of those people.
Check out the podcast and enjoy!
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We all want to drop a f-bomb at some point in our day...but what if we instead decided to drop a Molly McCoy F-Bomb...a Flower Bomb??
What if we shared a bouquet of flowers with those we love?
I am so fired up to introduce you to Molly McCoy. She is the Founder and Chief Flower Bomber of Flower Bombers, a Denver based start-up that is off to DISRUPT the online flower delivery industry. She is also the Co-Founder of T-Squared, a National Search Firm specializing in placing top-line talent in three functional areas: Sales, Marketing and General Management. And, she is the CEO and Founder of HR-Q, a national search firm specializing in introducing small, emerging businesses, and Fortune 500 companies to high caliber HR professionals.
When she decides to move, she moves! I had a blast with Molly and can’t wait for you to hear her story. Check it out below!
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Have you ever heard about someone and just knew you had to meet them?
This was one of those times. A friend of mine was bragging about his boss one day, telling me how amazing he was and how he was one of the greatest leaders he’d ever worked with.
Can’t say I hear a lot of people bragging about their bosses, so I had to learn more.
That’s when my I had to meet my friend’s boss...and my friend was nice enough to connect us.
Let me please introduce you to David Kallery (known as DK to his employees and friends)! David is the president of Inspirato, a very unique travel membership business (www.inspirato.com).
David leads all operational aspects of Inspirato, with responsibility for the full life-cycle excellence of the membership experience. He specializes in helping service intensive companies scale infrastructure and technology to drive rapid growth, while deepening the longevity and value of customer relationships.
Prior to joining Inspirato, he served in a variety of senior executive roles with Exclusive Resorts, including Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Earlier in his career he spent 15 years with UPS, where he developed broad operational and logistical expertise, before serving as Vice President for Product and Operations at Visa and in leadership positions with two venture-backed startups.
I absolutely loved my conversation with DK and you will learn a ton from him! Make sure you check out this interview!
To connect with DK, please visit www.inspirato.com!
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I am so fired up to introduce you to my next podcast guest, Tricia Downing! You are going to be blown away by her story!
On September 17, 2000, in one instant, Tricia went from being a competitive cyclist to a paraplegic requiring a wheelchair for mobility.
Can you imagine having that occur? It is hard for me to picture. But, I will you, she did not let that stop her! Her life was changed forever, but Tricia’s competitive spirit and rock solid mindset continued on.
Since that accident, let me tell you a few things she has done:
Completed over 100 races, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons
She was the first female paraplegic to complete an Ironman triathlon and qualified for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships in 2006 and 2010.
In 2011, she competed as part of the U.S. Rowing team at the World Championships in Bled, Slovenia.
In 2016, competed as a United States Paralympian in shooting (and going for the 2020 Olympics as well)
Published her memoir: Cycle of Hope—A Journey from Paralysis to Possibility
I could go on and on about Tricia! She’s incredible!
She inspired me in this podcast interview to be better and gave me a unique perspective on overcoming adversity. You will love it! So check it out!
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Alright…I have had a ton of discussions lately about sleep, so figured it was time to re-send an interview I did that will help get your recovery and rest in order!
Back in June last year, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Michael Breus, who is known as the Sleep Doctor and also is Dr. Oz's personal sleep coach. How cool is that!
As you know, a big component of building your mental toughness is recovery...taking care of your body and mind. Sleep is a MAJOR contributor to your health and wellness!!
Dr. Breus and I talked about a ton of things, from what TRULY is the ideal amount of sleep you need to how to prepare for a big trip coming up. He even shares his secret weapon...the Nap-a-Latte!! We absolutely hit it off.
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So fired up to get send you this interview! The coolest thing about this interview for me is that I grew up right across the street from Dr. Indira Lanig! I knew she was good at what she did, but interviewing her gave me insight into her life I had never heard before. She is truly one in a million and has impacted lives in HUGE ways in her life and career.
Let me tell you a bit about the good doctor...
Indira Lanig is a physician leader, facilitator, and speaker with an incredible background anchored in her subspecialty expertise of Neurotrauma and Spinal Cord Injury Medicine. She is a Past President of the American Paraplegia Society - a professional society of physicians and researchers focused on the medical and societal consequences of paralysis and spinal cord injury.
She has served in both national and international leadership positions including - Chief of Service within the VA system many years ago when she was in academic medicine, as a physician at Craig Hospital for over 20 years--a center of excellence for spinal injury, as well as most recently as Medical Director at a freestanding rehabilitation hospital in northern Colorado.
She now focuses on leadership development and its critical role in the healthcare industry.
