What if the difference between good and great isn’t talent… but the way you think?

In this episode of Becoming Uncommon, I sit down with mental performance coach Jake Lee, founder of Inner Edge Performance, to unpack a truth every coach, parent, and athlete needs to hear:

Jake earned his Master’s in Sport & Exercise Psychology from California State University, Long Beach, and for over seven years has helped athletes—from youth to pros—build confidence, resilience, emotional control, and consistency under pressure. His systems aren’t theory. They’re practical, personalized, and designed for real competitors in real moments.

We talk about:

• Why athletes “fight their mind” during competition
• The difference between mental toughness and mental training
• How Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality influenced Jake’s career
• What coaches and parents often do (unknowingly) that hurts confidence
• How to build athletes who trust themselves when the pressure is highest
• The mental systems that actually transfer to performance

If you’re a coach trying to help athletes perform with freedom…
 If you’re a parent who wants to build confidence without adding pressure…
 If you’re an athlete chasing consistency in big moments…

This conversation is your blueprint.

🔗 Read Jake’s article for parents:
 https://inneredgeperform.com/blogs/news/the-parent-playbook-how-to-build-a-confident-athlete-without-adding-pressure

🎙️ Becoming Uncommon is about learning how elite performers think, lead, and grow.

#BecomingUncommon #MentalPerformance #SportPsychology #Coaching #AthleteDevelopment #InnerEdgePerformance

Becoming Uncommon Podcast – Travis Geopfert Episode Description

What does it actually take to build a program that produces Olympians, Bowerman winners, and NCAA champions—year after year?

In this episode of Becoming Uncommon, I sit down with Travis Geopfert, the new Director of Track & Field / Cross Country at Kansas State Wildcats and one of the most respected jumps and multi-events coaches in the world.

With 22 years of coaching stops at University of Arkansas, University of Tennessee, University of Northern Iowa, and University of Central Missouri, Geopfert has coached:

• 20 NCAA National Champions
• 106 First Team All-Americans
• 15 Olympians and 1 Paralympian
• Multiple Bowerman finalists and winners
• Olympic medalists including Tara Davis-Woodhall and Wayne Pinnock at the 2024 Summer Olympics

But this conversation isn’t about medals.

It’s about how.

We talk about:

• Building a family culture that produces elite performance
• What separates a good coach from an elite coach
• How he develops high-performance jumpers and multi-event athletes
• Lessons from coaching world champions and Olympic medalists
• Recruiting wisdom for athletes trying to find the right college fit
• Following a legend and leading a storied program into a new era
• Why community, humility, and relationships are the real foundation of success

Geopfert shares stories from coaching Tara Davis-Woodhall, managing expectations at the highest level, and the mindset required to consistently produce greatness without losing the human side of coaching.

If you’re a coach, athlete, or parent trying to understand what elite development really looks like behind the scenes—this episode is a masterclass.

This is a conversation about legacy, leadership, and the uncommon habits that build champions on and off the runway.

YouTube Description — Becoming Uncommon Podcast

In this episode of Becoming Uncommon, I sit down with a UC Riverside Hall of Fame basketball player, a former college and professional athlete, and one of my longest friends going all the way back to our days at Downey High School.

This isn’t just a sports conversation. It’s a life conversation.

We talk about growing up through sports, how family shaped the journey, and the lessons learned from high school gyms to college arenas to the professional level. We reminisce on unforgettable moments, locker room laughs, bus ride shenanigans, and the brotherhood that only comes from competing together and chasing big dreams.

This episode is about legacy, loyalty, resilience, and how the game prepares you for life long after the final buzzer.

If you love authentic stories about friendship, family, and the real journey behind an athlete’s success, this one is for you.

🎙️ Becoming Uncommon — Where stories of sport become stories of life.

Too many athletes have the physical tools to succeed — but crumble when the pressure hits.

They train their bodies relentlessly, yet no one teaches them how to manage nerves, reset after mistakes, or trust themselves when it matters most.

In this episode of Becoming Uncommon, Coach Christopher Richardson sits down with André Chapman Jr., founder of Winning Edge Performance, to break down why mindset isn’t a personality trait — it’s a trainable skill.

From walking onto UCLA’s Track & Field team as the slowest 400m runner in his group to becoming a two-time Pac-12 finalist, NCAA Championship qualifier, and national top-30 hurdler, André shares how learning to lead himself from the inside out changed everything.

