Intentional Performers

Spike Mendelsohn on a Chef's Mind

Spike Mendelsohn is a world-renowned chef and he has worked with some of the top chefs in the world including Thomas Keller, Sirio Maccioni, and Drew Nieporent. After making his television debut on Bravo TV’s Top Chef, Spike went on to appear on several other cooking shows including Life After Top Chef, Iron Chef of America, Late Night Chef Fight, and Beat Bobby Flay. He also hosted Midnight Feast and Food Network’s Kitchen Sink. He has made a presence in the DC area where he opened up Good Stuff Eatery, and his since opened up a number of other restaurants including, We, The Pizza, Bearnaise, and Santa Rosa Taqueria. He has a presence not just because of his food, but he also works with several other brands as a consultant and works with a number of other people on policy. He has a passion for food, equity, and education so he began working with organizations like Care and DC Central Kitchen as a Chef Ambassador and Contributor. His work has landed him as the first chairman of DC’s Food Policy Council. He has used his voice to speak out about improving the quality of school lunches, equal access to whole and healthy foods, and he really wants to make a positive impact on our food system.

In this episode, they discuss what life was like growing up (7:40), the restaurants his family had (10:10), his religious framework (12:10), what allowed his parents to make the move to Spain (14:10), how his siblings affected his upbringing (15:15) , what made his parents good at the restaurant industry (17:30), when he knew what he wanted to do as an adult (20:00), what military school gave him (21:50), his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (24:30), how he shifts from perfectionism to adaptability (27:40), his main takeaway from his experience in France (33:30), Brian’s binaries (37:40), his approach to running a kitchen (41:40), what it’s like to be on television (44:40), what his parents would say when he’d make certain declarations (46:00), why he went toward fast casual (51:30), why he doesn’t want to be a celebrity chef (56:20), focusing on character instead of reputation (1:03:00), how he balances everything that he does (1:05:05), and his restaurant at the St. James (1:12:00)

Thank you to Spike for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out at http://www.chefspike.com/ and follow him on Instagram @spikethechef.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Megan Gebbia on Searching for Excellence

Megan Gebbia joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Coach Megan Gebbia is Head Coach of the Women’s Basketball team at American University. They have had amazing success since Coach Gebbia has been there, having gone to the NCAA tournament twice. Megan has helped the team to two conference championships, and they have been a very competitive team every year since she’s been there. They have created a culture that is selfless and specific in what they are trying to do and is system oriented.  They are a talented, smart, gritty group that I am lucky to get to work with. This conversation gets into her journey and will give you some insight into how she has come to be, and she will share some watershed moments that have shaped her life, and some people that have really influenced her.

In this episode, they discuss what life was like for her as a kid (5:20), what it was like to win a championship her Junior year of High School (8:05), her parent’s reaction when she got involved in sports (9:15), if she looks for athletes that play multiple sports (10:00), what she got from other sports that assisted her in basketball (11:00), the values her parents passed down to her (15:30), why she thinks some of the better coaches are the negatives ones (17:40), how much of her coaching style is about believing and telling it straight (23:50), what she knows now about coaching that she didn’t know when she was 26 or 36 (25:50), the dynamic of being a Head Coach (31:00), how she thinks about building her system and culture (35:30), how she goes about finding the players she wants (40:00), when she started to get recruited for college basketball (42:40), what her experience was like at Towson (43:30) , what changed after her brother’s car accident (47:30), why things became serious for her (50:30), what drives her as a coach (51:10), when coaching came into the picture for her (51:50), what it was like to coach players she was just in the locker room with (53:00), what she does to make sure she’s showing up at her best (54:00), why she loves practices (55:00), her routines on game day (57:50), how her mindset on defense has changed (59:10), what she wants her legacy to be as a coach (1:01:05), and how she makes sure she’s passionate and excellent (1:05:40)

Thank you to Megan for coming on the podcast. You can find her on twitter at  @CoachMegGebbia and the AU Women’s Basketball team on twitter @AU_WBasketball. You can also follow the team at http://www.aueagles.com/sports/w-baskbl/index.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Eric Carcich on Finding Holistic Coaching

Eric Carcich joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Eric was previously the Head Women’s Rowing Coach at George Washington University and is now the Head Women’s Rowing Coach at Cornell University. Eric has always been passionate about the mental side of rowing. Eric will talk about his journey, how he first found rowing at UMass, and how he’s worked with elite rowers in men’s and women’s rowing. He is very intentional when he thinks about the culture and vision for the program that he’s running, and he cares deeply about his relationships in general, and about his relationships with the athletes that he serves.

In this episode, they discuss what his childhood was like (7:20), the values his parents passed down to him (11:30), what he loved about soccer (12:40), when rowing came into his life (14:00), what it felt like when his friend asked if he was in (19:10), what about his childhood allowed him to go down his path (20:30), what he liked about rowing as a player (22:40), how he got better at rowing (24:20), what came after graduation (25:50), his first-year coaching (29:10), how he reacted to a yelling style of coaching (32:00), when he found his coaching voice (33:20), when he started coaching females (34:30), what made the coach at Yale a great leader (37:00), his experience at Penn and what makes a city special (40:00), what it was like to be the head coach of GW Women’s Rowing (50:30), his vision when he took over (52:00), what sparked his notion of thinking more holistically (54:50), what he does in his other 22 (55:50), how important it is to coach the whole person (1:02:30), how he thinks about balance and integration (1:06:00), his vision for Cornell (1:07:10), and what he’s doing to make sure he’s showing up on a regular basis (1:10:00)

