Intentional Performers

David Cuthbert on Leading Teams

David Cuthbert joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. David was the captain of the Naval Academy soccer team. David, at his core, is a leader, and someone who took that word captain into something that he relished and appreciated. This conversation is mostly about leadership, what it takes to lead humans, and the challenges that come with that. David is the CEO of a non-profit called Wine to Water that works with over 700,000 people in 30 countries to provide them water. They dig wells and create sustainable resources so those communities can have water, and continue to access that crucial element that we sometimes take for granted in the United States. David and Wine to Water go into these communities and help them to have a long, sustainable water resource. David was also in the Special Ops, and he will give you a bit of insight into what he did in Special Ops and what is career was like in the Armed Forces. David leverages a lot of different skills and techniques to be his best self, and he is the definition of an intentional performer.

In this episode, they discuss what his upbringing and childhood was like (6:30), if faith was a big part of his life (11:00), the values his parents passed down to him (12:10), the feeling he gets when he talks about his Dad (14:00), his life growing up with sports (17:50), when college soccer came into his mind (21:10), his experience playing college soccer at Navy (23:00), if he only looked at Navy (26:20), what he thinks of, “embrace the suck,” (30:30), what he learned about leadership while at Navy (32:10), what caused him to become a starter on the team (36:10), what it’s like to become a captain at Navy (40:30), his thoughts on competitiveness (45:15), his thoughts on if leading by example is enough (49:40), what came after he graduated from Navy (54:00), how he felt when he broke his leg during his senior season (56:30), his time in the special ops (1:00:00), his thoughts on the mindset for preparation vs. performance (1:02:00), the mental skills/tools he used in the special ops (1:05:30), his experience in a start-up tech company (1:07:05), what makes a great teammate (1:08:00), why he left corporate to go into a non-profit (1:09:40), the downsize of being a maximizer (1:15:10), and what they do at Wine to Water (1:21:50).

Thank you to David for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his non-profit https://www.winetowater.org/ to learn about the amazing work they are doing.

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

Danny Binstock on Acting and Mindset

Danny Binstock joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Danny is somebody I have known since elementary school and he is always doing a million things at once. As Danny has gotten older, he’s really focused on his craft of acting. Danny was also a three-sport athlete that ran cross country, played ice hockey, and also played lacrosse. He is someone who has always been good at whatever he puts his mind to. Danny is a New York City-based actor from the Washington, DC area that has worked at different theaters throughout the country, and he has also appeared on television. Danny is in the middle of his journey, and he has a vision for himself of bigger things even though he has already had a successful career thus far.

In this episode, we discuss his last seven years of grinding in the acting world (8:10), what desperation felt like for him (9:30), how he thinks about comparisons (16:10), how massive vulnerability is in his world (21:10), what he has shifted intentionally with regard to how he thinks about auditions (28:10), how empathy plays a role in his profession (35:20), how empathy impacts his life off stage (40:00), what he does to be successful in an audition (46:10), how he thinks about acting as a team sport (49:50), the emotions he feels when he’s on stage (54:30), his experience in a performance when he didn’t have time to study the lines (1:00:10), why a play is called a play (1:04:30), his thoughts on the preparation vs. performance mindset (1:06:00), how his sports experiences impacted him in his career today (1:09:05), what works for him with motivation (1:14:30), why he’s so passionate about acting (1:15:40), the habits/routines he does to keep himself sharp (1:22:20), what he does if he isn’t able to connect with his teammate (1:28:05), how he creates confidence moving forward for himself (1:31:00), the dialogue he has with himself before his performance (1:35:10), and how he’s not afraid (1:37:40).

Thank you to Danny for joining us on this week’s podcast. He was just on Blue Bloods, Madam Secretary, and Elementary so you can find him on CBS. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram @dbinstock.

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

Fearless Impact with Danielle Cantor

Danielle joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Danielle is sharp, passionate about helping people, and knows her stuff about basketball. You will not find a smarter, and more competent person when it comes to representing basketball players. Danielle is an NBPA certified agent and has worked alongside David Falk who is a legend in the sports agent world. Danielle is a relationship-based person that values people, helping people, and she is a servant leader at her core. She was also a Division 1 soccer player at the University of Pennsylvania. Danielle is a competitor, a winner, and she is also a very caring person that wants to help make people better and unlock their potential.

