Drawing on powerful examples from Olympian Brenda Martinez and legendary coach Nick Saban, Dr. Cindra explains how shifting your attention from results to daily actions can boost performance, reduce anxiety, and help you show up more consistently under pressure.   Martinez’s story—recovering from a heartbreaking stumble to qualify for the Olympics just days later—illustrates the power of trusting your routine and staying present. And Saban’s “don’t look at the scoreboard” mindset reminds us that success is built by dominating the little things over time.   Dr. Cindra breaks down how to apply this mindset to your own life—whether you're chasing a championship, growing a business, or working on personal goals—by identifying controllable daily actions and committing to them with discipline.   This Week’s Power Phrase: “I trust my process, dominate the controllables, and let the results take care of themselves.”   This Week’s Quote of the Week: “You win a national championship by focusing on what it takes to get there, and not on getting there.” — Nick Saban   REQUEST A FREE MENTAL BREAKTHROUGH CALL WITH DR. CINDRA AND/OR HER TEAM: https://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/   TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/

Dr. Jim Afremow is a high-performance consultant and the author of The Creative’s Mind: How Exceptional Artists Think, Make and Perform, along with several bestselling books on sport psychology and leadership. He has trained athletes, teams, coaches, and professionals across achievement domains to perform under pressure and sustain success.

In this special 700th episode, Jim shares how the same mental frameworks used by elite athletes apply to creative professionals. He explains how grit, identity, and deliberate mental training fuel both artistry and performance.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The 5 C’s of Mental Toughness for Creatives—courage, confidence, commitment, composure, and concentration

• The Two Voices that guide performance: Protection vs. Greatness

• Why confidence is a decision and how to strengthen it daily

• Mental tools like the 2-Minute Drill to beat procrastination and the Blow Out the Junk technique to calm nerves

• Why identity before goals creates consistency and resilience under pressure

Jim shows that creativity isn’t about waiting for inspiration. It’s about training your mind like an athlete to step up when it matters most.

• HIGH PERFORMANCE MINDSET SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE
• Learn more about Jim Afremow and his books
• Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call with Dr. Cindra and/or her team
• Learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute

In this insightful episode of the High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff explores why psychological safety is the foundation of high-performing teams.

Drawing on Google’s groundbreaking Project Aristotle study, she explains that the best teams aren’t the ones that avoid mistakes—they’re the ones that embrace them as learning opportunities.

Psychological safety means people can take risks, share ideas, and challenge the status quo without fear of judgment or punishment. Cindra outlines practical strategies for leaders to build this culture. 

This Week’s Power Phrase: "I create a safe space for my team to take risks, make mistakes, and grow. We learn together, and we win together."

This Week’s Quote of the Week: "Psychological safety is not just about being nice or lowering performance standards. It’s about creating an environment where failure is an opportunity to learn, not something to fear." — Dr. Amy Edmondson

Tune in to discover how normalizing mistakes can unlock creativity, boost performance, and strengthen your team’s commitment to success.

 

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Henna Pryor, CSP, is an award-winning keynote speaker, workplace performance expert, and the author of Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become the Bravest You.

She’s been featured in major outlets like Forbes, Fast Company, and NBC, and her work helps leaders and teams reframe awkwardness as a superpower. She blends science, storytelling, and real-world strategies to help us step into the discomfort that fuels growth.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How  “good” awkward moments—paired with deliberate discomfort and strategic micro stressors—can fuel growth, connection, and high performance.
• Henna shares insights from her Social Muscles research, revealing how avoiding awkwardness actually increases it, and why embracing it builds likability, trust, and resilience.
•  Henna offers practical ways to build your “social muscle,” reframe embarrassment, and turn cringe moments into leadership superpowers.
• You will also learn daily practices to adopt a “do it awkward—but do it anyway” mindset, along with lighthearted stories that show the power of leaning into discomfort.

🔹 HIGH PERFORMANCE MINDSET SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE 🔹 Learn more about Henna Pryor and Her Study & Keynote Speaking🔹 Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call with Dr. Cindra and/or her team🔹 Learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute

Love the show? Rate and review the podcast—and you might hear your name on the next episode!

 

In this inspiring episode of the High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff explores how grit is the foundation for achieving your biggest goals and dreams.   She shares the powerful metaphor of the pearl—how something rare and valuable begins with irritation. Just like a pearl forms when an oyster transforms a piece of grit over time, our greatest achievements come from leaning into challenges and staying committed through discomfort.   You’ll also learn practical ways to strengthen your grit muscle, such as committing to one challenging action every day, surrounding yourself with people who push you, and focusing on deliberate—not just repetitive—practice.   This Week’s Power Phrase: “I am gritty. I do the things others won’t to achieve the things others can’t. I put in the hours necessary for success.”   Quote of the Week: “Grit is not just having resilience in the face of failure, but also having deep commitments that you remain loyal to over many years.” — Angela Duckworth   Tune in to discover how to develop the grit you need to create your own “pearl”—the legacy, dream, or goal you’re deeply committed to achieving.  

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In this fascinating and high-energy episode, I interview Traci Brown—ranked the #3 body language expert in the world and a go-to voice on lie detection, deception, and influence. A former elite cyclist turned deception detection expert, Traci brings a rare combination of athletic discipline and forensic insight to her work.

Traci is a frequent television guest featured on CBS, NBC, and Nancy Grace, and is the author of How to Detect Lies, Fraud and Identity Theft. She works with businesses, financial groups, and law enforcement to prevent fraud, protect profits, and make better decisions under pressure. In this episode, Traci shares practical strategies to read people more accurately, ask better questions, and spot deception before it costs you.