Thank you to Eric for coming on the podcast. You can reach out to Eric via email at ec862@cornell.edu and you can find Cornell Women’s Rowing at https://cornellbigred.com/index.aspx?path=wrow.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Cody Royle on Coaching Context

Cody Royle joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Cody is passionate about coaching coaches. Cody is an author, keynote speaker, podcast host, and an Australian Rules Football Coach. He is the head coach for AFL Team Canada which is the men’s national program for Aussie Rules Football. Cody is a big voice in the crossover between leadership principles in sports and business. His first book, “Where Others Won’t,” proposed that businesses should look at how pro sports teams look at team dynamic and talent optimization in order to innovate. In this conversation, we also talk about how the sport’s world now needs to leverage some of business’ best practices when it comes to human development and what that might look like going forward. His podcast, “Where Other’s Won’t,” is a great listen and we highly recommend following Cody on twitter @codyroyle.

In this episode, they discuss what life was like as a little kid (5:05), Aussie Rules Football and Cricket (7:30), what he likes about Aussie rules football (9:40), what his childhood was like (11:30), the values his mom passed down to him (12:35), what he thought his future would look like (14:20), how he felt when he couldn’t play at the level he wanted to (16:20), what an emotional wreck meant for him (17:20), why he got involved in coaching (18:10), the steps he took to become a coach (19:40), how he makes sense of the binary of I can do this better, but I still have a lot to learn (21:05), what he likes about coaching (22:30), his thoughts on the CEO mindset vs. a sports coach (25:05), the importance of flipping mindsets (28:40), what he likes about watching coaches (33:00), how he thinks about coaching coaches (39:10), the biggest challenge to people who want to coach coaches (42:40), the difference in being a team coach vs. a coach of coaches (48:10), how he ended up in Canada and why explore this space outside of just being a coach (53:10), what would happen if we used high-performance techniques from athletes to our coaches/front office (1:00:10), information about his podcast and book (1:03:00), why he thinks people were interested in being on his podcast (1:07:00), how he answers what he does (1:09:40), what makes a great writer and where he learned to write (1:10:40), where the idea of nuance and context came from for him (1:14:05), and what he’ll be doing 10 years from now (1:16:00).

Thank you to Cody for coming on the podcast. His book and podcast are both called, “Where Others Won’t,” and you can find those on Amazon, iTunes, etc. You can find Cody on social media on Instagram and Twitter @codyroyle and https://www.codyroyle.com/ houses everything he does.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Lee Sommers on Strength Building

Lee Sommers joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Lee is a strength and conditioning coach that does amazing work and truly cares about his clients. He is somebody who is a servant leader, somebody who wants to make his athletes and clients as strong as they possibly can be, and he has worked with the tip of the arrow athletes, most notably Katie Ledecky. Lee started working with Katie when she was 15 years old. Lee has carved out a niche for himself in the Washington, DC area working with elite swimmers. He will share his journey and how he became a strength coach at a really young age and helped build Sport and Health’s Sport and Performance Program that works with elite athletes.

In this episode, they discuss what life was like as a kid (4:20), the values his parents passed down to him (6:50), his transition from New York City to Maryland (11:20), his relationship with his Dad (14:05), his experience trying to play college basketball (17:30), what it was like leaving Temple to go to Towson (19:20), how he got into personal training (21:00), how he thinks about his relationship with money (23:30), his first job out of college and experience managing people (31:00), what he did to try to help his employees sell themselves (38:20), how much of his work is modeling vs. explaining how something should be done (39:50), what he does to make sure he’s a conscience coach (41:05), the habits he does to make sure he’s mentally at his best (42:05), his nutrition and strength and conditioning habits (44:50), his thoughts on grit and grind (50:00), his experience working with Katie Ledecky (52:05), where Katie Ledecky’s confidence comes from (56:50), why he believes Katie hasn’t experienced burnout (1:00:30), and his business now (1:01:10)

Thank you to Lee for coming on the podcast. He has started his own business called Purpose Personal Fitness https://ppf-fitness.com/ and he is also a part of Healthy Baller https://www.healthyballer.com/aboutus. He works with all types of athletes and all types of cliental. He is also currently working with swimming teams including both nation capital swim clubs out of Georgetown Prep and RMSC swim club out of the Rockville area. You can find him on social media at @leesommerspt on Instagram, and you can find him on Facebook at Lee Sommers.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Dr. Norman Rosenthal on South Africa, SAD, and Meditation

Dr. Norman Rosenthal joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Dr. Norman Rosenthal is a world-renowned psychiatrist, researcher, and author who first described seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD. He pioneered the use of light therapy as a treatment during his 20 years at the National Institute of Mental Health. He is a highly cited researcher and best-selling author, and he has written over 200 scholarly articles and authored or co-authored 8 popular books. Dr. Rosenthal has worked in the weeds with patients and had a private practice while also going deep into the research. He has written books including “The Winter Blues,” and he also has New York Times bestsellers list called “Transcendence” and “The Gift of Adversity.” He has practiced psychiatry for over three decades, coached, and conducted numerous clinical trials of medications and alternative treatments such as transcendental meditation for psychiatric disorders. He and his work have been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, NPR, and other national media outlets.

