Simple. Wins.

You're not undertrained. You're underfueled.

Asher Alberding went from blocking tight end at Cal to founder of PurePlate, an AI nutrition platform built around your goals, not the scale.

In this episode:

• Why most nutrition advice is really about weight loss, and why that leaves driven people under-fueled
• The "athletes can eat whatever they want" myth, and what fast-food fueling does to your training, recovery and mood
• Performance nutrition explained like you're 10: enough fuel first, then better fuel, without overthinking it
• How meal timing and sleep change how you feel, think, and show up
• Two small edges most people have never heard of: beet juice before you compete and tart cherry juice before bed

Connect with Asher:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asheralberding/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@asherpureplate
• PurePlate: https://www.pureplateai.com/home

Want more Simple Wins? Get one simple, actionable tool every Tuesday, readable in under 60 seconds. Subscribe to Simple Wins podcast

Chapters:

0:44 Meet Asher: D1 tight end to AI founder
1:08 "Ready to do the dirty work"
2:44 "A moment I definitely will not forget"
4:44 "Nothing was out there for individual athletes' goals"
7:50 "People underestimate athletes"
9:43 "Not falling into the trap of becoming a weight loss app"
11:48 "Just like a car, you need fuel"
15:03 "I have one and it may get me in trouble"
18:22 "Look good, feel good, play good"
22:30 "Little hacks, little edges"
24:29 "Simple to do, but not easy"

"If you were not drinking water, if you were not sleeping enough — I don't think creatine is something you should be doing."

Sports nutritionist Francesca Caccamo on why the supplement everyone reaches for first should be the last thing you add.

Francesca Caccamo played field hockey at the University of New England, graduated with a degree in nutrition, and now runs evidence-based nutrition workshops teaching athletes how to actually fuel their bodies.

In this episode:

• Why creatine does nothing for you until the basics — water, sleep, three real meals — are already locked in
  
• The 4-pillar framework she teaches high schoolers and college athletes: balance, variety, sleep, hydration
  
• Why "don't eat carbs" and "never eat late" are mostly myths that don't hold up for athletes
  
• Her actual test for "listening to your body" instead of copying whatever an influencer eats
  
• What to do about breakfast if mornings aren't your thing
  

Guest links:

• Instagram: @frankiesfitt — https://www.instagram.com/frankiesfitt/
• TikTok: @francescacaccc
  

If this one helped, hit follow so next week's episode finds you — that's the simple win.

Chapters:

0:26 – Meet Francesca: From Field Hockey to Nutrition Coach
1:47 – "Ten Out of Ten": The Corn Dog Philosophy
2:27 – Her Wake-Up Call in College
5:45 – Why She Started Coaching Other Athletes
6:48 – Nutrition Explained Like You're 10: Three Meals & Colors
8:11 – Aesthetics vs. Performance: Carbs, Fats & Crash Diets
10:28 – What "Listen to Your Body" Actually Means
13:22 – The 4 Pillars: Balance, Variety, Sleep, Hydration
15:19 – Late-Night Eating & the Breakfast Myth
18:16 – Creatine: What It Can (and Can't) Do
19:23 – What "Simple Wins" Means to Francesca
20:03 – Where to Find Francesca

How a Pro Baseball Player Learned to Stop Overthinking

What if the thing you think is discipline is actually what's holding you back?

Jestin came out of high school as a hitter, got cut, and reinvented himself as a pitcher almost by accident — eventually setting a strikeout record, signing with the Savannah Bananas, and chasing 100 mph.

But somewhere along the way, his pursuit of "perfect" mechanics turned into a prison. He was overthinking every pitch, obsessing over routines, and isolating himself from his team — until the people closest to him forced a change he didn't know he needed.

What followed was the best stretch of pitching in his career, a championship, and a perspective shift that's now the foundation of his coaching business.

This episode is for anyone who's ever confused control with trust — the entrepreneur grinding past the point of diminishing returns, the parent watching their kid lock up under pressure, or anyone who's ever felt like their own mind was the opponent.

Jestin's story is a real-time look at what happens when you finally loosen your grip.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• The "proprioception" concept Jestin uses to explain why overthinking literally makes you slower
  
• The night his teammates got him to go out with the team — and what changed after it
  
• How his stats drastically improved

• What playing for the Savannah Bananas taught him about competing and having fun at the same time
  
• The mindset shift Jestin had to make when a major injury sidelined his best season yet
  
• The advice Jestin wishes he'd gotten as a kid about effort versus effectiveness
  

Key quote:

"It's about having fun and enjoying the hard work you've done on the front end to allow the back end stuff when you're playing to take care of itself."

