Grow the Good

The word mastery is thrown around as a part of the vernacular, but have you ever paused to consider the true meaning of the word? What is mastery and what does it mean to pursue mastery?

We often hear stories of people who are on the path to mastery. But, what does being on the path to mastery actually mean? Is it something you can attain? Why should you pursue mastery?

Key Takeaways:

• What Is the definition of mastery?
• Mastery and goal-setting
• What Is deliberate practice?
• Mastery and flow states
• Mastery and well-being theory
• Mastery and self-esteem
• Mastery as a mindset

Links:

• Become one of my coaching clients: Health Coaching | Mental Performance Coaching
• Enroll in my Moxy & Grit Mindset Academy
• Check out my newsletter for productivity, mindset, and mental skills
• Read my article/podcast Mental Skills for Athletes

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Have you ever focused on training your breath? No, I don’t mean cardio, I mean literally how you breathe. 

This week, I sat down with Luke Way, CEO of The Breathe Way Isocapnic Respiratory Training System, and Dr. Andrew Sellars, Chief Science Officer and an anesthesiologist, to talk about the respiratory system and its importance for sport. 

Luke is an endurance coach, specializing in elite level triathlon, but also working with mountain bikers and CrossFitters. After training for 20 years, he noticed that most athletes were limiting their performance because of the way they breathe, so he started to figure out how to better train the respiratory system. He partnered with his mentor, Dr. Sellars, and another close friend to invent the Isocapnic Breathe Way Better Training System, a three pillared system that consists of the hardware, the software, and the curation of knowledge. 

Dr. Sellars is one of the most respected authorities on athletic respiratory performance. His expertise informs the Isocapnic Breathe Way Better Training System. In addition to his work as CSO and anesthesiologist, he has a masters in athletic coaching. He co-founded Balance Point Racing and was a previous guest on this show.

Key Takeaways:

• Is the respiratory system a limiting factor in sport?
• How we use the respiratory system in sport
• The potential for gains by training your respiratory system
• What does a good breath look like?
• Do you need to nasal breathe?
• How to know if it’s working
• How does respiratory training help at altitude?
• How does this impact VO2 max?

Links:

• Learn more about the science behind Isocapnic
• Check out the Isocapnic Starter Kit
• Related podcast: Why Training with Wattage and Heart Rate Isn't Enough with Dr. Andrew Sellars
• Related podcast: How to Heat Train for Endurance Events with Balance Point Coaching
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter! 

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

A week's worth of healthy and delicious plant-based food for less than $30 - that's Toni Okamoto's super power. As the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, Toni has done the research and perfected the ways to make your budget line up with healthy eating habits.

Plant-Based on a Budget is a popular website and meal plan that provides the information you need to save money by eating vegetables. She’s the author of multiple books including the Plant-Based on a Budget cookbook and The Super Easy Vegan Slow Cooker Cookbook. Toni also co-hosts The Plant-Powered People Podcast.

In this week's episode, Sonya and Toni talk about her path to plant-based, the necessity that created plant-based on a budget, the secrets to grocery shopping and her recipe inspirations.

Key Takeaways:

• Toni's path to plant based
• The power of online community
• First steps to transitioning to plant based
• Understanding the grocery store
• How to be plant-based on a budget
• How to make plant-based meals taste good
• Time-saving tips for plant-based cooking
• Pressure cooker and slow cooker tips
• Prioritizing food waste reduction
• Recipe inspirations
• It's okay if it's not organic

Links:

• Learn more about Toni
• Check out The Plant Powered People Podcast
• Get a copy of Toni's book Plant Based on a Budget
• Related podcast: Climate Change Solutions with Dr. Jonathan Foley
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

How many of you have had to give up on your plastic water bottle because it was impossible to clean? Probably all of us. Carina Hamel, former nordic skier, saw this problem and used her product development expertise to design the first stainless steel bottle with a flow rate fit for cyclists, co-founding the company Bivo. 

Carina moved to Norway at age 16 to attend a ski academy, where she learned about her love for new cultures, languages and experiences. Through this experience and a job in product development for Keen Footwear, she realized she wanted to work internationally and began footwear development consulting, setting up new manufacturing partners and facilities globally. She started Bivo, a carbon neutral company, to be the solution to the cycling water bottle problem.

She loves to play with her kids, ski, bike, and run.

This week, Sonya and Carina spoke about her path to entrepreneurship, her work ethic, becoming a mom and her vision for her company. 

Key Takeaways:

• The courage to go after your dreams
• Where work ethic comes from
• Retirement from professional sports
• Courage to start her own business
• Her biggest surprise when she became a mom
• Choosing priorities 
• Running a business with your partner
• Health benefits of using stainless steel bottle
• Choosing to make environmental decisions

Links:

• Learn more about Bivo
• Related podcast: Refuting the Motherhood Penalty with &Mother's Molly Dickens
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Concussions can happen in sport, but how do you know if you have one and what happens when you do? This week, Sonya sat down with Adam Luu, an orthopedic, concussion and vestibular physiotherapist to talk about what you need to know about concussions.

Adam has a Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy from McMaster University, followed by a fellowship with the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physical Therapy. He is a certified concussion therapist - certified in several concussion management protocols like ITPT and Shift. His training in ITPT means he can administer and interpret the ImPACT test, which is a neurocognitive assessment tool that is the standardized assessment tool of North America’s top professional sports leagues. The Shift concussion management system is the Canadian-founded concussion management strategy. 

Adam also has a certification in vestibular therapy, instrument-assisted soft tissue release, nervous system assessment and treatment and bracing/proprioceptive taping. 

He is also Sonya’s physiotherapist!

Key Takeaways:

• What is a concussion?
• How do you know if you have one of the 22 symptoms?
• SCAT tool
• Severity of concussions
• The systems that play a role in concussions
• Why are concussions dangerous?
• What is post concussion syndrome?
• Concussion rehab protocol
• What to do about kids and concussions
• Risk aversion with sports
• Concussions in older populations
• Dietary considerations with concussions

Links:

• Learn more about Adam Luu and email him here
• Learn more about his clinic Union Health and Performance
• Related podcast: Myths about Concussions with Dr. Steven Broglio, PhD
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter! 

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Many people use reasons like, "I'm too old to start" or "I won't be able to learn it" or "I'm too old, I’ll get hurt" to avoid trying something new. But Steven Kotler says it's especially important to continue using mental and physical abilities as we age. Many people think aging is a long, slow rot, but research shows that our physical and mental skills do not have to decline over time. Our mindset towards aging is a key player in peak performance aging.

Steven is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance.

He is the author of eleven bestsellers (out of fourteen books), including The Art of Impossible, The Future is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance, and he has a new book, Gnar Country, coming out at the end of this month. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 50 languages, and has appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, Wall Street Journal, TIME, and the Harvard Business Review.

He is also the co-founder of The Buddy Sue Hospice Home for Old Dogs, a canine elder care facility, and Rancho de Chihuahua, a dog rescue and sanctuary, with his wife, author Joy Nicholson.

Key Takeaways

• What does it mean to grow older?
• Debunking the long, slow rot theory of aging
• Why mindset towards aging matters
• Being patient while learning incrementally
• Dynamic, deliberate play
• How does flow take care of learning?
• Understanding the optimal amount of fear
• Elements of performance that improve with aging
• Further defining mastery using flow

Links

• Learn more about Steven Kotler
• Learn more about the Flow Research Collective
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter! 

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Have you ever achieved a goal and felt empty? Therein lies the paradox. We need to have expectations, but how do you set realistic and appropriate expectations that provide enough stimulus for motivation and performance, but also enough space for happiness and life satisfaction?

In this week's podcast, Sonya deep dives into:

• The trajectory of expectations
• Expectations of ourselves
• Expectations FROM others
• Expectations OF others
• The pressure created from expectations
• The difference between goals and expectations
• What to do about it

Links

• Become one of my coaching clients: Health Coaching | Mental Performance Coaching
• Enroll in my Moxy & Grit Mindset Academy
• Check out my newsletter for productivity, mindset, and mental skills
• Read my article/podcast Mental Skills for Athletes

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Travis Macy is a professional endurance athlete, having finished over 130 ultra endurance events in 17 countries. He’s an author, coach and speaker. He is the author of The Ultra Mindset: An Endurance Champion’s 8 Core Principles for Success in Business, Sports, and Life, and has a new book coming out in March called A Mile at a Time.

Travis’s racing resume includes mountain bike races, road runs, adventure racing, snowshoeing, skiing, kayaking and more. 

His writing has been published across several publications including UltraRunning Magazine, Backpacker Magazine and Trail Runner Magazine.  

In addition to being a sponsored athlete and writer, he is also a coach and founded a successful education consulting firm, Macy College Consulting, with his wife, and works with businesses, executives, and adult endurance athletes.

This week, Sonya and Travis tackle his racing escapades, embracing training, his experience with his dad’s Alzheimers, and redefining expectations throughout your career.

Key Takeaways:

• Travis's favorite racing stories
• Embracing ups and downs
• Mental training - and embracing every aspect of training
• Managing his dad's Alzheimers
• How to define success and what is good enough
• Who you are as a competitor if you're not standing on podiums
• Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
• Addressing the negative stories you tell yourself
• Looking at The Ultra Mindset seven years later
• Taking on and excelling at new sports

Links

• Learn more about Travis
• Check out Sonya's appearance on Travis's podcast here

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Yael Schonbrun is an assistant professor at Brown University, a clinical psychologist and an author about parenting, work and relationships. She draws on scientific research, clinical experience and real life experiences with her three kids. Her new book, Work, Parent, Thrive, shares practical strategies from clinical psychology and social science to better manage the conflict and enhance enrichment in work, parenting, and the balance of these roles. 

Yael is also the co-host of the podcast Psychologists Off the Clock. She has a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and completed her postgraduate training at Brown University.

In this week's episode, Sonya and Yael discuss Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, how to develop a work-family enrichment mindset, how to create space for emotions and have realistic expectations, plus much more.

Key Takeaways:

• 6 core processes of ACT
• Batting overwhelm using flexibility 
• Role shifting 
• Developing a work family enrichment mindset
• Creating space for emotions
• How to have realistic expectations
• How to define what it means to be a good parent
• Dual working parenthood and how to support your relationship
• Communication strategies for couples

Links:

• Learn more about Yael
• Related podcast: My Return to Racing, 4WD Mode, and Traveling with Two Kids
• Related podcast: Subtracting with Professor Leidy Klotz

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

What is positive psychology and more importantly, how can it be applied to work and life? In this week's episode, Sonya sat down with Jordyn Feingold, an MD, Master's in Applied Positive Psychology, and psychiatry resident at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. They talked about positive psychology and how she's applying it to medicine, her REVAMP framework, the importance of positive relationships, and more. REVAMP is defined as a 6-pillar framework consisting of Relationships, Engagement, Vitality, Accomplishment, Meaning, and Positive emotions.

Jordyn developed and teaches an elective course called Positive Medicine at Mount Sinai and co-founded a trainee well-being curriculum called PEERS: Practice Enhancement, Engagement, Resilience, and Support. She also co-founded Positive Psychology for Physicians and an online well-being course for clinicians. She co-authored the book “Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear and Self-Doubt” with Scott Barry Kaufman (you can listen to the recent podcast with Jordyn and Scott here). She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with her BA and Master of Applied Positive Psychology. Her goal is to shift the focus of medicine from treatment to well-being.

Key Takeaways:

• What is positive psychology
• How positive psych and medicine can be related 
• REVAMP framework - a six-ingredient framework consisting of relationships, engagement, vitality, accomplishment, meaning, and positive emotions
• Importance of positive relationships
• Focusing on what I’m doing vs how I’m doing
• Reciprocity ring
• Where to start when you're starting from a place of burnout

Links:

• Learn more about Jordyn
• Listen to my recent podcast with Jordyn and Scott Barry Kaufman
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter! 

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.