You’ll learn:

• Why detecting deception is a leadership skill—and how to sharpen it

• The body language differences between big and small lies

• How lie detection can accelerate business results and reduce losses

• Everyday signs of deception that are easy to miss—and how to catch them

• How to use body language to gain the truth from customers, coworkers, and clients

Traci also discusses her new book and how her experience as a U.S. National Cycling Team member helped shape her ability to “read between the lines.” Whether you're hiring, selling, or simply trying to understand people better, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you lead and decide with clarity.

🔹HIGH PERFORMANCE MINDSET SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE 🔹 Learn more about Traci Brown and her work🔹 Get your copy of How to Detect Lies, Fraud and Identity Theft🔹 Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call with Dr. Cindra and/or her team🔹 Learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute

Love the show? Rate and review the podcast—and you might hear your name on the next episode!

 

In this episode, we explore one of the most powerful mindset tools high performers use: reframing.   You’ll hear the inspiring story of Spanx founder Sara Blakely and how her father helped her see failure as a sign of courage and growth.   We break down how reframing allows you to reinterpret challenges with strength and optimism, turning setbacks into comebacks and adversity into fuel.   You’ll learn:

• What reframing really is and why it’s essential to high performance.
• Practical questions and tools to help you shift your perspective in real-time.
• Everyday examples—from tough conversations to public speaking—where reframing can give you an edge.

  Whether you’re an athlete, coach, educator, or executive, this episode will help you see challenge through a new lens—and move forward with clarity and confidence.   Power Phrase: “I see challenge through the lens of growth. I flip the frame to fuel my strength and stride forward.”

Quote of the Week: “When you change your story, you change your power.” – Brené Brown

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In this science-backed and practical episode, I interview John Edwards—executive coach, speaker, and founder of The Edwards Groups. With a background in neuroscience and years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies, John shares powerful insights on how to navigate stress, lead with presence, and thrive through change.

John’s approach blends neuroscience with leadership strategy to help high performers build resilience, expand their influence, and lead confidently in complex environments. In this conversation, he breaks down why our brains are wired for stress, how to rewire for strength, and what it means to be a standout leader in today’s rapidly evolving workplace.

You’ll learn:

• Why your brain’s default setting is stress—and what you can do to override it

• The neuroscience behind executive presence and how to grow your influence authentically

• How to boost cognitive capacity and resilience through better daily habits

• What a “chaos point” is—and how to lead your team through uncertainty

• Practical strategies for navigating change, conflict, and ambiguity with clarity and calm

John also shares a roadmap for change leadership and how you can put executive presence on “autopilot” by rewiring habits and emotional patterns. This episode is essential listening for anyone who wants to lead with more resilience, clarity, and confidence—especially in high-pressure environments.

🔹 HIGH PERFORMANCE MINDSET SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE 🔹 Learn more about John Edwards and The Edwards Groups🔹 Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call with Dr. Cindra and/or her team🔹 Learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute

Love the show? Rate and review the podcast—and you might hear your name on the next episode!

 

In this episode of the High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff challenges you to dream bigger and pursue bold, gritty goals—even if they feel just out of reach.

She shares compelling research from Harvard and insights from performance psychology that show how stretch goals—ambitious targets that push you beyond your current limits—can fuel creativity, persistence, and breakthrough performance. The key is believing the goal is possible and tying it to a powerful “why.”

Cindra also draws on wisdom from her conversation with Caroline Adams Miller, author of Getting Grit, about the value of pursuing hard goals that demand risk, discomfort, and long-term effort. These are the kinds of goals that spark real growth.

You’ll learn:

• Why stretch goals create clarity, focus, and passion

• How top performers connect long-term dreams to daily actions

• What to do when doubt creeps in and tempts you to play small

• Why writing down your goals can be a game changer

This episode is a reminder that dreaming big isn’t just for vision boards—it’s a discipline. And you deserve to pursue goals that challenge and inspire you.

Power Phrase This Week: “I pursue bold goals because greatness lives just beyond my comfort zone.”

Quote of the Week: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” — Norman Vincent Peale

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TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE

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In this inspiring episode, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff sits down with Alden Mills—former Navy SEAL platoon commander, championship rower, best-selling author, inventor, and entrepreneur. Alden’s life is a masterclass in resilience and reinvention. From overcoming childhood asthma to leading Navy SEAL teams and building a $95M business with the Perfect Pushup, Alden shares how the unstoppable mindset shaped every chapter of his extraordinary journey.

Alden is the author of Be Unstoppable, Unstoppable Teams, and Unstoppable Mindset, and was named Entrepreneur magazine’s #1 virtual speaker. In this episode, he reveals the mental strategies that helped him turn adversity into advantage, failure into fuel, and vision into impact.

You’ll learn:

• Why being “unstoppable” is a choice—and how to practice that choice daily

• The story behind the mantra: “No one defines what you can and can’t do”

• How Navy SEAL leadership skills apply directly to business, family, and life

• The CARE Loop framework and how to build high-trust, high-performing teams

• The 8 essential actions from Be Unstoppable, including “Plan in Pencil” and “Understand Your Why”

Alden also unpacks how setbacks have fueled his biggest comebacks and what mental toughness means at the highest levels of performance. Whether you’re leading a team, building a business, or chasing a personal goal—this episode will help you unlock your unstoppable potential.

🔹HIGH PERFORMANCE MINDSET SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE 🔹 Learn more about Alden Mills and his books🔹 Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call with Dr. Cindra and/or her team🔹 Learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute

Love the show? Rate and review the podcast—and you might hear your name on the next episode!