Today, André has coached 1,000+ athletes across sports — from high school standouts to Division I scholarship earners — helping them manage pressure, rebuild confidence, and compete with clarity when it matters most.

This conversation goes beyond sports.

It’s about learning how to:

Win the battle within

Build confidence under pressure

Reset after mistakes

Lead yourself before you try to lead others

Perform with composure in high-stakes moments

If you’re an athlete, coach, or parent who knows talent alone isn’t enough — this episode is for you.

Because real winning doesn’t start on the track, the field, or the court.
It starts within.

In this episode of Becoming Uncommon, Coach Richardson sits down with Team USA heptathlete Michelle Atherley—a NCAA pentathlon national champion, elite combined-events competitor, and one of the sport’s most thoughtful voices on what it really takes to thrive.

Michelle’s journey is unreal: South Florida → Port Charlotte High School → Auburn → University of Miami, where she built into a champion and earned her degree in Political Science plus graduate work in Public Administration and International Public Administration.
On the track, she’s hit the world stage—competing at the 2022 World Athletics Championships—and she won the World Athletics Combined Events Tour (2024), with a heptathlon personal best of 6465 at Götzis.

But this conversation goes deeper than results. Michelle opens up about:

How she went from multi-sport kid (gymnastics/soccer) to heptathlete

The mindset shift that helped her turn “trash long jump” into a pride event

Trusting coaches with big changes (including relearning key technical pieces after injury)

Balancing elite athletics with demanding academics—and the leadership lessons that came with it

Her take on how to make track & field mainstream (hint: storytelling + consistent structures)

What comeback training looks like right now—and what she’s building beyond sport

📍Follow Michelle: @ms.i.do.it.all (Instagram)

Subscribe for more conversations with athletes, coaches, and builders chasing uncommon growth.

Becoming Uncommon | Meet a Falcon ft. Dr. Lily Trinh

In this powerful Meet a Falcon episode of Becoming Uncommon, we sit down with Dr. Lily Trinh—former Cerritos College hurdler turned future physician and global mentor.

Lily competed in hurdles at Cerritos College from 2011–2012 after graduating from Fountain Valley High School. Following Cerritos, she transferred to University of California, Irvine as a pre-med student, where her path toward medicine began to take shape.

Her journey didn’t stop there. Lily went on to complete medical school at Tulane University, and she is now completing her residency as an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist—a testament to perseverance, discipline, and long-term vision.

Beyond medicine, Dr. Trinh has built a thriving mentorship and consulting business, inspiring and guiding thousands of medical students around the world. In this episode, we talk about:
 • Her indirect and often unexpected path to medicine
 • The mindset shift from student-athlete to physician
 • Why mentorship and networking are non-negotiables for success
 • Her long-term vision of owning her own medical practice

This conversation is a must-listen for future medical students, student-athletes, and anyone navigating a nonlinear path toward a big dream.

💡 Your journey doesn’t have to be straight—just intentional.

👉 Like, subscribe, and share with someone who needs encouragement to keep going and start building their network today.

#BecomingUncommon #MeetAFalcon #StudentAthleteToDoctor #MedicalMentorship #CerritosCollege #WomenInMedicine #LeadershipJourney

In this powerful episode of Becoming Uncommon, we sit down with Aryianna Faircloth, Rionna Wallace, and Jazzmine Davis — state champions, school record holders, and members of a regional-record-setting 4x100m relay at Cerritos College.

Together, they reflect on a season that tested them physically, mentally, and emotionally. From injuries and pressure to expectations and personal doubt, this wasn’t just a championship year — it was a year of growth, resilience, and transformation.

The athletes reminisce on:

Navigating adversity during a demanding season

Learning to trust teammates in high-stakes moments

The meaning of legacy beyond medals and records

How challenges shaped them as athletes and women

This conversation pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build championship culture — not just speed on the track, but connection, accountability, and belief.

Whether you’re an athlete, coach, or leader, this episode is a reminder that the hardest seasons often produce the strongest people.

🎧 Key Themes

Championship mindset

Team chemistry & trust

Handling pressure at the highest level

Growth through adversity

What legacy really means

Becoming Uncommon Podcast | Featuring Candice Chick (Director of BEACH XP)

What does it really mean to lead with authenticity—and do the hard work of caring for others?

