Celia Pacquola joins the show today with some words of wisdom gained from the 12 years of doing a job that still terrifies her : stand up comedy. We cover some pretty intense shit but it's OK because she makes it funny. 

00:00 The intentions behind Mindgold and the value we can gain from vulnerability and sharing our experiences.

02:20 Celia meets Graham. General banter.

08:30 Getting the feelings out on stage; how being vulnerable and sharing your insecurities brings strength and catharsis. 

13:30 Speaking out about things that matter. 'Me too', abortion, the importance of telling your story and the anxiety of how that message will be received. 

17:00 Internal vs external validation, how to measure your success without relying on the opinions of others.

22:00 Not having an end goal, why this is more motivating, and the fear that accompanies continuously striving for the next challenge. 

29:00 Tattoos. Why? Sarah's unintentionally bleak views on commitment. 

31:30 'Fuck off, I'm shit'. The cultural norm that is imposter syndrome and why we can't just say we are good at something. 

35:00 The roller coaster of mental health, how to seperate yourself from your negative thoughts and make yourself take action.

41:00 You are not a burden, the importance of reaching out and of making your mental health a priority.

47:00 Why we want to believe that everyone is trying their best.

We are lucky to have Emily Muskett (Godley) join us this week on the show. Emily is an elite Olympic weightlifter, taking home gold for Great Britain at the Commonwealth Games 2018, and currently on the road to qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Emily balances being an elite athlete with the responsibility of coaching others in the sport, with the empathy and compassion of someone who genuinely gives a fuck, and uses her own journey and experiences to be both inspirational and relatable. 

Emily, you are literally solid gold, and we wish you all the best in the 'ball-ache' that is the Olympic qualification process. 

00:00 Introducing Emily, and our current tripod situation. 

06:00 Emily's journey from pole vaulting to weightlifting, and the importance of playing the long game.

12:00 Eating all of the food, feelings about going up a weight class.

15:30 Emily describes the Olympic qualifying process.

24:00 Trying not to think; mental strength both on and off the platform.

29:00 Being a coach who genuinely cares; why empathy is such a vital coaching tool and the importance of giving back to the sport and to others. 

36:00 Managing anxiety and the comfort and strength to be gained by sharing your struggles with others.

52:30 Mindgold moments: why caring too much can be detrimental, the benefit of giving less fucks and how this is applicable in all aspects of life.

This week on the show we chat values and competition with Murray Ballenden, black belt and head coach of Dominance MMA. We grapple with some really interesting topics around struggles in sport, life, and the importance of values in both. 

1:00 Why this episode is special / general irrelevant banter.

5:00 The freedom of admitting you know nothing, and the empowerment of owning it.

8:00 The 6 basic human needs (stolen from Tony Robbins), and finding these in a sport.

10:00 Murray's journey from BJJ back to BJJ, via CrossFit and Weightlifting.

20:00 The differences in value systems, culture and community in sports.

32:30 An in depth discussion about Hoar's Frost (it's a thing)

35:00 Exhaustion and burnout as a badge of honour in training and life. The benefits of sub-maximal training.

42:00 Suffering is equal to discomfort X resistance. Using fear and anxiety as fuel in competition. 

51:00 Advice you'd give your 20 year old self.

This week we interview meditation guru and pretty smart dude Alex Snarski about how the practise of meditation changed his life, helping him to learn acceptance, embrace adversity, and transform him into a truly fucking excellent version of himself. 

Alex shares his personal story and the events that unfolded that would lead him to becoming 'New Alex', an un-angry and completely right-swipeable individual. 

00:00-04:00: General banter and shit talking 

21:00-27:00: How to lock your anus and why you need to 

31:00 -- currently still upset :Why the fuck Alex didn't eat a perfectly good burrito.

Episode 6 features our second guest Seb Houston, marathon runner and former party enthusiast.

We get right into the topic of negative vs positive addiction, if there is even such a thing, and how we can potentially differentiate between the two. Is post traumatic growth the real deal or a placebo, and does the end justify the means?

Do these negative experiences really make us better? Or are we all just pieces of shit trying not to be ?

Episode 5 features three solid 8/10’s discussing authentic purpose, what this is and how to find yours. Tom Ahern is our guest this week, fellow podcaster and author of ‘Yes I’m fine, just tired. Tom is a truly authentic and honest person, we absolutely loved this chat and think you’ll get a lot out of it.

Our fourth conversational joust with Sarah and James answers the following listener questions:

How do I stay in my lane and avoid comparison with others ? 

How do I implement my AAR's and what are some tips to implement the information I gain into my future performance?

What's your advice around performance anxiety and how can I use this the fear as fuel?

Also we have beers and a gold belt and you find out why Sarah finds food on the side of the road. It gets good we promise.

This week on the show Sarah and James talk about how to set values and use these for motivation in different areas of your life, plus James says 'yeap' less when threatened with bulk pickled onions.

Sarah and James address what it means to be average and how an obsession with your level of input leads to an above average outcome, in whatever pursuit is your fucking jam.

Our first episode is based on the importance of conducting your own AAR (After Action Review). Join Sarah and James as they dive into the key points involved in completing a successful review of your performance and how you can implement your AAR in all areas of your life.