Connect with Jestin:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jestinjones/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jestinjones

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jestinjones

Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

You vs. You: The Pro Athlete Mindset That Destroys the Comparison Trap for Good

MJ Wright went from putting up historic numbers as a two-time All-American to watching his phone stay silent on draft day while everyone around him got the call. He didn't quit — he journaled, stayed present, and rebuilt his identity from the inside out. Now he's playing professional football and standing in the most confident headspace of his life.

In this episode, you'll hear exactly how MJ rewired his thinking when comparison was pulling him under — and what it looks like to stop measuring your journey by someone else's map. If you've ever felt like you're falling behind while everyone else moves forward, this one is for you.

• What you'll hear in this episode:
  • How being part of a historically dominant offense actually taught MJ about the danger of getting ahead of yourself

  • The exact moment draft day turned into silence — and the flood of thoughts that followed when his phone stopped ringing
    
  • Why MJ says looking too far into the future is what causes the spiral, and how returning to the present moment broke the cycle
    
  • His daily journaling practice: the two-part system he's used since college that gets the overthinking out of his head and onto paper
    
  • The "figure it out" mentality — how he used it to stay grounded after getting cut by the BC Lions in Canada
    
  • Why his dad stopped coaching him on football entirely, and how that became one of the most powerful performance tools in his life
    
  • What MJ means when he says "one positive thought can change your whole day" — and why your thoughts are literally shaping your reality

Key Quote: "Once you figure out who you are, you feel unstoppable." — MJ Wright

Connect with MJ:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1MJWright/videos

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@1mj.wright

Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/MJ.W2

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1mjwright/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livvinwright

The 72-Year-Old Fitness Influencer Breaking the Internet

Christine Hobson ran her first marathon the weekend she retired. Not because she'd been training for years. Not because she had some grand plan. She was celebrating her retirement and was only supposed to run 1 marathon.

Now it has led to over 125 marathons, all seven continents, a Guinness World Record, and millions inspired by her journey.

If you've ever felt like you missed your window to reinvent yourself — you didn't. This episode is proof.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why Christine cried at the start line of her very first marathon — and what that emotion was really telling her

• The "pretend and you will become" philosophy and how she used it to rebuild her identity from scratch
  
• The three-week Antarctica scramble — cancelled ships, a frozen bank account, and a race near the South Pole that almost never happened
  
• What complete silence actually sounds like and why it unsettled her more than any race ever did
  
• How her trainer spent two full years preparing her body before she ever lifted a heavy weight — and why that's the most underrated reinvention strategy in the episode
  

Key Quote:

"Just pretend and you will become."

Connect with Christine:

Instagram: @christinehobsand60

TikTok: @christinewillrecord

Connect with Sam:

Website: samnott.com

Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly

What Do You Have to Show for It?

Stephen Brown has been playing professional basketball overseas for eight years. But the moment that changed everything wasn't a big game or a contract — it was a conversation with his dad.

This episode is about three things: staying grounded in your faith when life gets loud, being present in a season that won't last forever, and building something real while you still can. Stephen's been doing all three — from multiple countries, building a family, always learning.

If you've ever been so locked into the grind that you forgot to ask whether it's actually working — this conversation is for you.

Key quote:

"The more pressure I took off myself, I started to play better — because I realized there's more to life than basketball."

Connect with Stephen:

Instagram: @SLBrown2

TikTok: @SLBrown2

Connect with Sam: samnott.com

Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly

Imagine Telling Your Past Self Where You Are Now

Growing up, Izzy Wilkins convinced herself she wasn't an athlete. By 26, she's a professional fighter living in Thailand — and she got there one decision at a time.

Her story isn't about talent. It's about what happens when you stop listening to the voice that tells you it's too late.

In this episode, you'll hear how Izzy handled her worst loss, why too much confidence almost cost her everything, and what it actually looks like to rebuild after you hit rock bottom. If you've ever felt behind — this one is for you.

What you'll hear in this episode:

— Why starting later than everyone else in the room can actually be an advantage

— The loss that nearly ended her career — and why she immediately got back in the ring

— How being "too happy" going into a fight was the exact thing that beat her

— The coach who sent a throwback video that completely changed her mindset before her biggest fight

— What coaching others teaches you about your own growth that competing alone never can

— Her definition of a simple win — and why consistency is the only system that matters

Key quote: "Imagine telling this version of you what you're doing right now."

Connect with Izzy:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fit.izz_/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fit.izz

Connect with Sam: samnott.com

Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly.

He Said "Screw This" and Got His Confidence Back — How to Stop Overthinking Who You Are

What happens when everyone around you believes in you — but you don't believe in yourself?

Cole LaCrue knows. He was Colorado's 4A Player of the Year, a state champion in two sports, and had scholarship offers from programs most athletes only dream about.