In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (4:20), what guilt felt like for him (6:05), what it was like to be stabbed (6:40), how he thinks about gratitude (8:30), his experience with Viktor Frankl (13:50), the distinction between gratitude and forgiveness (16:40), his thoughts on grievances (19:10), if he’d do our jails/criminal system any differently (21:30), when he became a researcher and scientist (23:00), how his parents reacted to his career choice (24:30), the values his parents passed down to him (25:20), how he handles privilege while understanding how quickly things can change (28:30), how life is so multi-faceted (33:00), how he first thought of SAD (35:30), how the community first responded to SAD (38:15), why he didn’t stay on the path of research (40:00), what light therapy is (41:20), about transcendental meditation (43:30), how he thinks about spirituality (45:00), his thoughts on death (47:40), his writing process (51:30), his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (55:30), what he does to make sure he’s mentally where he needs to be (59:20), what about his framework allows him to be open to other possibilities (1:01:30), how he navigates when to be open and when to be contrarian (1:05:30), the letter his mom wrote he and his siblings (1:09:50).

Thank you to Dr. Norman Rosenthal for coming on the podcast. You can find more information about Norman at his website at https://www.normanrosenthal.com/ which lists his books and blogs he’s written. You can also find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/PoetryRx/.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Miranda Holder on the Coaching Journey

Miranda Holder joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Miranda is an Executive Coach that has a background in sport. She was a three-sport athlete in High School and then she found Rowing in College where she competed at an elite, high level. She then became a Rowing Coach and ended up becoming the Head Rowing Coach at Georgetown University. That journey of becoming a Rowing Coach ended up leading her to become an Executive Coach. Today, she spends a lot of time working with people in all walks of life in the corporate space, and she considers herself to be an insight wizard and she will give insight into how she came to develop her eye for coaching. She helps people see themselves in their situation more clearly, and for the people brave enough to do the work, there’s an incredible leader, person, and idea ready to surface. She loves to work with people on being the best leader or CEO that they can be while also taking risk to start a company or refusing to settle into a career path that doesn’t elicit joy and excitement. She loves helping people unlock their potential and at her core, she loves coaching.

In this episode, they discuss when rowing first came into her life (5:40), what her childhood was like (8:40), the values her parents instilled in her (9:35), her academic experience (11:30), where her “if it’s meant to be, it’ll be” mindset is rooted in (14:40), what her spiritual lens is (16:40), what her rowing experience was like (19:20), what was exciting about getting up at 4:40 am to row (23:00), the amount of time it took her to get good at rowing (26:20), how she managed what she was doing individually with it being a team sport (28:40), what she would do mentally to prepare for a race (30:30), when she started to pursue the national team (32:10), how it felt when she stopped rowing (35:00), how her rowing coaching experience began (41:00), what she thought her career path was going to be (42:20), if she would’ve had a similar path without the heart condition (43:40), her sport coaching journey (44:40), what she noticed in elite rowers (47:30), how to instill persistence in kids (49:00), what it was like managing a rowing program (53:15), what led to her burnout (56:20), when executive coaching came into her life (58:50), what in her allows her to go get help (1:00:00), what makes her feel alive about executive coaching (1:01:50), how she got interested in yoga (1:06:20), and what she does to make sure she’s mentally, emotionally, and physically strong (1:08:20)

Thank you to Miranda for coming on the podcast. You can email her at Miranda@Mirandaholder.com, and we encourage you to check out her website https://www.mirandaholder.com/.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

David Vobora on the Journey of Being

David Vobora joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Since 2014, David has painstakingly built a business and a dream around training elite and adaptive athletes. Many of the athletes are wounded warriors, and his adaptive training environment gym provides free 9-week bootcamps to people with amputations, spinal cord injuries, and other disabilities. He’ll say in this conversation a lot of those people are veterans, but not all of them are. He has a ton of respect for veterans, and his foundation is about serving those who are adaptive athletes.

David has appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show, he’s been to the White House where he shook hands with President Obama, he has had President Bush accompany him, House Speaker Paul Ryan visited the foundation, and they presented him with a set of cuff links with the Presidential seal. Also, when David was 10 years old, a teenage neighbor sexually abused him, and we jump into this in the conversation. He will talk about how that shaped his life and his career. He played professional football for 4.5 years, and he had concussions, a major shoulder injury that ended his career, and he has been through a lot including getting addicted to opioids and his experience with suicide. David will share his journey, his mindset, and what he’s learned about emotion and building emotional strength in this deep conversation.

In this episode, they discuss what his childhood was like (6:00), the tools he used to get him in the space to be a linebacker (9:20), how being sexually assaulted drove him on the football (11:30), what allowed him to be successful when the lights came on in college (14:00), if we’re better served focusing on the becoming or the being (17:00), the earning of wisdom (22:30), what his football career would’ve looked like if he had the emotional strength he has now (24:30), the inner work he did emotionally (26:05), where his mental capacity came from (30:00), how his mental models have changed (32:00), how he dealt with his suicidal thoughts (37:20), if he had family members that dealt with similar addictive issues (43:10), if there’s someone that is doing an amazing job of becoming and being (45:10), the habits/tools he does to optimize his human experience (48:20), when he feels most alive (51:00), a word he would use to describe himself (54:10), if he has a religious or spiritual framework (55:20), why he’s going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro (58:30), the qualities super heroes have (1:00:00), what he does to make sure he’s becoming his own super hero (1:01:00), what he’s up to now (1:02:20), and where he hopes he is in ten years (1:08:20)

Thank you to David for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to follow the Adaptive Training Foundation on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Go to http://adaptivetrainingfoundation.org/ to check out their site that shows the rosters of the people that are training, and we encourage you to help this incredible mission.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Don Yaeger on Curiosity and Writing

Don Yaeger joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Don is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, 11-time New York Times best selling author and a long-time associate editor for Sports Illustrated. Don is a writer, but what has made him a great writer over the years is his thirst for curiosity on how people compete at their highest level. As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and Cancer Survivor groups, where he shares his personal stories. In this episode, you will hear how Don is a story-teller and many of the stories he tells involve elite competitors. He loves to share the human side of those elite performers in these stories.