In this episode, they discuss what she was like growing up as an athlete and soccer player (6:20), what qualities make-up a good goalie (11:05), where sports came from for her (12:50), the differences between competitiveness and fearlessness (14:20), how she defines winning (19:10), how she works with being competitive but not necessarily having control of the outcome (24:10), her process for goal-setting (26:30), a devastating soccer loss she went through and the follow-up from that event (29:00), what it feels like when she gets into the space of “I’m going to make this happen,” (34:30), going towards a challenge as opposed to thinking of it as a threat (38:00), when college soccer became something that seemed like a possibility for her (42:50), her experience playing college soccer (46:00), how she got into the sports agency world (51:30), the qualities she believes salespeople need (56:20),  what she did routine wise as a goalie (57:00), what processes she puts in place for her attention to detail (59:00), how she prepared for this podcast (1:03:20), and how she feels about being a female in a male dominated industry (1:07:00)

Thanks to Danielle for coming on the podcast. Danielle is exploring fearlessness in a way that is inspiring, and we thank her for sharing her story.

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

Brian Levenson on Setting Your Mind

Today is a bit of a different episode as it will be just me sharing thoughts on setting your mind for performance. I work as a mental performance coach, and executive coach. I am fortunate to have worked with top performers in sports, and today I also work with CEO’s and Executives to help them unlock their potential. I am integrating some of the work I do in sport and bringing it over to the corporate world. If you are in the corporate world, and interested in the work that I do, please do reach out. I am obsessed with mindset, and love learning about humans and how they can unlock their potential to create success.

In this episode, I discuss “set mind” and how to intentionally set your mind (7:30), mental toughness and recovery (10:10), when matters, the performance mind, and Kobe Bryant (12:30), polarities and mindset (18:50), meditation and visualization as tools to change your mindset (21:00), the idea behind the podcast and being intentional (22:30), the power of interpretation (25:20), the power of self-talk (26:30), interacting with the world from the inside out instead of the outside in (27:00), the idea that our identity is who we are and not what we do (27:30), winning the moment (28:20), and how grateful I am and the power of gratitude (28:50).

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

Daniel Stillman on Design Thinking

Daniel joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Daniel does some really interesting work on design thinking and designing conversation for companies and individuals. Daniel does a lot of different things, but at his core, he will talk about being a designer. He’s a design thinker and helps others design their companies, and themselves, to help them unpack what they have envisioned for themselves and where they want to go. Daniel founded and exited start-ups and now travels the world teaching design thinking to teams and organizations to help them be more intentional at work. At his core, Daniel believes design means making things better tomorrow than they are today.

In this episode they discuss when and how he got interested in facilitation (6:50), why he was different than others in his family with regard to challenges (11:40), how he thinks about confrontation (13:10), how he practices active listening in tough moments (17:50), life as an infinite game (22:30), how he went from focusing on science to facilitation (26:30), the consequences of looking at human focused design vs. non-human focused design (29:30), how he thinks about vision (34:00), how he thinks about values (37:20), the conversation operating system model (41:20), what is so powerful about sticky notes for him (47:50), what he does to make sure he’s showing up at his best (51:00), what he does on stage to make sure he’s good to go (52:20), how he thinks about all the different hats that he wears (55:10), and how he facilitates with people who just want to have a monologue (57:30)

Thank you to Daniel for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his podcast and sign up for his emails on his website at http://theconversationfactory.com/. Daniel just finished a book on design thinking called “The 30 Second Elephant and Paper Airplane Experiment,” and he’s working on another book about how conversations work which should be coming out in the next year. You can also find Daniel on twitter @dastillman.

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

Cordie Walker on Learning Golf

Cordie joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. During our conversation, Cordie talks about how to grow and learn as a golfer. He will talk about how golf is changing and turning into somewhat of a team sport. Cordie is curious about how to make the best golfer, what makes golfers good, and how we change or shift golf in our society. Cordie is a podcast producer, a podcast expert, and entrepreneur. He will share how he is constantly innovating and working on new things.

