Mindset Stories

Janine "Tiger" Charron looked like the most positive person in any room. Behind closed doors, there were mornings she physically couldn't get out of bed.

A former NCAA Division I hockey player at UNH and assistant captain, Janine went on to play pro, run marathons, and win a fitness competition, all fueled by achievement and external validation. Then came the decade she never saw coming: divorce, bankruptcy, and breast cancer. Sunny on the outside, silent on the inside.

In this episode, Janine opens up about the identity crisis of losing "the athlete," the season of silence after her diagnosis, and how she slowly rebuilt from the ground up. She shares her Tiger Method for closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be, why she's grateful for the dark years, and the four words that carried her through it all: just keep showing up.

If you've ever smiled on the outside while struggling on the inside, this one's for you.

Charley Healey committed to play college hockey in Ottawa, then her mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer. A physical in her first year turned up Wolff-Parkinson-White, a rare heart condition sending her rate to 275 on the ice. She thought that was just working hard. Then came pneumonia, thirty pounds lost, heart surgery, and a transfer home to Calgary.

In this episode Charley talks openly for the first time about grief, about the relief she felt when a season finally ended, and about what she found on the other side.

"For a really long time I thought my story was about everything I had lost."

Six guests in, and we're taking a week off from interviews to talk about what we've actually learned.

Eric, CJ, Finley, Ben, Marcus, and Steve have almost nothing in common on paper. Different sports, different generations, different levels. But every single story has a struggle in it, and almost every one turned on the same moment: when they stopped explaining it away and looked at themselves instead.

In this episode we get into why saying something out loud is the scary part, because that's the moment it becomes real. Why acceptance gets mistaken for quitting when it's the opposite. The difference between fault and responsibility. And why we're all convinced everyone is judging us as harshly as we judge ourselves, when we'd never do that to anyone we love.

Luc shares the three-step process he uses with clients for working through emotions, and we come back to CJ looking at herself in a mirror three hours before a playoff start and deciding no one was coming to save her.

No guest. Just the two of us, and everything the first six taught us.

Steve Trimper spent 28 years as a Division I head baseball coach at Manhattan, Maine, and Stetson, winning more than 780 games along the way. In this episode he tells us how sitting in donor meetings early in his career completely changed what he believed about coaching, and why he came to see the relationship piece as more important than the talent piece. He opens up about the parts that cost him too: lying awake after losses, feeling like he let everyone down, and writing a book about values while quietly asking himself whether he was actually living them. He also shares the story of a waitress named Shonda at the Atlanta airport who ended up becoming an entire chapter.
Update: since this episode recording Steve has stepped down as the Head Coach at Stetson

In this episode of Mindset Stories, the hosts welcome one of their own clients: Marcus Harper II (known on the field as "Big Mark"). Marcus is a former Toronto Argonauts offensive lineman who achieved a legendary collegiate milestone at Oregon State: never allowing a single sack in over three consecutive years of college football.

But behind this jaw-dropping statistic lies a profound story about the extreme psychological cost of greatness. Marcus pulls back the curtain on the intense pressure, the dangerous trap of "potential," and the moment he realized he had sacrificed his own humanity to become bulletproof on the field.

Marcus takes the hosts through the rapid, whirlwind trajectory of his football career and the mental challenges that came with it:

• The Late Bloomer: Growing up in the South Suburbs of Chicago, Marcus was an active kid who did everything except football. From soccer and swimming to chess and a brief stint as a middle school basketball team manager. It wasn't until his freshman year of high school that his dad finally let him don a helmet and pads.

• The "Spider-Man" Moment: After a coach threatened to demote him to the "B-Team" freshman squad, a switch flipped. During a rainy game, Marcus levelled an opposing defensive end so hard the player's helmet flew off. From that single moment, the "Hulk" was born, paving the way for a dominant high school career.

• The Two-Year Whirlwind: In a staggering two-year window from the time he seriously committed to the sport, Marcus went from a raw sophomore to receiving phone calls from powerhouse college programs, eventually committing to Oregon State.

• The Dark Side of the Grind: While his freshman year brought immediate success (breaking into the starting rotation and winning a Pac-12 Championship), his sophomore year brought a steep, confidence-crushing demotion. The setback sparked an obsessive, two-year binge for answers.

• Sacrificing the Human for the Athlete: Marcus opens up about the extreme coping mechanisms he developed during his junior year, sitting in the dark alone after games and refusing to eat. In a ruthless quest to unlock his potential, he consciously chose to sacrifice relationships, family time, and his own personal life to devote every waking hour to the gridiron.