In this episode, they discuss when writing first came into his life (4:00), what life was like for him as a kid (6:40), how faith was a big part of his upbringing (8:50), the values his parents passed down to him (9:40), when sports came into his life (11:20), what he loves about sports (12:10), what inspired him to pursue a career in sports journalism (13:35), the similarities he observes in different environments that he’s involved in (16:20), if curiosity and/or competition can be developed (18:40), David Ross story about how he developed his leadership (21:05), what allowed David Ross to interpret something as feedback as opposed to criticism (25:20), what David Ross learned that makes a great teammate (27:20), how he saw people mentally prepare and then shift when they got between the lines (31:30), why he pivoted to do other things in his career besides journalism (35:40), when he feels most alive (39:50), his biggest fear (42:10), what he intentionally does to make sure his greatest fear doesn’t happen (42:40), if you can be great in your career while being great in your home life (43:50), what he does to be present (45:30), how he writes a book a year (46:40), and what he learned from himself from this conversation that he’ll take with him (51:30).

Thank you to Don for coming on the podcast. You can follow him on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter @DonYaeger and he shares a quote a day with a group of about 50,000 people at 8 am ET. He has also built an online learning class that has a meaningful purpose and takes them from point a to point b. Their first course just went live a few weeks ago, and it’s called Journey to Greatness, and they go through the elements of what he’s learned from the greatest winners he’s had a chance to work with.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Sportscaster Bram Weinstein

Bram Weinstein joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Bram covered the Washington Redskins for a number of years, worked on sports talk radio, and eventually became an anchor on ESPN’s SportsCenter. When he finished up at ESPN, he came back to the DC area in sports talk radio, and now he has decided that he wants to go into the world of podcast production. He brings a great perspective on performing under the pressure. He also shares his thoughts on media, and specifically sports talk media in this conversation.

In this episode, they discuss the crazy story when Bram and Brian first met (4:10), what life was like for him as a kid (12:10), if his parents wanted him to go into broadcast journalism (14:10), the dynamic with his siblings (16:30), the values his parents passed down to him (17:30), where creativity comes from for him and his brother (19:30), where he saw himself while in high school (22:10), what covering the Redskins involved (23:05), how much ESPN was around during his childhood (25:00), his interview process with ESPN (27:10), his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (29:30), how he listens during interviews (35:30), the people he emulated (38:00), how much of broadcasting is writing (39:40), the difference between print and broadcast (43:00), when he has felt most alive in his career (44:30), what lead writing is (46:00), how gratitude has helped or hurt him (47:30), what it’s like to be on sports talk radio (53:40), what his authentic self looks like (56:20), the biggest mistake he’s made on air (57:40), how he balances fandom and doing what he loves (58:40), the routines/habits he does to make sure he’s ready to perform (1:00:20), if he ever gets nervous (1:02:30), his thoughts on preparation before performance (1:08:30), what he’s up to now (1:10:30), his biggest fear (1:12:30), what the media landscape will look like in 2030 (1:14:30), and how he makes sense of the AAF ratings being so high (1:16:15)

Thank you to Bram for coming on the podcast. You can find him @RealBramW on Twitter and Instagram. AmpireMedia.com will be coming out shortly, and it will coincide with the studio getting up and running. Bram is open for business and has a long history of performing so he brings a unique view point of how things should be put together. At the same time, he is looking forward to collaborating with people on ideas and stories and is open to all ideas.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Honest Tea Founder Seth Goldman

Honest Tea Founder Seth Goldman joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Seth Goldman is the Co-Founder and TeaEO Emeritus at Honest Tea. He started Honest Tea years ago and he is also the Executive Chair of Beyond Meat. We will talk about both companies in detail and the mission behind both companies. Honest Tea specializes in beverage that are a tad sweet, organic and fair trade certified. In March 2011, Honest Tea was acquired by the Coca Cola Company becoming the first organic and fair-trade brand in the world’s largest beverage distribution system. Honest Tea and Honest Kids is sold in over 140,000 stores in the US and Europe including McDonald's, Subway, and Chick-fil-A. Beyond Meat is also rapidly expanding distribution as the company seeks to expand the accessibility and availability of plant-based protein. You will hear Seth’s passion for vegetarianism and providing plant-based options that can provide protein for us. Seth is passionate about providing quality ingredients to humans so they can fuel their body and live a better life. Seth also serves on the board of Ripple Foods, the Yale School of Management, and Bethesda Green. Seth is a “multi-tasker” that likes to create, innovate, and disrupt, and he is passionate about making this world a better place.