In this episode of Becoming Uncommon, we sit down with Candice Chick, current Director of BEACH XP, to explore a life shaped by service, resilience, and purpose. Raised in Southern California, Candice developed an early passion for empowering others before competing at the elite NCAA Division I level in water polo. Her academic journey reflects the same depth and intention—earning a B.A. in Communication Studies followed by a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, Counseling, and Sports Management.

Today, Candice is a widely respected coach, leader, colleague, and mother who speaks openly about the obstacles she’s faced—and how those challenges forged uncommon strength, courage, and gratitude. This conversation goes beyond titles and resumes. It’s about the unseen work of leadership: choosing authenticity, embracing hard work, and changing lives by genuinely caring for and empowering others.

If you’re a coach, educator, leader, or someone committed to making a real impact, this episode will challenge and encourage you to lead with intention.

Key themes in this episode:
 • Authentic leadership and doing the hard work that matters
 • Using sport and service as tools for life change
 • Empowering others through care, trust, and consistency
 • Turning adversity into strength and gratitude

🎧 Listen in and discover what it truly means to Become Uncommon.

#BecomingUncommon #AuthenticLeadership #CoachingLife #WomenInLeadership #ServiceThroughSport #EmpowerOthers

Becoming Uncommon w/ Chris Sweeney | Founder of RightMealz™ — Fueling Champions & Changing Lives Through Nutrition

In this episode of Becoming Uncommon, Coach Rich sits down with Chris Sweeney, former Division I athlete and the visionary founder of RightMealz™, one of Southern California’s premier performance-driven meal prep companies.

Founded in 2015, RightMealz™ was born from Chris’s passion for self-work, nutrition, and fitness—and his desire to help both athletes and everyday people perform, feel, and live at their absolute best. What started as a purpose-driven idea has grown into a trusted nutrition partner for:

🏒 LA Kings
🏒 Ontario Reign
🏈 LA Chargers
🔥 200+ NFL athletes
💪 High-performance centers such as Exos LA, Evo Sports, USC Athletics
🏅 NFL Combine Training Programs
🏫 Southern California schools, academies & elite sports organizations

RightMealz™ brings 25+ years of combined food service experience, delivering nutrient-dense, affordable, high-volume meals with unmatched attention to detail and reliability—fueling champions when it matters most.

But the story doesn’t stop there. Chris and his team are committed to giving back, partnering with organizations such as:
• Boys & Girls Club
• Children Today
• Save the Children
• Snow on 15th Street

This episode dives deep into:
 🔥 Chris’s journey from college athlete to CEO
 🍽️ The science & strategy behind performance nutrition
 🏆 How RightMealz™ scaled into the trusted brand for pro athletes
 🌱 Purpose-driven entrepreneurship and giving back
 💡 What it takes to build something uncommon

If you're an athlete, coach, entrepreneur, or anyone pursuing excellence—you’ll walk away inspired and equipped to elevate your performance and purpose.

BECOMING UNCOMMON | Featuring Anthony Neal

In this episode of Becoming Uncommon, Coach Rich sits down with Anthony Neal — an entrepreneur, creator, mentor, and one of the most versatile leaders in the game today.

Anthony is the owner of The TRE Draft Training Complex, a powerhouse development hub shaping the next generation of athletes. He’s also the creator of multiple youth sports programs, an assistant coach for the nationally ranked Corona Centennial boys basketball team, and a former EMT, firefighter, music producer, and actor/entertainer.

But behind all the titles is a family man driven by purpose.

In this conversation, we dive into:

🔥 How Anthony reinvented himself across multiple careers
🔥 What pushed him to build his own business and step fully into entrepreneurship
🔥 The role his wife played in supporting his dreams
🔥 How his two kids shaped his identity and grounded his mission
🔥 Why service, discipline, and creativity continue to guide his path
🔥 What it takes to build youth programs that truly change lives

Anthony’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and faith — a reminder that your path doesn’t have to be linear to be extraordinary.

If you’re a coach, parent, athlete, entrepreneur, or someone looking to level up your leadership, this episode is packed with gems.

Becoming Uncommon isn’t about perfection — it’s about doing the work, making the sacrifices, and becoming who you were meant to be.

Watch now, learn, and share with someone who needs this mindset.