Grow the Good

Hannah Grant has had a fascinating life.  From joining the navy in search of discipline to working at the #1 ranked restaurant in the world , and to being a professional chef for Tour de France Cycling teams and even the Dakar Rally- Hannah has some stories.  She also has an incredible reservoir for handling high-pressure environments and unshakeable self-belief.   While stirring a 200-gallon drum of goop in the middle of the Arctic Ocean while in the navy, she had an epiphany: I'm going to go to Chef School!  From serving big pots of goop to working in the #1 restaurant in the world was quite the shift.  And it doesn't stop there.  She's won a Daytime Emmy for her Amazon Prime series, Eat Race Win which is a documentary series about cooking for a professional team at the Tour De France... and her next endeavor? Partnering with Dr. Stacy Sims on a supplement for flights to help you stay hydrated and also supplements for sleep..I love Hannah because she is so real and so honest about her life and the challenges she's gone through along her path of success.

She is the author of 2 cookbooks and is offering a 20% discount off her most recent cookbook, Eat Race Win.  You can find it in my instagram post about this episode and also in the show notes. I'll also be sending it out in my weekly newsletter.

• Her obsession with house plants
• her time in the navy
• being a woman trying to fit in
• chef school and working in a #1 rated restaurant in the world
• working in high pressure environments
• how to cook for the Tour de France
• functional food tips for recovery
• how she manages stress

• Watch Eat, Race, Win on Amazon Prime
• Hannah Grant's website
• Hannah Grant's instagram
• Discount code for Eat, Race Win: sonyalooneypodcast

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

This episode is about the tools to help you navigate uncertainty in your life, regardless of where you are on the political spectrum.

These tools are helpful in any situation.

1. Control the controllables (and sometimes we think we are doing that by searching for even more information)

2. Self-care in the form of self-restoration

3. Mindfulness practice, sitting with discomfort

4. Looking for humanity

5. Practicing self-compassion

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

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.” James Clear is an expert in behavior change.  He is the author of the New York Times Bestseller, Atomic Habits, and it's sold more than 1 million copies!  I first discovered James Clear many years ago when he started publishing articles on in his website and sending out a fantastic newsletter than now has over 650,000 subscribers.  The way he describes things like goal-setting, how to be productive, and how to make habits that stick is easy to understand and put into action.

Many people attribute failing to break bad habits or failure to stick to new habits with a lack of willpower.  They think the problem is them. But James says  James Clear says, “If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”  We talk about how to create an environment that makes it easy to make habits stick.  We talked about the 2-minute rule (I've talked about this before as well- the importance of just setting the goal to show up).  We also talked about the difference between motion and action (learning about doing something versus actually doing something).

And quite possibly the most powerful idea with habit change is the idea of identity-based habits and how to measure them.  James Clear says, "Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits. Your net worth is a lagging measure of your financial habits. Your weight is a lagging measure of your eating habits. Your knowledge is a lagging measure of your learning habits. Your clutter is a lagging measure of your cleaning habits. You get what you repeat."

I'm so thankful for James Clear's work.  I've used his research in my speeches, articles, and books because no one can create clarity like he can.  This episode is a gamechanger and so is his book, Atomic Habits.

• Four laws of behavior change
• identity-based habits
• the compound effect of habits
• the 2-minute rule
• decisive moments
• Don't miss your habit twice
• how to break bad habits
• how to create an environment so you don't need willpower
• extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation
• the difference between motion and action
• social media practices

• Get James Clear's book : Atomic Habits
• Visit JamesClear.com

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

Sometimes it's hard to say what you mean. Oren Jay Sofer says, "Communication is a learnable skill and it’s one of the most powerful levers for making change in your life and the world." Non-violent communication is about taking responsibility for what we are experiencing using empathy, deep listening, know how to make requests.

Author and renowned meditation instructor Oren Jay Sofer regularly teaches a mindful approach to non-violent communication. spent two and a half years of living as an Anagarika (renunciate) at branch monasteries in the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest lineage. Today, his teaching combines classical Buddhist training with the accessible language of secular mindfulness.  Since the early 2000s, Oren has had a deep interest in the relationship between contemplative practice and communication. A graduate of the BayNVC North American Leadership Training, he has taught classes and workshops in Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (NVC) nationally since 2006. His innovative retreats and online programs in Mindful Communication offer one of the only opportunities in the U.S today to explore the intersection between formal meditation practice, Right Speech and NVC.  Oren  is the founder and Guiding Teacher of Next Step Dharma, an innovative online course focused on bringing the tools of meditation to daily life, and co-founder of Mindful Healthcare.  Oren has created mindfulness programs for organizations, companies, and apps including Apple, Kaiser Permanente, Lumosity, Calm, 10% Happier, Simple Habit and others.

I loved his book, Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.  In the book, a main theme is that every thought or feeling is there to try to meet a need.  If you can try to figure out what need your thoughts are tied to, it's easier to articulate what you need to those around you.  It's also useful when listening to someone in a disucssion or conflict to tease out what need they are trying to have met.  I also enjoyed learning about conflict and viewing it as a way to deepen relationships. I also learned that non-violent communication and conflict resolution isn't necessarily to try to get someone to do things your way, it's about deepening understanding of one another because sometimes we simply can't agree to have the same viewpoint.   Non-violent communication has a framework of observation, the feeling, the needs and values to be met, and the request.

Three questions you can ask yourself are what happened, how do I feel about it, and why?

I also loved learning about how to use mindfulness in listening and communication as well as how to ground yourself in your own body when tensions rise.

• from childhood actor to meditation instructor
• 4 types of conflict avoidance
• self-empathy
• tools for internal pressure
• No mud, no lotus
• addressing the voiceless and gender constructs
• how to make requests of others

• Oren Jay Sofer's website
• Get Oren's book: Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication

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

Hannah Ross has researched and documented the revolutionary potential of the bicycle. Her book, Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels is a chronicle about the history of the bike how over the last 130 years, it has helped women change history.  From the evolution of the design of bikes to the importance of the bicycle in the women’s suffragette movement, to even the Black Lives Matter movement, the bike has been a cornerstone throughout our history.

We didn't have time to get into the history of women's racing, but that is a topic beautifully covered in Hannah's book.

Per Amazon: Revolutions also celebrates women setting records and demanding equality in competitive cycling, as well as cyclists in countries including Afghanistan, India, and Saudi Arabia who are inspiring women to take up space on the road, trails, and elsewhere.

If you like bikes and you love history, this fascinating episode will give you some great nuggets to think about and so much more.

"Their lives (women) were generally quite domestic and contained. The bicycle was the exact opposite of that. It represented their freedom, and an ability to be independent and go to places and have fun and pleasure. And in the extreme end, some doctors and moral commentators would say the act of riding a bicycle would be your moral downfall- essentially they were saying you'd become a prostitute or sexually promiscuous just because you sat on a bicycle saddle."

- Hannah Ross

• feminism and becoming a mother
• old school myths from the late 1800's about a bike damaging women's reproduction
• how women's clothing evolved for cycling
• the patriarchal oppression of women's cycling in other countries
• how the bicycle was used in the women's suffragette movement
• a quick history of how women's racing came to be

• Get the book: Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels
• Follow Hannah Ross on Instagram
• Follow Hannah Ross on Twitter

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

Once per month, I'm checking in with you to talk about my journey as a new athlete mom. I'll talk about time management, how getting back to and maintaining a training schedule is going post-partum, the mental and emotional pieces too.  I'll tell you what it's really like and hopefully give you some nuggets you can apply to your own lives as well. This podcast is supported by Wahoo Fitness who has been a great partner during my journey as a pregnant athlete and new mom!

My husband, Matt Ewonus has joined me on many of these Athlete Motherhood series because parenthood is really what it's about! In this episode, we talked about breastfeeding and the caloric need for athletes (super important!), mental toughness, how confidence relates to fitness, habits and how goals help us create meaning from daily actions, how Matt avoids hitting snooze, and growth comes from struggle.

"The whole concept of growth and progression and growth mindset for me came through cycling and endurance training. I had this fixed mindset of once you hit a certain age, you're done. As a power sport athlete, by the time you're in your late 20s, it's over.  You hit 35 and you're this old decrepit person. But the concept of growth mindset was really driven home to me as an endurance athlete because you could build systems over time."

-Matt Ewonus

• breastfeeding and the caloric need for athletes
• mental toughness
• confidence as it relates to fitness
• how habits and goals help create meaning through daily actions
• how Matt avoids hitting snooze at 5:45 AM
• importance of growth coming from struggle

• My episode on Self-Compassion with Dr. Kristin Neff
• Pre-Order Nourish by Brenda Davis RD and Reshma Shaw, MD
• Raising Financially Fit Kids book by Jolene Godfrey
• My podcast episode with Jolene Godrey about Raising Financially Fit Kids
• My Prokit Post: Breastfeeding and the Athlete

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

Have you ever thought about sports psychology and how to communicate with your kids as a parent and/or youth coach?  First of all, most youth coaches are volunteers.  It's so great that many people generously spend their time developing children as athletes and in team environments.  However, as a listener of this show, you know I'm passionate about the impact of the words we use- the things we say to ourselves and to others. As a new mom, I'm really interested in learning how to communicate with kids!  Mental toughness doesn't only apply to adults and we begin a lot of our patterns as children in sport.

Enter our guest, Jennifer Etnier, PhD.  She is the author of 2 books relating to sports psychology and how to interact with kids in sport, especially as a coach. They are titled Bring Your ‘A’ Game and Coaching for the Love of the Game Her helpful books offer constructs of the best ways to give praise, her opinion of discipline, how to keep girls playing sports longer, and helping children set goals and contextualize failure.  There's also a different relationship with how you communicate your kids if you're the parent versus if you're the coach.

Dr. Etnier’s research focuses on the cognitive benefits of physical activity. She is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Kinesiology. She is a distinguished professsor at UNC Greensboro.

• how parents can support their kids without getting in the way  of the coach
• winning, losing, and how to talk about it
• recognizing perfectionism when talking to kids
• why early specialization in sport is not recommended
• how to keep sports fun (40% drop out because it's not fun!)
• the 4 Ls that  take fun out of sport
• trophies for kids and how to reward kids on a team
• the gender constructs of girls and boys sports
• comparison, feedback, and confidence in youth athletes

“A good youth coach is one who can reinforce the things that were done right during a competition, regardless of the outcome, and help better prepare the athletes for the next event. A good youth coach ensures that every practice, every competition, every communication is focused on all of the athletes having a positive and enjoyable experience.”

-Dr. Jennifer Etnier

• About Jennifer Etnier, PhD
• Your Kid's Coach is Probably Doing It Wrong: her NYT article
• Book: Coaching for the Love of the  Game: A Practical Guide for Working with Young Athletes
• Book: Bring Your A Game: A Young Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness
• For the Love of the Game book trailer

The best organic non-GMO sprouting seeds are Sproutman!  They've been in business since 1977.

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

Stu Massengill has infectious positive energy.  That makes sense because he is a National Trainer for Tony Robbins, podcast host of his show Finding Direction, and a speaker.  After building a massive business with his networking skills, Stu set off to travel the world, only to get diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 24.  His pursuit of personal development helped him stay positive and his ability to build connection eventually enabled him to meet Tony Robbins.  Now, he shares his actionable tools as a coach and helps others feel more fulfilled and passionate about life.

• His attitude toward getting testicular cancer at age 24
• Stu's morning practice and the power of priming
• The power of Tony Robbins events
• Getting over fear in life
• How to build connection
• 3 decisions we make all the time
• Imposter syndrome and feeling enough

• Stu Massengill's website
• Listen to the Finding Direction Podcast

The best organic non-GMO sprouting seeds are Sproutman!  They've been in business since 1977.

Get control over your email with minimal effort and a program that is super easy to use! (and it learns what you teach it too!)  Use my referral link to get a $25 credit applied to their account on top of their 14-day free trial!

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

If you pay attention to mobility for peak performance then you've probably heard of Kelly Starrett from The Ready State (formerly MobilityWOD). Kelly is a wealth of knowledge. He has spent over 10,000 hours as a movement and mobility coach for players in the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA, Olympic gold medalists, and other world-class athletes. He is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy.

Kelly is also the author of several books including the NYT bestseller Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance and Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World.  He has been on more podcasts than I can count including Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan, so if this is the first time you've heard of Kelly, I encourage you to go deeper!  Another fun fact is that he is 2x National Champion in whitewater rafting.

"Mobility has 2 components... does my body have the raw biomechanics to have the ability to achieve the shapes native to human beings?  What is typical ROM? Do I have the skill tp express those positions?"  Does my brain understand what good shapes and good technique is. And secondarily, can I get into that shape?"  The problem with traditional stretching is you pull passively on tissues. What's wrong with it is the brain is not involved with the process and we are not taking a systems approach- more than one component may be limiting our ability to move.  Take a systematic approach to restore our movement mapped with technique."

A note from Kelly Starrett, DPT:

What exactly is “mobility,” anyway?

We define “mobility” based on two components. First, you should be able to put your body into any pose or shape that is normal for a human being. In other words, you should have access to the full range-of-motion for the human body. But having access is not enough. The second aspect of mobility is that you need to actually be able to achieve those positions in real life. In other words, you need to have the motor control skills to actualize your complete range-of-motion.

How is mobility different from stretching?

To be blunt, stretching is not an effective way to restore your body’s range-of- motion. When you follow traditional stretching practices, all you do is passively pull on your tissues. But it turns out there is a lot more to restoring full range-of-motion than that.

First, stretching doesn’t get your brain involved. And remember, even if your body has full range-of-motion, you don’t have true “mobility” until your brain develops the motor control to actually express that range-of-motion. Also, unlike mobilizing, stretching does not look at your body as a system. It neglects key factors like your joints and sliding surfaces.

Mobility takes a systems approach to restoring your range-of-motion. It accounts for all the varied ways your body can lose its natural ability to move. Mobilizing restores your joints, sliding surfaces, soft tissue, and even blood flow. Plus it helps you develop the motor control you need to express that range-of-motion in your daily life.

• defining what actually is an injury and what isn't
• using pain as information

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

Find your purpose! How many times have we heard someone utter those words.  The idea of purpose can be huge and intimidating. It's open-ended and it sometimes feels overwhelming because it sounds definitive.  Well, Misty Sansom has spent years dedicating herself to helping others find their purpose so that they can feel more fulfilled. In this episode, we talked about how you can find your purpose, and surprisingly- your purpose doesn't have to be your job.  Alternatively, Misty does help people turn their purpose into their job if that makes sense. Bottom line: you can uncover your purpose and you can do it alongside your job or sometimes you can turn it into your job. We talked about some of the landmines that can happen if you do start monetizing your hobbies. We also talked about some deeper subjects like being honest with yourself and overcoming the fear of saying what you actually want.  Developing your intuition is key to uncovering your purpose.

• why your passion doesn't need to be your purpose
• your purpose doesn't have to be your job
• burnout when you monetize your hobby
• what to do if you don't know your purpose or what you want
• motivation road blocks
• being honest with yourself
• how to overcome fear of saying what you actually want

• Misty Sansom's website

The best organic non-GMO sprouting seeds are Sproutman!  They've been in business since 1977.

Get control over your email with minimal effort and a program that is super easy to use! (and it learns what you teach it too!)  Use my referral link to get a $25 credit applied to their account on top of their 14-day free trial!

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