Marcus’s journey highlights a critical crossroads that almost every elite performer eventually faces: the separation of the human from the athlete. While his obsessive focus earned him historical success on the field and an undeniable streak of zero sacks allowed, it also robbed him of connection and joy. This episode is a powerful exploration of what happens when your identity becomes entirely consumed by your performance, and what it truly takes to face the "thought loops" when the lights go down.

In this episode of Mindset Stories, the hosts sit down with Ben Barr, the head coach of the University of Maine Black Bears men’s ice hockey team. Under his guidance, the Black Bears have undergone a massive cultural and competitive revival, transforming from a struggling program into back-to-back NCAA tournament contenders.

But Ben’s journey to becoming one of college hockey’s most supportive and successful coaches wasn't built on a straight line of easy victories. Instead, it was forged through the fires of early athletic adversity, high-pressure environments, and the deep resilience required to start over when life pulls the rug out from under you.

Inside the episode, Ben, Sara, and Luc take a deep dive into the moments that shaped Ben's coaching philosophy and mental framework:

• The Weight of the High-Expectations Trap

• The Devastating Reality Check

• Wiping the Slate Clean at Shattuck St. Mary’s

• History Repeating Itself

• The Business of Hockey vs. Elite Academics

This conversation tackles the modern epidemic of the "victim mindset" head-on. Ben and the hosts discuss the critical role that adversity plays in human development. In a society that constantly tries to shield young people from failure, Ben argues that experiencing tough, unfair moments is like building a psychological immune system.

Whether you are a player trying to handle a coach's tough decision, a parent navigating youth sports culture, or a leader trying to build a winning environment from the ground up, Ben’s story proves that your past setbacks don't define you, they prepare you.

In this special, altered-format episode of Mindset Stories, hosts Sara and Luc take a powerful look at resilience through the eyes of a child. Debriefing a pre-recorded interview in real time, the hosts unpack the extraordinary mindset of Finley Skiff, a 10-year-old cancer survivor who has recently entered remission after a grueling battle with anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

Blending profound emotional maturity with pure childhood innocence, Finley uses brilliant, imaginative metaphors to describe what it takes to survive life's darkest storms.

Inside the Episode: Finley’s Mental Playbook

Together, the hosts listen to and unpack clips from their conversation with Finley, highlighting key themes that anyone facing adversity can use to guide themselves forward:

• The "Baguette Metaphor" & Realistic Optimism: Finley describes life as a baguette loaf. While you are bound to hit some "burnt bites" (like diagnoses and relapses), you can't throw away the whole loaf over one bad experience. He reflects on the human urge to just "swallow the baguette whole" to avoid the painful ups and downs—acknowledging that you can't skip the process or numb the hard stuff without a cost.

• Externalizing the Enemy: To take control of a scary situation, Finley explains his cancer as "bad aliens" invading his planet-like body. His solution? "Just nuke them, and keep going."

• The Purple Blob and Cognitive Diffusion: Through a hospital card game called Organ Attack, Finley shares how drawing cancer as a silly "purple blob" stripped it of its power to invoke fear. The hosts note how this mirrors Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) by diffusing a massive threat into something manageable and distant.

• The Lego Build Foundation: Finley visualizes a strong mindset like a Lego structure. If you put a piece in the wrong spot, it collapses. Building a resilient mind means taking it "one brick at a time," ensuring each piece is happy, sturdy, and well-fitted.

• Radical Presence over the Victim Mindset: Despite being physically depleted—describing a time he felt like a "dried-up kiwi"—Finley radiates immense gratitude for simply being alive and present.

• Finley's Trick to Keep Parents from Falling Apart: Showing emotional intelligence far beyond his years, Finley reveals his strategy for calming the adults in the hospital room: asking them what they want to do today and encouraging them to be a little more active, giving the worried caregivers something concrete in the present moment.

Key Mindset Takeaways:

"A good attitude is always the best thing." – Finley Skiff

This episode serves as a beautiful masterclass in coping planning, emotional regulation, and deep acceptance. Finley reminds us that anchoring yourself in faith and a purpose bigger than the moment is the ultimate key to resilience. Instead of playing the victim or absorbing the darkness of his situation, Finley actively chooses to return the kindness shown to him by his medical team and loved ones by bringing joy to everyone he meets.