Highlights of her 25-year medical career include:
21 years as an inpatient attending physician at Craig Hospital Rocky Mountain Regional Model SCI System Chief of the Spinal Cord Injury Service at the Houston VAMC, Baylor College of Medicine Affiliated teaching hospital Recipient of the 2005 Baylor College of Medicine Alliance Distinguished Alumni Award The first Black female president of the American Paraplegia Society (APS), and a recipient of both the APS Estin Comar Distinguished Clinical Service Award and the APS Special Recognition Award for her leadership, vision, and commitment Chairperson of the Annual Scientific Program Committee for the American Paraplegia Society Co-Chair of the Congresses on Spinal Cord Medicine and Rehabilitation Medical Director of Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital Lead author and editor of A Practical Guide to Health Promotion after Spinal Cord Injury Author and co-author of several chapters on SCI care, including a chapter in DeLisa’s textbook: Physical Medicine and RehabilitationYes, she is incredible, and you will take a ton of leadership and mental toughness lessons from this interview!
As I always recommend, please connect with Dr. Lanig at http://www.drindiralanig.com Enjoy! -
Welcome to this week’s podcast!!
Today, we get to journey into the mind of a Major League Pitcher! We get to explore how a top-level athlete thinks and acts. I am proud to introduce you to Daniel Winkler, a right-handed pitcher from the Atlanta Braves!
Daniel and I cover a lot of ground in this podcast interview. We talk about his pre-game routine, his self-talk on the mound, specifically between pitches, the impact of becoming a father, and a variety of other topics.
The #1 thing we spend time on though is how he overcame major adversity. For Daniel, it was two arm surgeries, including one driven from breaking his arm after he threw a pitch. Wow!
I love spending time with Daniel and had a fun time in this interview. I know you will enjoy it also! Check it out!
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I am so excited for you to listen to the interview I just completed with Bianca Veloso, Relationship Strategist & Coach and Founder of BraveHearts Coaching!
As a husband, father of three, and entrepreneur with a growing team, this interview was high on my list. I know how important it is to grow and foster relationships in every area of my life. I want to have a solid relationship with my wife and kids. I also know that relationships, really good ones, are going to determine how fast my business will scale.
Relationships are everything!
Bianca and I dive deep into relationships in this podcast, focusing on a ton of things, including:
How to rank and prioritize relationships in your life (who comes first) What men and women NEED to feel loved, appreciated, and fulfilled How to approach men vs. women in conversations, especially difficult onesPersonally, had a lot of takeaways from this that I am now applying to my family and work relationships, and know you will have the same.
For this podcast, please remember that Bianca offered a FREE 1-hour relationship coaching session that you can schedule at https://calendly.com/bravehearts/individualsession and a FREE e-class on key strategies to create lasting passion and love in relationships (can be claimed after the 1-hour coaching session). Check that out!
And, please connect with Bianca at the following:
Website: www.braveheartscoaching.com
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I am so fired up to introduce you to a true entrepreneur! Please meet Bryan Renaud, Founder and CEO of Podify (www.podify.com).
Bryan has an incredible background, having played professional tennis, starting a successful personal training and tennis coaching business back in 1999, and four years ago, launching Podify! He has an intense focus on developing himself holistically, with a true passion for the mental game, fitness, nutrition, and sharing his talents with the world.
In this podcast interview, we explore a variety of topics, including one of his mottos around “giving 100% of what you have each day”, how to eliminate a scarcity mindset when dealing with clients, how to assess, not judge yourself, the power of referrals, and many more topics!
A little about Podify...this platform is all about surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals, people you can refer business to and vice versa. There is power in referrals, no matter what business you are in, and this platform focuses on the interconnectedness of professionals, while also integrating a seamless and efficient scheduling, billing, and referral system to maximize each professional’s business.
Bryan is on to something amazing, and it was an honor to pick his brain and talk mindset!
Enjoy this interview!
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As my next guest likes to say, “EMBRACE THE UGLY!” It’s the ugliest part of your lives and journey that are the best...and we must learn to leverage, appreciate, and be proud of those moments. That’s where we grow, thrive, and create a culture of greatness!
Let me introduce you to Peter Lynch, keynote speaker, author of the soon-to-be-released “The UGLY Advantage”, and founder of Hitch Studio. I have had the pleasure of getting to Peter quite well over the years and he is all about transformation...he will transform you through this podcast.
Peter is a culture expert and his mission is to “Create the Future of Talent”! No small task, but he knows that we cannot settle for the way of the past, but must look towards the future and take action. Peter can help be your guide!
He is also an experienced global executive having worked for multiple Fortune 500 companies. But he’s managed to carve out success beyond the corporate world as well, because he’s also a TED speaker, a top 50 podcaster, an award-winning entrepreneur and a patent-holding inventor.
His app has been downloaded in more than 70 countries, he was winner of Denver’s Hottest Startup and his podcast was ranked higher than the Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review.
He also launched Hitch Studio (www.hitch.studio), a design studio focused on training, culture and the modern talent lifecycle to create the Future Of Talent. Oh, and last but surely not least...if you want to solve the painful, excessive meeting problem at your company, check out www.themeetingspark.com. This is the FUTURE OF MEETINGS...and can solve all of your problems!
To connect with Peter on social media, please check out:
www.facebook.com/peterlynchspeaking
www.twitter.com/realpeterlynch
www.Linkedin.com/in/plynch
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