In this episode, they discuss what childhood was like (5:20), where his mother’s interest in Chinese history came from (6:30), what his father was like (8:00), how his parents helped shape his perspective (9:30), how his parents reinforced that he was special (12:30), the values his family all share (13:20), what high school was like for him (14:20), the difference between being spoiled and being special (18:20), why he kept with wrestling (20:00), where his confidence comes from (21:00), when running came into his life (22:50), what he was like theater wise (24:30), his experience at Harvard (25:40), what motivates him to do all these different things (27:00), what he did right after college (27:40), his mindset when he is performing (31:00), the things he would do to train his mind (32:30), what he did to practice presence (33:20), how his parents reacted when he didn’t do something academic (35:20), what his preparation was like (36:30), what causes him to not be at his best (39:10), what it was like when his dad passed away (41:00), what he did after China (42:00), his thoughts on how he sees non-profits succeed (45:30), what bubbled up for him while at business school (47:00), when Honest Tea came to be for him and what he enjoys about creating (48:10), how he develops his relationship with fear and what excitement feels like for him (53:40), what it was like being a brand in Bethesda, Maryland (55:20), the advice he gives to entrepreneurs (56:00), what attracted him to Beyond Meat (58:20), how he responds to people that think his ideas won’t work (59:30), how he handles investors and his relationship with his employees (1:01:20), his partnership with Coca Cola (1:02:20), what makes a good leader (1:03:10), what he envisions for himself in the future (1:04:40) , the quotes, frameworks, or philosophies that help guide his life (1:08:40) , his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (1:10:30), when he looks for help (1:12:40), and how religion guides him (1:13:40)

Thank you to Seth for coming on the podcast! We encourage you to check out Honest Tea and Honest Kids which is currently expanding around the country. Beyond Meat is also growing quickly and they have a beyond burger and beyond sausage that is available in places like Whole Foods, Kreuger, and Safeway, and also now at Carl’s Jr., BurgerFi, TGI Friday’s, and here locally at Silver. Seth is also on the board of Ripple Foods which sells plant-based dairy made with peas. Bethesda Green is the local non-profit he founded 10 years ago, and they have a green business incubator, and they are working hard to engage the community of Bethesda in sustainability and finding ways for them to live greener, more sustainable lives. https://www.netimpact.org/ is another organization he’s interested in that is helping to organize MBA and college students interested in business to pursue careers in socially responsible businesses. Last, his co-founder Barry Nalebuff and he published a comic book called Mission in a Bottle, and it’s a fun retelling of the Honest Tea story in a comic book story that shows the lessons they’ve learned.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Executive Director of PeacePlayers, Brendan Tuohey on Building Peace

Brendan Tuohey joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Brendan is an Executive Director at PeacePlayers. Brendan grew up in the DC area in a diverse environment which has helped shape his life. At PeacePlayers they are inspiring people to see each other as people through the game of basketball. Brendan played Division 1 basketball at Colgate so he’ll talk about that experience, and then he’ll talk about his experience at Peace Players. Brendan serves over 100 employees and over 6500 kids throughout the world. PeacePlayers has sites in Israel, Cyprus, South Africa, Ireland, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Brooklyn, and Baltimore. They are expanding rapidly into the U.S. and their mission is to have people leverage the game of basketball so they can go into areas of conflict and start seeing each other as humans and develop empathy. Brendan is a terrific leader that empowers people in his organization and is very thoughtful about how he sets up his organization and what he wants the organization to be moving forward.

In this episode, they discuss what childhood was like in the Tuohey household (5:20), if his parents were into basketball (8:30), how hard work played a role in his childhood (10:20), how much academics were stressed (11:40), how religion played a role in his life (13:00), what it was like growing up in DC (14:50), his experience at Gonzaga (16:40), if he had any fear leaving Gonzaga (19:20), what he means by “being in the middle of things,” (21:15), when he started to thrive at basketball (28:50), what his experience was like at Colgate (31:10), what he did to set his mind for success while playing basketball (37:00), what he was thinking he’d do with his major (39:00), his experience playing and coaching in Ireland (39:30), his experience coaching in Northern Ireland (46:50), where the idea for PeacePlayers came from (49:00), about his brother Sean (53:10), when he began full-time with PeacePlayers (58:50), where his overconfidence comes from (1:00:00), where he gained self-awareness to figure out how to build these programs (1:02:10), where his ability to ask good questions came from (1:04:20), what makes a good leader (1:06:30), how he balances the press (1:09:00), how he leads and supports people who work for PeacePlayers around the globe (1:13:15), what they’ve learned from the Olympics and other sporting activities (1:20:00), how many kids are touched by PeacePlayers and how many employees (1:21:10), how he manages 6500 kids and 100 plus employees on his shoulders (1:22:10) , the tools he uses to make sure he’s the best leader he can be (1:24:00), and how he prepares (1:25:10)

Thank you to Brendan for coming on the podcast. PeacePlayers is currently making plans this summer for Baltimore, Brooklyn, Detroit, Chicago, and LA. If people are interested in getting involved, they can look at their website https://www.peaceplayers.org/. They also have a program on their website that supports volunteers, so we encourage you to check out the website.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Gary Williams on Coaching with Passion

Coach Gary Williams joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Gary Williams is a Hall of Fame Basketball Coach from the University of Maryland. In 2001, Gary led the University of Maryland to a Final Four appearance, and then in 2002, he led the Terrapins to their first NCAA National Championship. In this conversation, we learn about Gary’s journey, about some of his coaching outside of the basketball world, his mindset, and how he approached basketball as a player and as a coach. You will find out that Gary really values work ethic, hard work, people that would play with effort and intensity, and he coached with a strong intensity as well. In a lot of ways, he helped build a culture of intensity with the University of Maryland’s basketball team.

