Mental Advantage Podcast

The MAP boys sit down with longtime friend and former college teammate, Shawn Lopez.  "Pez" has been the Head Softball Coach at Olathe Northwest in Olathe, KS since 2019.  In 2024, his team went 23-4 and won the 6A State Championship and he was named the 6A Coach of the Year.  Shawn shares his learnings from each of his stops in over 20 years of coaching.  He talks about the coach/player relationship with his daughter, Claire, what it was like coaching through COVID, what it was like to transition from coaching baseball to softball, etc.

Get your pen and paper ready, here is Shawn Lopez.

To contact the show: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen: [email protected]

On this week's episode of the Mental Advantage Podcast, the MAP boys sit down with Monte Lee, the Associate Head Baseball Coach at the University of South Carolina.  He talks about the various stops he has made in his coaching journey from being an assistant coach for Tim Wallace (Spartanburg Methodist) and Ray Tanner (South Carolina) to being the head coach at Clemson and the College of Charleston.  He shares the lessons he learned at each stop and also talks about his thoughts on toughness, the mental side of the game, the importance of process (stacking days) and other great information that you won't want to miss.  So, get your pen and paper ready....here is Monte Lee.

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen: [email protected]

On this week's episode of the Mental Advantage Podcast, the MAP boys sit down with Joanna Lohman.  Joanna is a former professional soccer player and member of the United States Women's National Team. She is the first player in Washington Spirit history to have her jersey retired, honoring her 16-year playing career where she built a platform for social impact.  Along with Paul Tukey, she co-authored, "Raising Tomorrow's Champions".  She is currently a global keynote speaker and authenticity activator.  She continues her influence as a Sport Diplomat and will be your new favorite celesbian.  Joanna is also a Limitless Minds Coach and currently working on a leadership project with former MAP guest, Travis Thomas.

On many social media apps, she can be found @joannalohman15
For more information about her and how to book her for a speaking engagement or purchase the book, you can visit: www.joannalohman.com 

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen: [email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with Isaac Collins, a professional baseball player with the Nashville Sounds (AAA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers).  It won't take long to understand why Isaac's mindset and mental toughness are a big part of his success in baseball.  He credits alot of people for helping him develop this mindset, but says that when he was with the Colorado Rockies organization, Doug Chadwick, a mental performance coach, was instrumental in building the foundation.
Isaac is a native of Maple Grove, Minnesota and Creighton University.  He was drafted in the 9th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies and was picked up by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2023 Minor League Rule 5 Draft.  
In this episode, Isaac talks about the game day and in-game systems, strategies and routines that he uses to remain present in the moment.  He discusses his journey through minor league ball and his turnback moment and how he overcame it.
This episode is a MUST listen for any athlete or coach.  Get your pen and paper ready, here is Isaac Collins.

On many social media apps, he can be found @isaaccollins2

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen: [email protected]

He's back!! After a long break, Dr. Mo returns to the Mental Advantage Podcast to talk to the boys about the mental game of golf.  A longtime friend of the show, Dr. Mo discusses the Netflix series, Full Swing, and the episode on mental performance.  He discusses the real life challenges so many of these players are facing beyond the ropes.  He also gives some tips and tricks on how you can excel at managing your thinking on the golf course.  

Dr. Mo has helped his clients achieve a combined 30 PGA Tour victories, including 4 majors, over 300 amateur wins and 2 NCAA championships.  He is the author of "The Winning Way in Golf and Life", "Learn to Win: One Shot at at Time" and "Learn to Win: A Major."  He has worked with such golfers as Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover, Keegan Bradley, Davis Love III and Justin Leonard.  He is the creator of the "Score Better" video system that uses videos to help you break down On-Course Thinking, Practice and Preparation and Off-Course Thinking (140+ insightful videos, 4 in-depth video guides and exclusive access to a library of curated articles and podcasts.)

You can learn more about this system and how to order it on his website, www.drmolearntowin.com.  
 
On many social media apps, he can be found @drmolearntowin

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen: [email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with Travis Thomas a team performance coach – improvisor – author (book Live Yes, And) – speaker and founder of the “Live Yes, And” movement. He is also a Limitless Minds room tilter.  Travis was the Leadership and Team Dynamics coach for the US Men's National Soccer Team and has worked with many college and professional teams including the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and currently FC Dallas and St. Louis University.  

Travis discusses how the principles of improvisation are the principles of life. By applying the "yes, and" approach to life, you can better accept the new realities you face and make the right adjustments. He also talks about how the same principles can be applied to building powerful cultures within athletic teams and organizations.

You can find his book, "Live Yes, And" on his website, www.liveyesand.com as well as other places books are sold.  You can also find the links to some of the upcoming workshops Travis has scheduled for athletes of all ages and business leaders on his website.
 
On many social media apps, he can be found @liveyesand

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen: [email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with Chad Metcalf, a Navy SEAL turned professional golfer turned entrepreneur and author.  Chad discusses the keys to building mental toughness and the lessons he learned at a young age that served him well during BUDs (Basic Underwater Demolition school) on his way to become a Navy SEAL.  He also talks about the key lessons he is trying to teach his kids and others in his book, "Young Athletes' Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness."   Other topics include how to use failure as fuel, the importance of mental toughness in the real world, his definition of GRIT, etc. Get your pen and paper ready -- you won't want to miss this episode. 

You can find his books, "Young Athletes' Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness" and "TEEN Confidence Unlocked" on his website, www.mentaltoughnessandconfidence.com as well as other places books are sold.
 
On many social media apps, he can be found @chad_metcalf

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen: [email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with Dave Kline, an entrepreneur, writer, speaker and coach who founded and developed MGMT Accelerator and Codified Management Playbook as well as many other resources designed to train leaders on the playbook for leading high-performance teams.

Dave's 20+ years of experience leading high-performing divisions at Bridgewater and Moody's made him the perfect guest to answer questions about many leadership/management topics like when and how to manage up, how to have crucial conversations with direct reports and other challenges facing managers and leaders.  He also talks about the importance of feedback and creating the right culture.  The hour flies by in this episode as Dave shares alot of his expertise on these subjects.

Get your pen and paper ready -- you won't want to miss this episode.

To learn more about MGMT Accelerator and MGMT Playbook visit mgmt.beehiv.com and https://maven.com/dave-kline/mgmt-accelerator 
 
On many social media apps, he can be found @dklineii

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen: [email protected]

On this week's episode of the Mental Advantage Podcast, the MAP boys sit down with Lauren Sisler.  Lauren is a two-time Emmy award-winning sports broadcaster who has worked for ESPN and SEC Network since 2016.

In 2003 as a freshman on the gymnastics team at Rutgers University, a phone call in the middle of the night would change her life forever as she unexpectedly lost both of her parents within hours of each other.  In the next days, months and years, Lauren would learn more about her parents' battle with prescription drug addiction.  As Lauren has navigated her journey through grief, she will share with the listeners her story of how whe removed the shackles of shame, embraced her story and found hope again.  

Get your pen and paper ready -- you won't want to miss this episode.

To learn more about Lauren, go to www.laurensisler.com 
On many social media apps, she can be found @laurensisler 
Look for her upcoming book "Shatterproof" which can be found in stores and where books are sold online.

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen: [email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with long time friend of the show (and one of their favorite humans), China McCarney.  They talk about China's social media posts and his ongoing journey towards mental wellness.  The unpack how there is "no finish line" when you are on this journey, but the key is to embrace your progress and just keep working on yourself.  Other topics included the importance of changing identity to achieve long-term success, letting go of suffering, filling in the gaps with facts you don't have, etc.

China is the founder of  the Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression Foundation www.aaadfoundation.org . He is also the Vice President of Jaegar Sports and developed the Mental Health Manual / Companion Journal www.mentalhealthmanual.org 

You can find China on many social media platforms at @chinamccarney 

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen: [email protected]