Win More, Live Better
Win More, Live Better is a podcast for sport coaches and high-performing leaders who care deeply about results, but refuse to compromise their well-being, joy, or relationships in the process. The show explores what it really means to win more and live better on your terms. Through stories, conversations, and practical frameworks, each episode helps you sharpen your leadership, strengthen your inner game, and build systems that support sustainable performance for you and those you lead. Hosted by Zach Brandon, a nationally recognized performance and leadership advisor.
Episodes
The NFL Scout Who Saw What Others Missed
What if one of your greatest competitive advantages is being willing to look where others won't? Gil Brandt helped revolutionize NFL scouting by finding extraordinary talent in places other organizations overlooked, but his success wasn't simply about thinking differently. It was about knowing exactly what he was looking for, while remaining open-minded about where he might find it. In t
Finishing Is A Mindset and Skill
At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Tanzanian marathon runner John Stephen Akhwari finished more than an hour behind the winner. Injured and exhausted, he crossed the finish line long after most spectators had left the stadium.When asked why he continued, his response became one of the most memorable statements in Olympic history.In this episode, we explore what Akhwari’s story teaches us about comm
The Escape Room Mindset: How to Handle Hard Better
One of the best ways to prepare people for difficult moments is to intentionally create more of them in training. Borrowing inspiration from Olympic gold medalist and Team USA volleyball coach Karch Kiraly, this episode explores an exercise he calls the "escape room" and how to challenge athletes to embrace difficulty, navigate frustration, and develop resilience.Learn More About Zach:Em
Dr. Barry Davis | Hall of Fame Baseball Coach, Consultant, and Author | The EQ Edge for Coaches
Dr. Barry Davis is a Hall of Fame baseball coach whose career spans nearly four decades and more than 1,000 victories across three levels of college baseball.Barry began his head coaching career at Gloucester County College, where he won four NJCAA Division III national championships and earned four National Coach of the Year awards. He later led Georgia Southwestern to a conference championship a
Red Teaming: How Would You Sabotage Your Success?
What if you hired someone whose only job was to keep you from reaching your goals? What would they tell you to do? In this episode, Zach explores the concept of red teaming and how thinking like a saboteur can expose the vulnerabilities that might derail you or your team. With references to a famous speech by NFL Head coach, John Harbaugh, and a simple strategic planning team exercise, you'll
Recalculating: Off Course Doesn’t Mean Off Track
If you repeated today’s habits and decisions for the next 100 days, would you be closer to what matters most or further away? That question and a lesson from NASA's Apollo missions is at the heart of today's episode. We explore how drift develops, why adjusting your route can help you stay committed to your goals, and how to recover when you veer off course. Whether you’re evaluating you
The Art and Science of Behavior Change: Lessons from 3 MLB Coaches
You can’t force someone to change, but you can create the conditions that make change more likely. In this From the Other Side of the Mic episode, Zach joins Billy Allen on the "Coach Your Brains Out" podcast with additional guests Bernie Holliday and Ceci Clark for a wide-ranging conversation about one of the most important (and complicated) parts of coaching and leadership: Helping peo
The Six Jobs of a Head Coach | Episode #300 Masterclass
To celebrate the production of 300 episodes for Win More, Live Better and more than 40+ conversations with championship coaches across sports, Zach steps back to examine a larger question: What are the common themes great coaches consistently reference for sustaining excellence?In this masterclass episode, Zach references past guest conversations and explores the six core roles and responsibilitie
Behavior Has a History: Understanding the Athlete Behind the Performance
When it comes to athletes, coaches see their qualities such as competitiveness, perfectionism, insecurity, confidence, work ethic and need to prove people wrong, to name a few. What they don’t always see is where those behaviors and qualities come from. Using Landon Donovan's journey to become a US soccer icon, this episode highlights what he can teach coaches about empathy, the motivation be
The Mirror and the Spotlight: How Leaders Handle Success and Failure
Leadership requires knowing when to use the mirror and when to use the spotlight. When your team falls short, can you examine your own contribution before pointing elsewhere? When your team succeeds, can you step aside and give others the credit they deserve? Using a story from Tim Cook’s leadership at Apple and a recent leadership workshop, Zach explores why ownership and recognition both require
Give People Evidence They Matter
You can hold the retreat, organize the team-building exercise, bring in the guest speaker, and put your values on the wall, but some of your most important culture-building opportunities happen in the ordinary moments in between. In this episode, we use Zach Mercurio’s research on mattering to explore what happens when people feel seen, heard, valued, and needed (and what happens when they don’t).