In this episode, they discuss where golf started for him (4:20), what drew him to podcasting (7:10), who introduced him to music and golf (8:05), what drew him to golf over music (10:20), why he dislikes the word potential (11:10), what comes next for him after the software company and golf podcast (15:45), what he sees from the best golf coaches (18:45), the idea behind “Par” and golf being a problem-solving activity (24:00), his idea on the preparation vs. performance mindset (25:30), what gave him the confidence to pursue his passion (29:40), the downside of going after his passion (31:10), what he learned from his failed software company (32:10), the values his mom and dad passed down to him (33:20), when he started to create content and where this ability came from (36:20), the advice he’d give to someone producing a podcast or creating content (37:00), how companies use podcasts internally (40:10), the different areas he’s involved in (43:00), the drive for each of his three funnels (43:45), how long he’s been at the flooring company and what he’s learned along the way (45:30), what it’s like managing people (46:45), how he sees himself in the future (48:05), the concept behind his podcast (50:20), how northeast golfers adapt to not being able to play golf all year (54:30), what he does when he’s preparing and performing at golf (56:50), the expectation he puts on himself when performing (1:01:30)

Thank you to Cordie for joining us on this week’s episode of the podcast. We encourage you to check out his podcast “The Golf Science Lab,” and “Just Hit Publish” is the agency where they produce shows for businesses and organizations. Finally, we encourage you to check out his twitter @cordiewalker and website http://cordiewalker.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

Curtis Symonds on Learning Leadership

Curtis joins us on this week’s episode of the Intentional Performers podcast. Curtis is an assistant basketball coach at Paul VI. Curtis is a special guy who basically volunteers as a basketball coach at Paul VI. Curtis has a background in cable, and worked at ESPN for a number of years, and then worked at BET and helped BET build out their programming. He will share how he went from managing 1-2 people to managing 150 people, and he will talk about his leadership style in this podcast. He also worked for the Washington Mystics, and will talk about how he went from being a sales and marketing guy to learning how to manage operations of a professional basketball team. Curtis is passionate about basketball, community, and giving back to the youth.

In this episode, they discuss where his energy comes from (5:50), how he knew he could play college basketball after not playing high school basketball (10:30), his mom’s reaction to him saying he was going to walk-on to the college basketball team (13:30), the role his dad played in his life (15:00), the value his parents passed down to him (17:10), what it feels like to think about joining a hall of fame (19:40), what makes a great team (21:10), what gets in the way of making teams successful (23:10), his thoughts on how far talent can take you (26:20), how his leadership style changed at BET (31:30), the values that he looks for when hiring (34:05), how he thinks about building something out for a specific group of people (36:20), what his days were like at BET (41:00), what it was like transitioning from sports to music (47:05), his experience with the Mystics (49:05), what it was like going from being an expert to a novice (50:30), why he is so involved with Paul VI (52:30), if he’s noticed a change in kids today compared to 15 years ago (56:30), how important the environment is for being successful (1:03:00)

Thank you to Curtis for coming on the show. He is building a digital network around Historical Black Colleges called the HBCUX Classic Sports Network to help with the lack of exposure for HBCU’s. The goal of this network is to give these schools more exposure and get more student-athletes to these schools. Curtis truly cares about people and has had an amazing impact on Paul VI, and we thank him for coming on the podcast.

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

Mike Ganino on A Culture of Yes, And

Mike joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Mike is a culture and story-telling expert who helps executives, teams, and thought leaders communicate, connect, and engage. Mike shares his story which includes working in restaurants, working as a flight attendant, and how he developed an appreciation for culture. He wrote the book “Company Culture for Dummies” and has been named a top 30 culture speaker by Global Guru. Mike uses his high energy to re-write the stories that are happening within a company’s culture. Mike is also the head performance coach at Heroic Public Speaking, and he’ll talk about what he’s shared with others to help them develop their mind for public speaking.