In this episode, they discuss when basketball first came into his life (4:20), if his family was into sports (7:00), if he ever thought basketball could be his way into college (8:40), the people that most impacted him (11:00), what he liked about basketball (13:00), how difficult experiences impacted who he became (15:50), how he ended up at Maryland (17:00), when the idea of becoming a coach became a reality for him (18:10), why he was so comfortable on a basketball court (20:50), what he loved about the game as a player (21:40), how coaching after college came to be (23:00), what it was like to go from player to coach (24:40), when the college coaching opportunity came up (26:40), what it was like coaching soccer for 6 years (30:00), his biggest takeaway in coaching a sport you’re not an expert on (31:30), what makes a great coach (32:30), how he was able to grow student-athletes (38:20), how he approached coaching soccer vs. basketball (41:00), what is so motivating about winning for him (42:30), how he handled losing (44:15), the routines he used as a player and as a coach (45:30), what preparation for practice looked like for him (47:30), the values he wanted his kids at Maryland to have (48:50), what qualities he looked for in the athletes he recruited (53:40), how he cultivates intensity, and his philosophy on teaching the bench (59:30), his philosophy on the press (1:05:00), what made Steve Blake and Juan Dixon special (1:08:10), when he knew the national championship team was special (1:09:15), how much of success is getting the right people vs. coaching them (1:10:20), what he intentionally did to get his mind right to coach (1:11:00), what makes a great leader (1:14:00), how expectations impact a culture (1:16:10), what he knows now that he didn’t know when he was in coaching (1:18:00), and what it was like to be inducted into the hall of fame (1:19:50)

Thank you to Gary for coming on the podcast. The University of Maryland is a great research university, and nobody should ever doubt how great of a University it is. Gary was always involved in Coaches vs. Cancer (where all of the money raised goes directly to cancer research) and we encourage you to check out this organization.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Investor/Developer Matt Hartman on Developing for Impact

Matt joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Matt has a background in venture capital, and he has also developed technology for companies, so he is a developer, but he also invests in companies. Today he works for a company called Beta Works which is a nice convergence of what Matt is passionate about. At Beta Works, they make new products that can make an impact, and then Beta Works will then invest in those products. Matt has a really interesting story that involves music, technology, and partnerships, and he will get into all of that today. At his core, Matt really cares about developing products that can make an impact on people.

In this episode, they discuss his story growing up (5:40), his curiosity for products (11:20), when music came into his life (17:10), his thoughts on the performance vs. preparation mindset (20:30), what his high school experience was like (25:40), if he ever thought about going the music route (28:30), when he realized he could go music or software, and then went this direction (33:20), how playing the piano compares to his job (36:15), the willingness of companies to pivot or not pivot (40:15), how he goes from working for someone to building products (44:20), what he thought the next step would be after grad school (47:40), the creativity that he and his siblings have (50:10), what his parents did (51:30), what it was like for him to create products (55:00), what it was like to be in business with someone else (58:40), how he transitioned and ended up in the business of technology (1:02:50), how important his background in development is (1:05:30), why he’s so passionate about communication (1:09:10), his thoughts on subscription pages (1:15:30), what his secret sauce is as far as successful companies (1:18:30), and what he intentionally does to be his best self (1:21:20)

Thank you to Matt for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out Matt on twitter @MattHartman. He also has a daily 5 minute podcast called TLDR Daily https://tldrdaily.com/, and he is at Beta Works Ventures so if you have a company they could be interested in, please reach out. We also encourage you to check out the piano bar in New York which Matt plays at once a month!

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Professor Maria Brown on A Defiant Journey

Professor Maria Brown joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Dr. Brown has a PhD from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and she wrote her dissertation entitled, “Psychiatric history and cognition trajectories in later life: variations by sex, race and ethnicity, and childhood disadvantage.” You will find out from Maria that her upbringing was anything but normal, and she had to deal with mental illness in her family, poverty, and other challenges that made her a unique case coming out of high school and at Ithaca College. Fortunately, Maria was willing to share her story, the challenges she’s faced, and how she’s risen above some of those challenges.

In this episode, they discuss what her childhood was like (5:40), what her day to day was like with her mom’s illness (7:00), what her siblings were like (8:25), the values her parents passed down to her (9:50), how religion played a role in her life (13:40), if she was surrounded by poverty (15:20), how her upbringing impacted how she saw the world (16:40), when alcoholism and depression showed up in her life (23:05), how it felt when she experienced her failure freshmen year (24:50), what inside of her allowed her to keep going (30:00), why the school of management (33:40), her thoughts on business ethics (37:30), her thoughts on the corporate world (40:10), when she decided to go back to her sociology roots (43:20), if sexuality was always clear for her (46:40), how her friend passing away impacted her (51:10), what allowed her to get help and what about it was helpful for her (52:40), her perspective on battling breast cancer while pursuing her academic achievements (55:00), what it’s been like to be a professor (58:40), why she’s drawn to adverse experiences she’s had (1:05:05), her research and what she’s drawn to (1:06:20), what she hopes comes from her research (1:09:50), and what she hopes to do in the next 5-10 years (1:13:00)