Whether you are fighting a personal battle or just trying to navigate a bad day, Finley’s parting advice is simple: Follow your dreams, stay present, and when things get tough, try to be like a seahorse—carefree.

If you were moved by Finley's story, please subscribe to Mindset Stories, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that everything is going to be okay.

Professional hockey goaltender CJ Jackson has built a career defined by resilience, authenticity, and an unwavering commitment to showing up—regardless of the circumstances.

In this episode of Mindset Stories, CJ shares her incredible journey from growing up in rural Nova Scotia and competing in male-dominated sports, to becoming a record-setting NCAA goaltender, an Isobel Cup Champion, and a professional in the PWHL.

But this conversation goes far beyond hockey.

CJ opens up about what it's like to spend years waiting for opportunities, embracing difficult roles, handling disappointment, overcoming fear, and staying connected to who you are when the world only sees your results. She shares the mindset that has allowed her to continue thriving through setbacks, criticism, uncertainty, and the pressure of elite sport.

Together, we dive into topics including:
• Controlling the controllables
• Why your character matters more than external validation
• The difference between chasing success and attracting it
• Finding purpose when you're not getting playing time
• Building self-awareness and investing in yourself
• Dealing with fear, pressure, and self-doubt
• The power of community, authenticity, and staying true to your values
• Why joy and competitiveness can, and should, coexist

This is an episode for athletes, coaches, parents, and anyone navigating adversity while pursuing something meaningful.

Whether you're fighting for your opportunity or learning how to trust the process, CJ's story is a powerful reminder that success isn't just about where you end up, it's about who you become along the way.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow Mindset Stories, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone who could use this message.

Former NHL forward Eric Tangradi has built a career defined by accountability, profound self-reflection, and the grit required to overcome the hidden mental battles of elite sports.

In this episode of Mindset Stories, Eric shares his incredible journey from growing up in the inner city of Philadelphia and starting out at a local figure skating rink, to becoming a 42nd overall NHL draft pick, a Calder Cup Champion, and a professional who played 150 NHL games across multiple historic organizations.

But this conversation goes far beyond hockey.

Eric opens up about the harsh contrast between "Instagram versus reality" in elite athletics, detailing the intense anxiety, mental fog, and isolation that came with early NHL pressure and social media scrutiny. He shares the pivotal moment his wife challenged him to look in the mirror, leading him to reject a victim mindset, partner with a sports psychologist, and completely rewrite his mental playbook to find joy in the game again.

Together, we dive into topics including:

• Why you cannot allow yourself to get "stuck in the suck"

• The dangerous impact of social media on an athlete's mental health

• Shifting from a victim mentality to radical self-accountability

• Replacing results-oriented pressure with process-driven goals

• The isolation of professional sports and the importance of a true inner circle

• How to reclaim your authentic identity when you lose your way

• Navigating career regret and finding deeper purpose through family

• Quieting the outside noise to focus entirely on controlling the controllables

This is an episode for athletes, coaches, parents, and anyone navigating adversity while pursuing something meaningful.

Whether you're fighting through a period of professional rejection or learning how to measure your worth by your daily process rather than your external results, Eric's story is a powerful reminder that success isn't just about where you end up, it's about who you become along the way.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow Mindset Stories, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone who could use this message.

From the day you’re born to the day you die, the only person inside your head every second is you. So wouldn’t it be better to have that voice be your own personal coach that actually helps, instead of one that tears you down?

In this episode of Mindset Stories, Sara and Luc dive deeper into two important themes from their last conversation that consistently show up in their work: self-doubt (feeling inadequate or “not good enough”) and the fear of disappointing others. Rather than just handing you tools, they walk through real stories from their work with clients (shared anonymously, with all identifying details changed). A tool tends to be more useful when you can see how it actually works in practice. 

In this conversation:

• Why self-doubt is so hard to beat, and how to “collect the evidence” the fact check it

• The baseball player stuck striking out, and the self-talk shift that turned it around

• “Don’t let your brain talk sh*t to you” - catching and challenging negative thoughts

• Using mistakes as feedback instead of proof you don't belong

• The spotlight effect: why everyone’s too busy in their own head to be judging you

• The athlete who hated their sport but couldn’t quit for fear of disappointing their parents

• The reframe that changes everything: playing with your coach, not for them

• Why you’re going to disappoint someone no matter what, and how to give people permission to feel it

• The one person actually worth being afraid of disappointing: yourself

A reminder for parents too: a kid still playing isn’t the same as a kid still loving to play, so check in with them.