In this episode, they discuss why culture is something he’s been interested in (6:05), what it was like to be a flight attendant (10:50), how his family reacted to him dropping out of school to become an actor (14:10), his mom’s impact on his life (20:00), how he prepared to perform for improv (22:20), what it was like working at Potbelly’s (25:20), what he believes is the source of culture (32:40), how he finds out the beliefs in a company (35:45), what he does for companies that aren’t clear on culture (40:15), how technology has changed how he thinks about culture and story-telling (44:05), what percentage of culture is based on science vs. art (50:50), how he sets his mind for public speaking (56:40), how he prepares to best serve his audience (1:00:20), what he does to ensure he’s taking care of himself (1:03:25), why “say yes, and” is meaningful for him (1:05:05).

Thank you to Mike for coming on the podcast. If you are communicating and something is not aligned with your audience, Mike is a great guy to connect with to help. You can find his book, “Company Culture for Dummies,” on Amazon, and you can also find him on http://www.mikeganino.com/. We encourage you to connect with Mike on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook as well.

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

Neen James on Attention Pays

Neen James joins us on this week’s episode of the Intentional Performers podcast. Neen is a bundle of energy, and she brings this positivity and energy into everything that she does. She is the author of Folding Time, and Attention Pays which are fantastic books. In 2017 she was named one of the top 30 leadership speakers by Global Guru. Neen brings boundless energy and offers very tangible solutions to give you ways you can use what she’s talking about into your everyday life.

In this episode, they discuss the moment when attention became something she was interested in (4:40), what she was doing in the productivity world (7:50), where her desire to become an achiever came from (11:05), how religion played a role in her life (17:20), her curiosity about her biological father (19:30), how she transitioned out of the corporate world (25:05), if she was someone that always wanted to work for herself (29:20), where her confidence comes from (34:10), the systems she’s created (36:00), how to increase your ideas and creativity (39:40), how her writing has improved since she first began doing it (43:50), how she views new ideas (46:30), why speaking is her passion (49:15), what 4 am rehearsing looks like for her (50:10), her thoughts on people being so afraid of public speaking (55:30), her thoughts on integration and balance in work and life (1:02:10), her mission and how it came to be (1:09:00), why she cares about others feeling better after speaking with her (1:10:30)

Thank you to Neen for coming on the podcast. You can check out her website out at https://neenjames.com/ and we encourage you to check her out on twitter @neenjames.   

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

Scott Eblin on Coaching for Action

Scott Eblin is the President of the Eblin Group, a Leadership Development group committed to helping clients lead and live at their best. Scott really believes that in order for leaders to lead they have to be at their best. As a leadership expert, global speaker, and executive coach, Scott works with some of the best known companies in the world. He is also an amazing writer, and he will talk about his books in this episode. Finally, we will end our conversation talking about his journey into coaching.

In this episode, they discuss how he got into coaching and what that journey was like (5:30), why he was interested in HR (8:50), what it was like growing up in West Virginia (12:40), some of the values his parents passed down to him (14:15), what life was like for him in High School (16:20), how he thought about education growing up (18:05), how he thinks about developing curiosity (22:05), the coolest thing he’s ever gotten to do (27:20), his transition from the corporate world to coaching (29:40), the biggest change he’s seen in the executives from the time he started coaching until now (35:15), how mindfulness works with time and focus, and how he thinks about them together (37:05), how he thinks about judgment with regard to mindfulness (39:00), his thoughts on the mindset for preparation vs. performance (44:20), his habits and routines that he uses to be successful (46:15), what he thinks makes a good coach (50:30), what he does to get his mind right for his presentations (56:40), and his writing process (59:20)

Thank you to Scott for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his newest book, the third edition of The Next Level, and you can find more information on that here . We also encourage you to check out his website at https://eblingroup.com/ and you can find Scott on Twitter @ScottEblin and Instagram @ScottEblin, and LinkedIn.