Thank you to Dr. Maria Brown for coming on the podcast. You can find information about the work she’s doing on their Facebook page, Genesis Health Project Network and there is also a website. She also has a Facebook page called Caregiver Matters of CNY which links directly to her YouTube which is the same title. She also has a faculty website at the Faulk College at Syracuse University where you can find out more about her work.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

NFL Legend Brian Mitchell on Football Love

Brian Mitchell joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Brian was a longtime Washington Redskins that started his career as a 5^th round draft pick in 1990, and he went on to become a kickoff and punt return specialist. Brian is the all-time leader in kickoff and punt return yards and is the NFL all-time leader with 13 total special teams’ touchdowns. Brian is somebody who has done it as well as anybody, and there’s certainly an argument to be made that he’s the greatest of all time when it comes to kickoff and punt returns. Brian is also in the Redskins Ring of Fame, and was just nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is a three-time first team all-pro player and is second only to Jerry Rice in total yards. Brian had an illustrious playing career, and today he works on TV and radio in the DC area.

In this episode, they discuss what childhood was like for him (5:00), which of his older siblings had the biggest impact on him (7:10), what his parents were like (8:15), how teachers reacted to his mentality in school (11:00), the demographics of the area he grew up in (12:10), what his dad did after the military (15:35), where his strong academics came from (16:10), the three best lessons his dad taught him (18:10), his experience playing quarterback and other positions (25:30), his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (30:20), how he tortured himself in the off-season, so he could have fun during the season (34:30), what’s motivating him to do the work (37:00), how he shifts from the tunnel to being able to talk trash on the field (39:30), his thoughts on what makes a great coach (47:10), his experience at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (48:45), how he became a returner (50:30), how he came back from plays where he didn’t do well (52:00), how he always thinks about things as challenges instead of threats (54:00), some of the things Coach Gibbs instilled in him (56:45), his thoughts on mobile quarterbacks and how that affects the rest of the team (58:40), what made his super bowl team special (1:03:30), the polarity of patience vs. aggressiveness (1:06:00), how he thinks about football (1:10:30), what he thinks about competitiveness (1:15:30), and what he’s learned about golf (1:18:20).

Thank you to Brian for coming on the podcast. Brian is on the Team 980 from 1-4 pm, and then he is on NBC Sports Washington on a multiple of shows like Redskins 100, and the Redskins pre and post games. He is also starting to get his foundation, the Brian Mitchell Foundation, back up. Brian is getting more into the motivational speaking front, and you can find those on twitter @BMitchliveNBCS , on Instagram at BMitch30, and on Facebook.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Pro Soccer Player Collin Martin on Playing with Pride

Collin Martin joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Collin played soccer at Wake Forest University for a year and then played professional soccer after that where he has played for DC United and Minnesota United FC. Soccer took Collin all over the country and in a sense, all over the world. Collin will talk about his transition into professional soccer, and the challenges of being in the business in sports. Collin also came out of the closet publicly in June of 2018, and is currently the only openly gay professional soccer player in the MLS. Collin is still a young guy at 24 years old, still figuring out professional soccer, and somebody who is at the beginning of his journey, but he is incredibly knowledgable.

In this episode, we discuss what childhood was like for him (6:00), why soccer for their family (7:40), how his parents reacted when he would say he wanted to play pro soccer (9:40), what it was like going to boarding school (15:05), how he thinks about environment in relations to someone’s success (18:00), the values his parents/siblings passed down to him (18:45), what he loves about soccer (20:00), his mindset when performing vs. when he’s not between the lines (21:10), what it feels like for him to want to impress on the field (24:00), his thoughts on being arrogant in performance (25:30), the best leaders he’s been around and the qualities they have (26:40), what he does to set his mind before a game (32:05), what high school was like for him (35:30), what comes hard for him (37:05), his experience at Wake Forest (42:10), how he has grown a lot personally (46:20), how it felt to go through opening up a new side of himself (49:15), what the response was when he opened up to people about being gay (52:45), if he thinks the MLS is more open than other leagues (57:20), how times have changed with regard to how the world views gay people (1:02:00), and how he sees himself from an identity standpoint (1:07:05).

Thank you to Collin for coming on the podcast. You can find Collin on Twitter @martcw12 and Instagram at @cm7md.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Astronaut Chris Cassidy from SEAL Teams to Space Teams

Chris Cassidy joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Chris is currently an astronaut that was previously a Navy Seal from the Naval Academy. Chris was an honor graduate of basic underwater demolition with the Seal Buds Class 192, and he received a bronze star for his work leading a 9-day operation on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. He has been a guest speaker at the U.S. Naval Academy Combat Leadership Seminar, and you’ll hear about how the Naval Academy was a baseline and foundation for his leadership. In 2003 and 2004, he was awarded a second bronze star for combat leadership service in Afghanistan. He has also received the NASA exceptional achievement medal, and he has finished an Ironman World Championship Triathlon. He has done a lot during his 48 years on this planet and seems to have a desire to do work on other planets as well. He will talk a lot about the value of leading and serving other people in this conversation.