Jay Johnson | Head Baseball Coach, LSU | The Standard Starts With You
Jay Johnson is the head baseball coach at LSU and one of the most accomplished coaches in college baseball.In five seasons at LSU, Johnson has led the Tigers to two national championships, winning the College World Series in 2023 and 2025. He became the fastest coach to win multiple national titles during his tenure at a single school and has twice earned National Coach of the Year honors.His head
The Path Forward Isn't Always Straight
Human nature is to expect progress to be steady, visible and linear, but most meaningful goals are accompanied by setbacks, course corrections and periods when you have to take a step backward in order to go forward. Through the metaphor of tacking in sailing, this episode offers a better way to understand the inevitable zig-zags of growth and how to adjust your process in pursuit of goals, withou
Background Check Your Beliefs
We conduct background checks before giving people important responsibilities. So why not do the same with the beliefs we give influence over our lives? In this episode, Zach shares a simple way to examine the evidence behind your assumptions and limiting beliefs, challenge outdated conclusions, and make sure your past isn't unnecessarily dictating your future.Learn More About Zach:Email Zach
Paul Goldstein | Head Coach and Director of Men's Tennis, Stanford University | The Weight of Caring, Building Culture & Coaching Under Pressure
Paul Goldstein is the Director of Men’s Tennis and Head Coach at Stanford University. Across 12 seasons leading the Cardinal, Goldstein has compiled more than 200 wins, guided Stanford to the NCAA Championships every season, won conference championships in both the Pac-12 and ACC, and earned ITA Northwest Region Coach of the Year honors five times. In 2024-25, he led Stanford to 26 wins, an ACC Ch
Your Culture Has a Job to Do
Culture matters, but not simply for the sake of having a great culture. It matters because of what it enables people and organizations to accomplish. This episode explores how leaders can connect culture to behavior and performance, why there isn't one universally “great” culture, and how working backward from desired outcomes can help create an environment where people can consistently do th
The Iron Cowboy: Building the Capacity to Handle Hard Things
Growth often comes with an uncomfortable period where the demands of what we’re doing exceed our current capacity to handle them. Using the remarkable story of James Lawrence’s 50 Ironman triathlons in 50 states in 50 days, this episode explores the gap between new demands and our current capacity and why we should be careful about deciding too quickly that something isn’t working.Learn More About
How Many Other People Would Quit Right Now?
The moments when you most want to quit may also be the moments where you have the greatest opportunity to create separation. Inspired by a question Chris Bosh learned from Kobe Bryant, this episode explores how performers can create separation when things aren't easy. Drawing on lessons from Randy Pausch’s famous “brick walls” message in his last lecture and my own experience training for my
The Show Goes On: Performing When You Don’t Feel Your Best
Not every great performance starts with feeling great. Last week, two of the world's top music artists, Taylor Swift and Noah Kahan, reminded me of the same key lesson that is relevant for elite performers in any domain. In this episode, we explore why feeling your best isn’t a prerequisite for doing your best and what becomes possible when you stop treating your internal state as a predictio
Mark Gottfried | Former D1 Basketball Coach, Speaker, and Author | "Winning is intoxicating, but the relationships established supercede any kind of trophy."
Mark Gottfried has experienced college basketball from nearly every angle including as a player, assistant coach, head coach, broadcaster, and now as a speaker, mentor, and podcast host.Mark began his coaching career at UCLA, where he spent seven seasons as an assistant and helped the Bruins capture the 1995 national championship. He went on to serve as a Division I head coach for more than two de
Make the Invisible Visible: How Great Leaders Make Progress Visible
In 1943, Edwin Land’s three-year-old daughter asked him a simple question after he took her picture: Why couldn’t she see it right away? Her question helped activate an idea that had been developing in Land’s mind for years and ultimately contributed to the invention of the Polaroid camera. In this episode, Zach uses that story to explore why meaningful growth frequently occurs before it becomes v
The Conversation You're Avoiding
What conversation are you currently talking yourself out of? Difficult conversations rarely become easier simply because we avoid them. More often, the frustration, assumptions, and tension continue to build beneath the surface. In this episode, Zach shares some practical strategies for navigating difficult conversations and becoming more skilled at them.Learn More About Zach:Zach's Email --
John O'Sullivan | Author, Coach, & Speaker | "Stop treating leadership as a character trait and start treating it as a skill."
John O’Sullivan is a former collegiate and professional soccer player, longtime coach, author, speaker, and the founder of the Changing the Game Project—an organization dedicated to creating better experiences for athletes by transforming the way we coach, lead, and develop people through sport.John is also the host of the Way of Champions Podcast, where he and Dr. Jerry Lynch have had nearly 500
Your Attention Goes Everywhere You Go: Why Elite Performance Starts With Focus
Wherever you go, your attention goes with you. So why wouldn’t you deliberately train it? In this episode, Zach explores how training attention can strengthen other mental skills, why calm isn’t necessarily the goal of meditation, and what it means to develop greater stability in the moments that matter most.Learn More About Zach:Zach's Email -- Zbrandon1022@gmail.comReserve a seat at the Gam
Play the Piano You Have: How to Adapt When Things Don’t Go as Planned
How do you respond and adapt when you confront conditions you didn't prepare for? In this episode, Zach shares the remarkable story of a world-renowned pianist who was forced to perform on an instrument that was far from what he expected and created something extraordinary by adjusting the way he played. Through lessons from music, Roger Clemens, and a professional hitting coach, Zach explore
Josh Steinbach | Head Volleyball Coach, Villanova University | Coaches Are Human Beings Too
Josh Steinbach is the head volleyball coach at Villanova University, where he is entering his 20th season and has become the winningest coach in program history with more than 300 career victories.Before arriving at Villanova in 2007, Josh's coaching journey included stops at San Diego Mesa College, Penn State, University of Cincinnati, and Wright State. During his time at Villanova, Josh has
Emotion is the Currency for Learning
Why do some lessons stick with us for years while others disappear almost immediately? In this After the Whistle segment, Zach builds on a lesson from his conversation with Maryland Basketball's Josh Chambers about the role emotion plays in learning. Zach discusses why information alone isn't always enough to create engagement or change and how emotion influences what captures our attent
From the Other Side of the Mic: Winning Without Losing What Matters Most
In this From the Other Side of the Mic episode, Zach joins Colin Jonov on The Playbook podcast to discuss the paradoxes of leadership, the role of identity and values in decision-making, and how preparing for adversity, not avoiding it, helps people sustain excellence over time. They also discuss the hidden costs of ambition, balancing professional success with the responsibilities of family, and
The Recognition Most Leaders Forget to Give
The words leaders choose to recognize often become the behaviors people repeat. In this episode, Zach distinguishes between the three types of recognition: Compliments, praise, and feed-forward. He explores how great leaders not only acknowledge success, but also provide the clarity people need to continue growing.Learn More About Zach:Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook her
Being Trustworthy vs. Trust Willing: How Trust Is Earned and Given
Most leaders focus on becoming someone others can trust, but far fewer ask an equally important question: Am I willing to trust others? In this episode, Zach explores the often-overlooked distinction between being trustworthy and being trust willing through the remarkable story of Charles Blondin's historic tightrope walks across Niagara Falls. Learn More About Zach:Download my free Win More,
Josh Chambers | Director of Process, Maryland Men's Basketball | Designing Systems and Processes for Elite Teams
What if the biggest competitive advantage your team has isn't your talent, but the systems you build around it?In this episode, I'm joined by Josh Chambers, the Director of Process for the University of Maryland men's basketball program. Josh has spent more than a decade helping build elite college basketball programs alongside one of the game's most respected coaches, Buzz Wil
Feeding the Rat: Expand Your Comfort Zone and Discover What You’re Capable Of
Would you rather find out what you’re capable of or spend your life wondering what might have happened if you tried? In this episode, we explore British mountaineer Mo Anthoine’s idea of “feeding the rat” which is a symbol for our human desire for testing limits and deliberately choosing meaningful challenges that stretch your current capacity. Learn More About Zach:Download my free Win More, Live
Flow Can't Be Forced: Lessons from a World Record Performance
Why do some of our best performances feel almost effortless? Using Josh Kerr's recent world record in the mile, this episode explores a hidden paradox of peak performance: The harder we try to force greatness, the more likely we are to create the very interference that holds us back. You'll learn why flow can't be manufactured and how to gain control by knowing what not to control.L
The Books I Still Think About Years Later
Reading a book is one thing, but actually applying and living its ideas is another. This episode isn’t a list of my favorite books per se, but it is a reflection on eight books whose lessons continue to influence my coaching, leadership, parenting, and perspective years after I turned the final page.Learn More About Zach:Secure your free seat for my upcoming live masterclass session here.Download
When the Skip Button Doesn’t Work: How to Handle Unhelpful Thoughts
You won’t always control which thoughts enter your mind, but you can control what you do next. In this episode, Zach uses an unexpected moment during a rainy run to explain two ways we can respond to unhelpful thoughts: Change their content or change our relationship with them. Learn how athletes, coaches, and leaders can redirect unproductive self-talk when possible and continue taking purposeful
Assembling Firewood: Why Consistent Preparation Fuels Future Success
Many of the most important investments we make don't produce immediate results. Drawing from a childhood memory of preparing firewood with his dad and a quote from musical artist John Mayer, in this episode Zach shares how small daily efforts accumulate over time and why consistent preparation creates the confidence to perform when it matters most.Learn More About Zach:Explore 1:1 coaching wi
Every Dream Has Fine Print: What Every Meaningful Goal Really Requires
Every meaningful dream comes with fine print. Whether you're an athlete, coach, leader, entrepreneur, or simply pursuing an important goal, the journey will almost certainly take longer than expected, require greater sacrifice, and test you in ways you never imagined. In this episode, Zach draws inspiration from the recent MLB and NBA drafts and explains why understanding the "fine print
Dr. Suzanne Bell | Behavioral Health and Performance Lead, NASA | A Team of Experts Don't Equate to an Expert Team
How do you build teams that perform under extraordinary pressure when failure isn't an option?This week, I'm joined by Dr. Suzanne Bell, an organizational psychologist, internationally recognized expert on team effectiveness, and Lead Scientist of NASA's Behavioral Health & Performance Laboratory at Johnson Space Center. Dr. Bell leads research focused on helping astronauts and
Halftime: A Mid-Year Reflection for 2026
We’re halfway through the 2026 year. Before you rush into the next six months, this can be a great time to pause and evaluate your year so far. In this episode, I share a personal mid-year reflection on the lessons and questions that have shaped my first half of 2026 and the halftime adjustments I’m making for the back half of the year.Learn More About Zach:Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedu
The Starting Lineup for Your Life: Why Your Values Need a Depth Chart
How do you decide what deserves your time and attention when everything feels important? In this episode, Zach explores why identifying your values isn’t enough, you also need to understand how they’re prioritized. This episode offers a practical way to think about your values and ensure your daily choices reflect the life you’re trying to build. Learn More About Zach:Explore 1:1 coaching with Zac
After the Whistle: Culture Starts in the Coaches' Room
How do you build a more connected team? According to Hall of Fame NBA coach Mike D'Antoni, it starts with the coaches. In this After the Whistle segment, we unpack why the relationships among your coaching staff may be one of the biggest influences on your team's culture. We also discuss practical ways coaches can create stronger connections, foster trust, and model the kind of culture t
Better Questions, Better Results: What a 6-time Hot Dog Eating Champion Can Teach Us About Performance
Every Independence Day, the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest captures the attention of millions of viewers. But few people know the story of Takeru Kobayashi, the six-time champion whose innovative approach forever changed the competition. In this episode, Zach unpacks the leadership and performance lessons behind Kobayashi's success and explains why extraordinary results often come from
Mike D'Antoni | 2-time NBA Coach of the Year | Hall of Fame Wisdom and The Coach Who Revolutionized Basketball
Coach Mike D'Antoni is one of the most influential coaches in basketball history.Following a remarkable playing career in Italy that included five championships, D'Antoni transitioned into coaching and went on to become one of the game's greatest innovators. Over a coaching career spanning more than four decades, he served as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Los Ange
The Significant Objects Experiment: Why Storytelling Can Shift Perception and Change Behavior
Can a story make something worthless become valuable? In this episode, Zach shares an incredible real-life experiment that demonstrates how a simple story transformed ordinary objects into something people valued nearly 30 times more. You'll learn how great leaders use stories to shape perception, strengthen commitment, and help people connect everyday work to a greater purpose.Learn More Abo
The Request Beneath the Complaint: Learning to Hear What's Really Being Asked
How should leaders respond to complaints? In this episode, Zach explores the difference between chronic complainers and meaningful feedback, why complaints often contain valuable information, and how coaches and leaders can use curiosity, empathy, and accountability to build stronger teams and cultures.Learn More About Zach:Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call hereSubscribe to my
Don't Miss the View: How to Appreciate Where You Are While Pursuing What's Next
Most people don't miss the view because it isn't there. They miss it because they're moving too fast to notice it. In this episode, Zach explores why coaches, leaders, and high performers need more "lookout points" in their lives, intentional moments to pause, reflect, and gain perspective amidst the demands of work and leadership. If you've been feeling stuck in cons
Sonny Cumbie | Head Football Coach, Louisiana Tech University | "My job is to listen to the people I serve and help them feel seen, valued, and heard."
Sonny Cumbie is the head football coach at Louisiana Tech University and one of the most respected offensive minds in college football. His journey through the game is anything but conventional.A former Texas Tech walk-on quarterback, Cumbie spent years earning his opportunity before becoming the starting quarterback and ultimately leading the nation in passing yards and total offense during his s
Too Early to Tell: What Hall of Famers Can Teach Us About Persistence and Growth
What if some of the greatest careers in sports history had been judged by their first season? Today's episode profiles some of the early failures and struggles that several top performers faced early in their careers, but also how they responded to them to end up as some of the greatest athletes of all-time. Zach explores why we place so much weight on early results, the stories we tell ourse
Be Someone's Fan
As coaches and leaders, it's easy to assume people know how we feel about them. We assume our players know we're proud of them. We assume our staff knows they're appreciated. We assume our families know we're cheering for them. But support isn't measured by what we feel, but it is measured by what other people experience. In this episode, we explore the power of encouragem
The 2% We Remember: How to Enjoy the Journey Instead of Just Chasing the Destination
Why do we spend so much time chasing moments we'll only experience briefly? After reflecting on a World Series appearance and lessons from astronaut Chris Hadfield, I found myself wrestling with a simple question: What happens when we become so focused on the reward that we overlook everything required to reach it? In this episode, we explore why our minds tend to fixate on peaks, endings, an
Do It Scared: Why Confidence Comes After Action
What if the confidence you’re waiting for is actually on the other side of action? In this episode, Zach explores one of the most common misconceptions in performance and personal growth: The belief that we must feel confident before we act. Zach shares a powerful story from Rory Vaden’s book Take the Stairs and explores why fear is not always a sign that you’re incapable, unprepared, or not ready
Why Team Cultures Drift (And How to Prevent It)
Most organizations and teams don't fall apart suddenly or due to some catastrophic collapse. Typically, things start to break down in more subtle ways and due to small deviations from standards. Drawing on insights from Northwestern Field Hockey Head Coach Tracey Fuchs, Zach discusses how championship teams leverage regular culture audits to evaluate whether their actions align with their val
Tracey Fuchs | Head Field Hockey Coach, Northwestern Univ. | "Culture wins championships."
Tracey Fuchs is one of the most accomplished coaches and players in the history of American field hockey.As the head coach at Northwestern University since 2009, Fuchs has transformed the Wildcats into a national powerhouse, becoming the winningest coach in program history while leading Northwestern to multiple NCAA National Championships, Big Ten Championships, and numerous NCAA Tournament appear
Is Your Life Out of Tune?: Eric Church's Message to the Class of 2026
Country music star Eric Church recently delivered a commencement speech that resonated with millions. In it, he used the six strings of a guitar to explain what creates a meaningful life. In this episode, we unpack that metaphor and explore what it can teach us about ambition, identity, fulfillment, and the different parts of life that make us whole.Learn More About Zach:Explore 1:1 coaching with
No Brown M&M's: How Tiny Details Reveal Standards and the Health of Your Culture
In the 1980s, Van Halen became famous for an unusual backstage request: No brown M&M’s in the dressing room. This request was actually a hidden test designed to reveal whether venues had carefully followed the band’s detailed production and safety requirements. In this episode, we explore what that story teaches us about standards and why tiny details are important to protect as a leader.Learn
The Power of Five Minutes: How Tiny Commitments Create Lasting Momentum
A lot of people struggle to build momentum because they make the starting line feel overwhelming. In this episode, I share the story of my wife’s “five-minute rule” that helped her run every single day for an entire year and why momentum is something we create. We discuss the psychology behind consistency, Greg McKeown’s concept of “Minimal Viable Progress,” and how stacking small wins helps us pr
John Wooden's 9 Promises for a Successful Life
Today we're exploring John Wooden’s famous “Nine Promises” and why they still matter today. We explore themes like emotional steadiness, relationships, self-talk, personal growth, leadership, comparison, peace of mind, and sustainable success. More than achievement, this conversation is about the internal commitments that shape the quality of our lives and help us win more without losing ours
After the Whistle: Never Waste a Failure
How do great performers respond to failure without becoming defined by it? In this After the Whistle segment, Zach expands on a powerful lesson shared by Louisville volleyball head coach Dan Meske: “You have to take more from failure than it takes from you.” With references to Nick Saban and another former guest on the podcast, Amy Morin, this episode is designed to help you learn from and respond
Dan Meske | Head Volleyball Coach, University of Louisville | "Take more from failure than it took from you."
In this episode, I’m joined by Dan Meske, the head women’s volleyball coach at the University of Louisville and one of the most respected coaches in the entire sport.Before becoming Louisville’s head coach in 2025, Dan spent eight seasons as the program’s associate head coach, helping transform Louisville into a national powerhouse. During that stretch, the Cardinals reached multiple Final Fours,
Rehearse the Resistance: Why Elite Performers Prepare for Adversity, Not Just Success
Visualization is one of the most widely used mental performance tools in sports and performance, but many people use it incorrectly. In this episode, Zach explores why elite performers shouldn’t just visualize success, but also mentally rehearse the adversity, setbacks, and pressure that come with pursuing meaningful goals.Learn More About Zach:Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free cal
The Danger of Judging Outcomes Too Quickly
In this episode, Zach shares the famous parable of the farmer and the runaway horse to explore why leaders and performers often judge moments too early. A loss, injury, setback, or disappointment can feel defining in the moment, but most moments are incomplete stories. This episode breaks down the dangers of binary thinking, emotional overreaction, and attaching permanent meaning to temporary circ
Your Culture Isn't for Everyone: A Lesson from a Paris Restaurant With No Menu
What can a Paris restaurant with almost no menu teach us about leadership and culture? In this episode, Zach shares a lesson from Le Relais de l’Entrecôte and explores why strong cultures are not built by trying to be everything to everyone. Zach explores why leaders often overcomplicate culture by adding more (e.g. meetings, standards, values, options, etc.) and why the better move is often to cl
The Tape Doesn't Lie: How to Become a Better Communicator as a Coach
Most coaches use film to help players improve, but very few use it to evaluate themselves. In this episode, Zach shares why reviewing your own meetings, practices, conversations, or presentations can dramatically improve your communication and leadership effectiveness. Drawing from his own experiences with podcasting and public speaking, he explains how self-review exposes blind spots, reveals pat
After the Whistle: Why Naming Your Emotions Improves Your Life and Performance
What happens when you stop trying to suppress emotions and start learning how to work with them? In this episode, I build on my recent conversation with Amy Morin to explore the connection between emotional awareness and mental strength. We discuss emotion labeling and I also share a real-life example on the power of journaling about your emotions from NBA player, Steven Adams.Learn More About Zac
Amy Morin | Author and Keynote Speaker | "Mental strength is not about acting tough."
Amy Morin is a licensed psychotherapist, keynote speaker, award-winning host of the Mentally Stronger podcast, and an international bestselling author of six books on mental strength, including the globally acclaimed 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.Her work has been featured by major outlets including Good Morning America, Today, Oprah, Tamron Hall, and the BBC. Her TEDx Talk, The Secret
The Expectation Effect: How a Coach's Beliefs Shape a Player's Behavior
The expectations you hold for others are never neutral. In this episode, we break down the Pygmalion Effect (also known as the Rosenthal Effect) and the classic 1968 study with school children that revealed how important expectations can be. If you're a coach, leader, parent, teacher, or anyone in an authority position, and you want your people to grow, it starts with what you expect from the
The Bamboo Effect: Why Progress Often Feels Invisible
One of the most common forms of interference for performers is misinterpreting progress. In this episode, we discuss the bamboo tree and how it symbolizes why growth is often delayed, invisible, uneven, and misunderstood. You’ll learn a helpful perspective shift to stay patient and persistent when results lag behind effort.Learn More About Zach:Get 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call he
Potemkin Village: Why Looking Good Isn’t the Same as Being Good
A lot of individuals and organizations put a lot of effort into how things look, but far less into how things actually work. In this episode, we explore the concept of a Potemkin village and how it shows up in organizations that look strong on the surface, but lack alignment underneath. Whether you’re evaluating a job opportunity or building a team, you’ll learn how to spot the difference between
I Thought I Was Helping: A Lesson on Unintended Consequences
Good intentions don’t always lead to good outcomes. In this episode, I share a real coaching mistake from my time in Major League Baseball and the lesson it taught me about unintended consequences. We dive into how routines and mental training can shift from being helpful to detrimental, especially if it becomes a dependency for athletes.Learn More About Zach:Get 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule
Runt of the Litter: The Story That Built NFL All-Pro Safety Bo Eason
What if your performance isn’t limited by your ability, but by the story you keep telling yourself? In this episode, we break down the powerful story of Bo Eason, a former NFL All-Pro safety who reframed a defining moment from his childhood into a powerful identity that helped propel his career.Learn More About Zach:Get 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call hereSubscribe to my free newsle
Who Is Your PACER?
This is a special episode. It marks the one year anniversary of this podcast and offers a reflection on what it’s taken to get here and the role others have played along the way. I discuss why having a coach or trusted voice in your corner can accelerate your growth in ways that are hard to replicate on your own. Drawing on conversations with elite coaches and leaders, I share a simple way to thin
Erin Matson | Head Field Hockey Coach, Univ. of North Carolina | “Your people need to know you’ll fight for them.”
What does it look like to immediately go from one of the most decorated athletes in college sports to leading that same program from the sidelines? In this episode, I sit down with Erin Matson, head field hockey coach at the University of North Carolina and one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of the sport.During her playing career, Erin helped lead UNC to four NCAA Championships a
Spotlight vs. Lighthouse Leaders
Are you leading to be seen or to help others feel seen? In this episode, we break down the difference between “spotlight” and “lighthouse” leadership. One is focused on perception. The other is focused on service.Learn More About Zach:Get 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call hereSubscribe to my free newsletter here
The Last Time
We have a human tendency to try and rush (or get) through certain moments in life, especially when they're inconvenient or not easy. But there's a simple reframe and perspective you can adopt that can dramatically shift how you experience these moments and live a life that's more appreciative, present, and joyful. Today's episode is inspired by the ancient Stoics and gives us a
BONUS Episode: The Coach's Playbook and the Mental Performance Summit
In this special “From the Other Side of the Mic” episode, I join Cindra Kamphoff on The High Performance Mindset podcast to discuss leadership and mindset in the realm of high performance. We also preview the upcoming Virtual Mental Performance Summit (Friday, April 17th) and explore practical ways coaches and leaders can elevate how they think, perform, and show up for others.Learn More About The
Upgrade Your Thinking, Upgrade Your Results
Most New Year’s resolutions focus on what we want to do and achieve, but very few focus on how we need to think. This episode introduces the concept of a “thinking resolution” and explains why your thoughts play a critical role in your ability to follow through on goals and build sustainable habits. You’ll learn how to identify the thought patterns that are holding you back, replace them with more
Wilt Chamberlain and the Courage to Look and Be Different
Wilt Chamberlain once improved his biggest weakness (e.g. free throw shooting), but he abandoned it because he implemented a technique that he thought others would ridicule. This episode explores a phenomenon in human behavior known as the threshold theory and why performers may avoid what works due to social pressure. We discuss some of the psychology behind “copycat leagues” form and how coaches
The Preparation Bank: How to Train for Legendary Performances
What separates elite performers in high-pressure moments? Preparation. In this episode, we break down how Captain Sully’s 2009 emergency plane landing and Ray Allen’s iconic 2013 NBA Finals shot reveal a core principle: Performance under pressure is a reflection of your preparation. Learn how to train both physically and mentally so you can stay composed, execute when it matters most, and avoid re
After the Whistle: Are You Worth the Investment?
If you were evaluated like a financial stock, would your daily habits justify someone else investing in you? Inspired by my conversation with Wake Forest head soccer coach, Bobby Muuss, this episode breaks down how consistency and daily deposits shape how others evaluate (and trust) you. You’ll also learn how to approach each day like a one-day contract and why that mindset can change how you show
Bobby Muuss | Head Men's Soccer Coach, Wake Forest Univ. | "Coaching is lonely."
Bobby Muuss is the head men’s soccer coach at Wake Forest University and one of the most successful coaches in NCAA Division I soccer over the past decade. Since taking over the program in 2015, he has led Wake Forest to the most wins in the country during that span, along with multiple ACC Championships, eight Sweet Sixteen appearances, six Elite Eights, and two College Cup runs.Prior to Wake For
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