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

Roman Baca on Dance and War

Roman Baca joins Brian Levenson on this week’s episode of the podcast. Roman is a classically trained ballet dancer and choreographer. In 2001, Roman recognized his desire to defend the vulnerable. He took a hiatus from his dance, and enlisted in US Marine Corps during the Iraq War. After the war, he returned back to dance and co-founded Exit 12 which is a dance company which tells veterans stories choreographically to increase cross cultural understanding and heal divisions. He also has a great TedX from TedX San Antonio. He has led choreographic workshops at schools, universities, and veteran centers to inspire military veterans, victims of war, and civilians through the power of dance. He is currently pursuing a MFA in choreography at the Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance in London.

In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (6:40), what his relationship was like with his dad and mom (9:20), the values his mom passed down to him (11:40), what happened for him after high school (13:20), what felt different for him in dance (17:00), how he handled the search for perfection in dance (18:20), how much perfectionism plays a role in performing in dance (19:30), his mindset in preparation vs. performing (25:30), a time in his career when he learned to perform (30:50), his thoughts on if flow can be transferred (36:20), about his desire to join the military (39:30), how 9/11 played a role in his journey (43:05), the similarities in training in dance and in the military (45:15), the juxtaposition between military and ballet dance (46:50), the reaction of others in the marines when he told them his background (49:20), what he learned about himself when sharing his passion with others in the military (53:00), how has he grown and gotten better as he’s trying to transform others (1:00:40), what he would do differently in the military training process (1:04:20), if his leadership problem was his own fault (1:08:30), if there’s anything he would do differently if he were in charge of military training (1:10:10), the tools, techniques, and mantras that he uses to guide him (1:11:30), what he’s doing in London (1:14:20), what makes a great choreographer (1:18:00), what he feels and where he feels it when he talks about what he wants to accomplish (1:20:05)

Thank you to Roman for coming on the show. Roman recently choreographed a piece for the new US embassy in London, and it’s one of the first receptions with that many people. He was able to put it together with some colleagues in London and the US ambassador tweeted it out here. He also premiered a new work in progress that can be found here. We encourage you to check out the Exit 12 Dance Company website and twitter handle at @exit12danceco.

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

Derin McMains on the Psychology of Baseball

Derin McMains joins Brian Levenson on this week’s episode of the podcast. Derin works as a mental performance coordinator for the Seattle Mariners. In his role, Derin coordinates the mental performance program for the entire organization. He works with the 40 man roster, and alongside two other colleagues that work primarily with the minor league teams. Almost all of the organizations in the MLB currently utilize a mental performance coach, and Derin is at the forefront of this profession. Derin also played minor league baseball in the San Francisco Giants organization, and he will share what it was like growing up playing baseball and what led him to becoming obsessed with the mental game.

In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (4:40), his family dynamic (9:10), the values his parents passed down to him (10:10), when baseball came into his life (11:30), what allowed him to take the risk to become a switch-hitter (14:30), what it was like playing baseball with his brother in Junior College (18:00), his thoughts on players playing angry (21:50), his college recruiting process and how he attacks goals (26:20), how he helps athletes discover their vision (30:05), what percentage of pro athletes have a clear vision for themselves and what they want to become (32:50), how he quiets his ego when he tries to work with athletes that aren’t interested (35:30), his thoughts on thinking about what matters and what’s helpful (39:30), what percentage of his work is with people struggling with the yips vs people trying to move from good to great (40:50), his career in professional baseball and what his mindset was like playing baseball (42:00), his reaction to people saying someone is injury prone (45:50), what drew him to sport psychology (48:20), what qualities he’s noticed that people have that make them successful during games (50:10), why baseball has opened its doors to people in the sport psych world (52:30), what his sports psychology team looks like with the Mariners (56:50), what does he do to remain sharp (59:20), his background in music and the story about how he started writing music (1:01:30).

Thanks to Derin for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his twitter @McMainsDmac.

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

Malcolm Brogdon on Believing in Myself

Malcolm Brogdon joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Malcolm was selected in the 2^nd round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was named ACC player of the year and ACC defensive player of the year at the University of Virginia. He had an amazing college career and was overlooked by every NBA team when it came to the draft. Malcolm won the rookie of the year, and he was the first player to do this as a 2^nd rounder since 1956. His NBA and College accolades are phenomenal, but he’s also an amazing person. He was fortunate enough to be around civil rights activists including his grandfather and he will talk about his upbringing during this conversation.