In this episode, they discuss what his childhood was like (6:10), what he was thinking about in high school (7:50), the value his parents passed down to him (9:10), his parent’s reaction to his decision to go to the Naval Academy (10:50), what it was like being at the Naval Academy (12:50), what he learned at the Academy (14:50), his thoughts on a great leader needing to know when to follow (16:20), what he knows now about leadership that he didn’t know back when he was 22 (18:10), what drew him to the Seals team (19:00), how being competitive plays into being an astronaut (21:10), what seal training was like for him (24:00), what it felt like to lead his team (28:40), what he did to survive training (30:00), what it was like going over and being behind enemy lines (34:10), his thoughts on the preparation vs. performance mindset (39:00), if he uses any meditation or breathing techniques (41:50), how he sets his mind up in space (43:00), why he does what he does (44:00), what’s appealing about being a basketball referee (46:05), how he handles emotion (47:00), if he’s a risk taker or rule follower (48:30), his thoughts on Mars and what that timeline looks like (50:10), how important it is for him to get to Mars (53:30), and how he thinks about his job in relation to family and others (55:10)

Thank you to Chris for coming on the podcast. Chris’s next mission is going to launch in 2019 which you can follow along on the NASA website, and he is on Instagram @astro_seal.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Moses Maddox on Finding Truth

Moses Maddox joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Moses works as a veteran’s counselor at California State University, San Marcos, and they provide professional development services to veterans who have left the military and are in college entering their post-military careers. You will find out from Mo that he is passionate about helping people, and he loves the feeling he gets from helping people. One of the interesting parts that Mo will get into is the ability to receive help as well as give help, and how we need to be vulnerable in order to do both. Mo will talk about his upbringing, being in the Marine Corp, what he did overseas in Iraq, and he will talk about some of the struggles he had when he came back from war. Mo is very passionate about helping people get help so they can live their best lives and be their best selves. Mo really gets going with his story immediately so there isn’t an introduction with this podcast in the beginning.

In this episode, they discuss his thoughts on discussing social issues (6:30), his thoughts on how people change when they are performing (8:45), how he thinks about his work with veterans (13:30), his thoughts on giving help and receiving help (17:00), who he is and how he came to be (22:05), what life was like when his mother passed away (27:15), his relationship with his dad (29:00), how he responds when someone says “thank you for your service,” (32:40), how he wrestles with empathy as it relates to terrorism (41:30), how he still executed his job when dealing with difficult situations (45:10), what he did to shut his mind off and do his job (46:30), if he would do anything differently as a marine after his journey with mental health (47:30), what it was like in 2006 when he was drinking heavily (50:20), when he realized he was his own toughest enemy (52:10), where he feels it in his body when he tells a story about a tough time (54:20), what it was like for him to ask for help (57:00), what kind of help helped him the most (58:20), what school was like for him when he got back into it (1:01:10), what it felt like to go on David Letterman and get 5,000 emails (1:04:30), what he does now to ground himself in the present (1:07:05), how he would describe himself from an identity standpoint (1:09:20), when he decided he wanted to be a counselor and help people with careers (1:10:30), and what he does to be a whole person (1:12:30)

Thank you to Moses for coming on the podcast. For any student veteran who is pursuing computer science, mechanical engineering, any sort of computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, please go to https://veteranstoenergycareers.org/ or the veterans page at Cal St. San Marcos. They are providing full-paid internships for students pursuing STEM degrees who want to do their concentration in renewable energy. He also wants people to not be afraid to put themselves first and take care of themselves. You can find him at @momaddox on Instagram, Moses Maddox on Facebook, and Moses Maddox on LinkedIn. If you need any help or have any questions, feel free to reach out to Moses.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Wade Gilbert on Coaching Coaches

Dr. Wade Gilbert joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Dr. Wade Gilbert is an internationally renowned coaching consultant and sports scientist, as well an award-winning professor of kinesiology at Fresno State University. He has a great book called Coaching Better Every Season, and he will talk about how that book is constantly evolving in this podcast. Dr. Wade has taught at the University of Ottawa, UCLA, and Fresno State. He has contributed to over 100 publications, serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Sport Coaching Journal, and was the lead author of USOC Quality Coaching Framework. He is a growth minded individual that is always trying to learn and grow. He is at the forefront of coaching coaches, and tries to help them see better, and solve complex problems.

In this episode, they discuss what led to him being a coach of coaches (5:50), when he became passionate about working with coaches (9:10), the differences in working with athletes vs. coaches (10:50), whether he focuses more on mentoring vs. coaching his clients (13:40), how he works with perfectionism (15:50), how he’s seen the best coaches shift from preparation to performance (19:20), if he’s ever been around coaches that lack discipline (22:05), what he does to make sure he’s still working on himself (25:20), how he gives himself space to be (27:50), how he thinks about coaching as an art vs. a science (32:10), how he thinks about creating as little unknown while still embracing the unknown (34:30), what he does to help coaches who don’t enjoy games (37:50), what he intentionally does for performing (39:00), the books that have resonated with him over the years (43:20), what coaching with heart is about (45:20), how he taps into the body when working with coaches (47:20), what’s different about working with a CEO of a company vs. a Head Coach (51:20), what he loves doing (53:30), how he helps people who are doing difficult things (55:40), what drives him (59:10), the mechanics of how his job works (1:02:05), how the world of coaching coaches is evolving (1:07:00), and why there isn’t a process for coaches to become certified (1:10:50)

Thank you to Wade for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out Wade’s book and his newest work at https://us.humankinetics.com/products/coaching-better-every-season, and you can also find Wade on twitter @WadeWgilbert. Wade’s faculty web page can also be found here.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian