What separates people who are excellent from people who are occasionally great? And why is excellence less about talent — and more about the way you do everything?
In this episode of Athletes at Law, Todd Burnham and Phil McCarthy explore excellence as a practice, not a peak. Drawing on their years as Hobart lacrosse teammates and their careers building companies, they dig into the difference between chasing outcomes and holding standards, why excellence shows up in the smallest reps first, and how the habits built on a field become the operating system for a career, a team, and a family.
Whether you’re an athlete, a founder, a parent, or someone raising your own bar, this conversation is about building a way of doing things that holds up when nobody’s watching.
In this episode:
- Why excellence is a way of operating — not a moment, a title, or a trophy
- Standards vs. goals: what to hold onto when outcomes are out of your control
- How excellence shows up in the smallest reps before it shows up on the scoreboard
- The difference between being driven and being disciplined
- What great teammates and great colleagues have in common
- Why culture is just excellence made contagious
- How to raise your standard without burning out
- Excellence at home: what your kids learn from how you do small things
- The role of failure in refining the way you work
- Practical ways to audit your own standards this week