In this episode, they discuss his background growing up in Atlanta (4:40), if there were ever times when he resisted in his upbringing (8:20), who taught him the game of basketball (9:10), his mindset and training program in high school (10:50), some of the stories he heard from his grandfather and his experience in Africa (12:40), how his parents’ divorce impacted his life (16:30), where his confidence came from (19:20), how difficult it was for him to choose UVA over Harvard (22:20), similarities between competing in the classroom and on the court, and the values his mother taught him (23:45), transition from high school to college basketball (26:10), the adversity he faced when he got injured his sophomore year (27:15), why he was able to believe in and play the long game in life/basketball (29:30), his reaction when UF doesn’t offer and when every NBA passes on him (31:30), his mindset in preparation being different than his mindset in performance (33:50), what he does to shift out of perfectionism for his performance (37:40), his yawning before games and visualization techniques (38:30), how he goes from being a 2^nd round pick to rookie of the year (41:50), what was going through his mind when he began with Milwaukee (43:50), what he knows now that he didn’t when he entered the league (45:45), what he does to give his mind a rest (47:30), his competitive spirit and how that shows on the basketball court (48:40), how he defines leadership (51:20), his experience in Africa (52:40)

Thanks to Malcolm for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out the non-profit he’s involved in with Chris Long called waterboys. He has started his own organization from the Chris Long foundation called Hoops 20 to help make a difference in Tanzania and East Africa.

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

Phil Weber on Growing from Moments

Phil Weber joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Phil has spent time with Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, University of Florida, Chaminade University, Iona University, New Orleans Pelicans, and he was the Head Coach of the Sioux Falls team in the D-League. He is a basketball lifer who has coached in a number of different ways. He also worked as a player development coach from 1995-1998 where he worked with over 100 NBA players. Phil is a philosopher at heart, always reading, always writing, always learning, and he is definitely an intentional performer. He doesn’t just focus on basketball, but what concepts and ideas can make his players better on and off the floor.

In this episode, they discuss his journey into coaching (5:00), his experience being around Coach Jim Valvano (7:10), the number one value each Coach brought (8:30), one value that explains who he is as a coach (10:00), where he thinks self-belief comes from (12:10) , if persistence has ever hurt him and how it’s helped him (13:45), how he cultivated a growth mindset (21:30), when he started to devour books (25:30), his transition into the NBA (30:10), how he started doing player development (34:00), the story about Kobe walking into his gym (39:40), the coaches he got to be around throughout his professional coaching career that have inspired him (49:30), his experience being around D’Antoni and Spoelstra (56:10), how he set his mind to do the jobs he’s had (1:04:40), his thoughts on the inner circle of influence vs the outer circle (1:11:40), life’s golden nuggets and the mindset for growth (1:114:10), qualities that are common in championship teams (1:17:20), experiences or observations with the Miami Heat (1:21:30), and finally about his poetry and the writings that he has done (1:28:00)

Thanks to Phil for coming on the podcast.

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

Sam Morris on the Power of Breathing

Sam joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Sam works as a coach and speaker, and has a company called Zen Warrior Training where he helps people unlock what’s inside of them and get in touch with their feelings. Sam has a deep passion for inspiring and helping others. In this podcast, Sam talks about a number of life events including an accident that took place when he was 24 years old that was life changing.

In this episode, they discuss his childhood and how he became who he is today (4:45), the difference in what he learned from his father and mother (11:00), the relation between his childhood and what he does today (14:20), if he sees his mom and dad as Warrior or Zen (20:00), when he got into cycling (24:10), his mindset when cycling across the country (29:10), when he started playing guitar (35:50), his time at Hampshire College (41:00), his major accident in 1999 (46:30), what he remembers from the accident and the immediate feeling he experienced after (48:20), what he feels now as he rehashes the story (52:20), his mindset when in the hospital for an extended period of time (54:00), how he created a mindset to have the state of neutrality as opposed to victimhood (58:00), his thoughts on selfishness and selflessness (1:04:10), what he does to take care of himself and the diet he is currently on (1:05:30), his meditation routines and the power of the breath (1:11:40), and what Zen Warrior Training is about (1:17:50)

Thanks to Sam for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his website at http://zenwarriortraining.com/about/. You can also find Sam on twitter @zwtraining and on facebook at facebook.com/zenwarriortraining.  

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 Mangini on Football Lessons

Eric Mangini joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Eric played college football at Wesleyan, and has since spent his entire career working in football where he actually began as a coach in Australia. Eric was an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, and at the age of 34, he was hired as the NY Jets Head Football Coach. After being the head coach for the NY Jets, Eric was then the head coach for the Cleveland Browns. Today, Eric works in TV and has a wealth of knowledge on culture, leadership, and mental performance.

In this episode, they discuss how he started in football, and his time coaching in Australia (4:00), how he started as a ball boy and public relations intern with the Cleveland Browns (10:30), how he began taking on jobs from Bill Belichick (16:00), what advice he would give to someone wanting to get into coaching (18:00), what lessons he learned from coaches and GM’s that he’s seen be successful (23:00), about the group of coaches on the 1995 Cleveland Browns (31:40), his thoughts on the Patriots culture and always playing the best players (35:30), what made Bill Parcells special (40:45), what traits Tom Brady had that made him successful (46:30), what he loves about football (50:05), how losing his Dad impacted his life (54:45), on the leap to becoming a head coach at 34 years old (56:20), what the lifestyle is like as an NFL head coach (1:01:30), how he’d describe his leadership style (1:10:40), on the routines he would do (1:12:10), and what’s similar about performing on TV and coaching (1:15:30).

Thanks to Eric for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his foundation at https://www.cfm-foundation.org/. This is a family foundation in honor of Eric’s father and uncle that creates opportunities for under resourced kids.

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

Melissa Agnes on Being Crisis Ready

Melissa Agnes joins Brian Levenson on this weeks podcast. Melissa is an author, strategic advisor, and keynote speaker. She is the author of Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World, and a leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection. Agnes is a coveted speaker, commentator, and advisor to some of today's leading organizations faced with the greatest risks. As a strategic advisor and keynote speaker, Agnes has worked with NATO, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, financial firms, technology companies, healthcare organizations, cities and municipalities, law enforcement agencies, global non-profits, and many others, helping them understand risk and build invincible brands that can withstand even the most devastating of events. In 2015, she gave a TEDx talk in Los Angeles where she discussed the secret to successful crisis management in the 21st century. Agnes is the editor of the Crisis Ready Blog, a contributor to Forbes, and a go-to source for the press, with recent coverage including the Wall Street Journal, VIBE Magazine, USA Today, and many others. As a university guest lecturer, Agnes teaches crisis management in university courses around the world, including at NYU and McGill.

In this episode, they discuss Melissa’s upbringing and where she grew up (5:00), what helped guide her as a child (8:00), what advice she would give someone living in an environment they don’t believe they should be in (10:00), what her truth is (10:30), what transforming her life meant (11:10), if she’s more of a risk taker or rule follower (12:40), on the values she lives by (13:10), how she works with an organization or CEO on finding their truth (17:20), how she sees herself culturally (19:10), how she can analyze without judgement (24:00), how she ended up where she is today (28:10), how branding led her to a career in crisis management (30:10), how she uses intuition in her life (35:30), what she does daily to go inward (38:00), what she does once she notices emotions (46:00), about the mechanics of roof building, and making sure her companies are crisis ready (47:00), if she facilitates or teaches with an organization (50:40), and her thoughts on preparing with a “why” mindset and performing with a “how” mindset (54:00).

Thanks to Melissa for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out her website at https://melissaagnes.com/. Melissa’s website houses everything related to her work, and provides a ton of valuable information she has on crisis management. You can also find Melissa Agnes on twitter @melissa_agnes, and check out her book “Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World.”

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. Mark Goulston on Suicide Prevention

Dr. Mark Goulston joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Dr. Goulston works as a psychiatrist, but also has been a high stakes crisis psychiatrist, FBI hostage negotiation trainer, and he coaches founders to become CEO’s. He has helped traumatized people heal and thrive in addition to surviving and coping. This conversation is deep, and it’s a conversation about suicide and how we can prevent suicide in the future.

In this episode, they discuss how he came to be interested in the medical world, and his story about depression in medical school (5:45), how his life changed when he was kicked out of Medical School (11:00), what mentors mean to him (15:00), what drew him to being a suicide specialist (16:00), where his ability to connect with people comes from (19:00), about how people die from despair as opposed to depression (22:30), why he was drawn towards helping people prevent suicide (24:00), what helping people does for him (27:40), his thoughts on mindfulness (34:20), on being a first class “noticer” and two magical tricks to stop any argument (40:30), what he believes about suicide, advise for people who are thinking about suicide, and how we can be helpful to people having suicidal thoughts (49:00), what he thinks depression wise is going on with our society today (58:15), a magical tip that he’s given men when in an argument with their wife (1:02:00), and the best quote he’s ever heard (1:05:30).

Thanks to Dr. Goulston for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his website at http://markgoulston.com/. You can also find Dr. Goulston on twitter @MarkGoulston and we encourage you to check out his pinned tweet where he connects people who have been impacted by suicide. He has also written several top-selling books such as “Talking to Crazy,” and “Get Out of Your Own Way,” which we encourage you to check out.

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

Josh Basile on the Power of Hope

Josh Basile joins the podcast this week. Josh is an advocate, lawyer, teacher, and mentor. Josh is amazingly grateful and he leverages gratitude in every part of his life. In this podcast, he talks through his traumatic injury at Bethany Beach and how he views life and interprets events that have happened to him.

In this episode we discuss what life was like growing up (4:50), what his mindset was like as a top athlete at Bullis and at Skidmore College (7:05), his memories as soon as the injury happened and how his mom helped him through the injury (11:10), his mindset during rehabilitation (17:00), his biggest transition after the injury and the mentor program he has created (18:20), what gets him from idea to action (24:30), how he views mindset in preparation vs performance (30:30), what he does in the moments that are not glamorous and moments that are special (36:40), what he does in his life to tap into the present (41:20), when gratitude entered his life and his visualization tactics (43:20), who has helped him on is journey and what lessons he has learned (49:10), and they close with what he sees himself doing in 10 years (51:10).

Thanks to Josh for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his non-profit at http://www.determined2heal.org/ or https://spinalpedia.com/ where they help newly injured families transition to a life with paralysis and give them the tools and mindsets they need to be successful and live a healthy and active lifestyle. You can also follow them on Twitter at @SPINALpedia, Facebook @SPINALpedia or his email is Josh.Basile@gmail.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

Ken Harbaugh on Taking Action

Ken Harbaugh joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Ken has spent time in the Navy and as President of Team Rubicon Global to name a few of his professions, and is currently running for Congress in Ohio. Ken is a devoted family man that has become a leading advocate for military veterans, and when he sees the need for action, he takes action.

In this episode they discuss what led him to the military and becoming a pilot (6:05), how the Navy views leadership and how to train like a Navy pilot (12:15), what is his mindset when in the air, and how to perform when emotion and anxiety rise (18:10), his routine before going up in the air (23:30), what leadership and being part of a team mean for him (25:00), his journey from leaving the Navy to joining Team Rubicon (26:30), why he has shifted from a traditional path to an alternative path throughout his life (32:00), his mindset in preparation/planning, and then mindset in pure action mode (36:00), how his experience in Team Rubicon was different than as a Pilot (41:30), about why he is transitioning toward politics (45:40), and what success would look like if he gets elected, and which job has been the most impactful on his life (46:50). Finally, he concludes by talking about writing his book, Here Be Dragons, with his wife (48:40).

Thanks to Ken for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his book Here Be Dragons: A Parent's Guide to Rediscovering Purpose, Adventure, and the Unfathomable Joy of the Journey. You can also follow him on Twitter: @Team_Harbaugh or Instagram: @kenharbaugh

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

Thanks for listening.

--Brian