Then he got to college and spent the next two years buried — two surgeries, an injury report he couldn't escape, and the slow realization that being "the guy" in high school meant nothing anymore. When he entered the transfer portal, school after school looked at his medical file and passed. He found himself in a dark place, asking a question no competitor ever wants to ask: Is this it for me?

This episode is about the moment between giving up and getting back. Cole doesn't just talk about what happened to him — he walks you through what it feels like to lose your identity, to watch people invest in a version of you that you're no longer sure exists, and to make the decision to stop performing and start being yourself again.

If you've ever been stuck in your own head, chasing a version of success that keeps moving further away, Cole's story will hit different.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• How losing his father at 16 forced Cole to choose between self-pity and becoming the man he was raised to be
  
• The coaching conversation that stopped him in his tracks: "If I believe in you and you don't believe in yourself, what am I believing in?"
  
• What it felt like to go from the top of the world to the bottom of the totem pole
  
• The exact practice where he said "screw this" and decided to go back to being himself
  
• Why he believes consistency — not talent — is the habit that separates people who make it from people who don't
  
• How controlling what you can control as a quarterback taught him to stop overthinking outcomes
  
• His advice for anyone who feels like they're one foot away from quitting: keep digging
  

Key quote: "If I believe in you and you don't believe in yourself, what am I believing in?"

Connect with Cole:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacruecole18/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lacruecole18

X: https://x.com/lacruecole18

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lacruecole18

Connect with Sam: samnott.com

Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly.

What happens when the thing you've built your entire life around suddenly goes quiet — and no one's calling?

D'Andre Bernard was ranked the number two basketball player in Canada coming out of high school. What followed wasn't a straight line to the top — it was multiple college transfers, a redshirt year, a senior night where his family watched him sit on the bench, and a full year after graduation with no professional contract in sight.

His own brother told their mother, "I've never seen him like this." But instead of walking away, D'Andre got a job, poured every dollar he earned into training, and decided to bet on himself when no one else would.

That bet eventually took him professional — playing across Canada, overseas in Germany, and all around the world.

This episode is for anyone who has ever been stuck in the gap between where they are and where they thought they'd be by now.

Whether you're an athlete who can't stop replaying the last game, a professional obsessing over a career move, or someone whose identity has become so wrapped up in what they do that they've forgotten who they are without it — D'Andre's story will challenge everything you believe about talent, comparison, and what it actually takes to perform when the pressure is real.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why D'Andre spent his entire freshman year comparing himself to peers at bigger schools — and how it held him back more than any opponent ever did
  
• The senior night moment that broke him down in tears in front of his family — and the message he gave his younger brother through it
  
• What happened during the year no one signed him and how he pulled himself out of the lowest point of his life
  
• His framework for separating who you are as a person from what you do as a performer
  
• Why he believes over half the battle is the mind — and how players with "ugly" technique outperform textbook-perfect competitors through pure belief
  
• The lesson he learned from an NBA coaching family about the power of decompression
  
• His advice to anyone stuck in the comparison trap: "Run your race"
  

Key quote:

"Over half the battle is the mind. If you believe that you're that good, if you believe that you can make that shot, you've won half the battle."

Connect with D'Andre:

TikTok: @deandreweigh22

Instagram: @deandreweigh

Connect with Sam: samnott.com

Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly.

Adam Timbrook | "If You Want This, Prove It" — How to Build Confidence Through Discipline

Everyone has a version of "normal" they think you should want. Adam Timbrook stopped listening.

Adam is a record-holding powerlifter and the coach behind Timbrook Training System. He's squatted 600 pounds, deadlifted over 600, and built a coaching business — all before most people his age have figured out what they want to do. He doesn't drink. He doesn't go out. He skips the parties, turns down the invitations, and stays locked in while everyone around him says he's missing out.

His response? "That's not the experience I'm seeking."

But here's the thing about Adam — underneath all of that discipline is a guy who puts an insane amount of pressure on himself to prove that the sacrifices were worth it. His mom tells him she's proud of him no matter what. It doesn't matter. He still feels like he has to show her, show his family, show himself.

That pressure has been there since middle school, and it's the engine behind everything he's built.

If you've ever been the one who stays home while everyone else goes out, or if you've caught yourself wondering whether all the discipline is actually going to pay off — you're going to connect with this one. And if you're a parent watching your kid sacrifice everything for a goal and wondering what's really going on in their head, Adam might just tell you.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why Adam says "that's not the experience I'm seeking" when people tell him he's missing out
  
• The self-imposed pressure he's carried since middle school — and where it actually comes from
  
• How he flips a switch and becomes a completely different person in competition
  
• A story he's almost never shared publicly that changes how you see his entire journey
  
• His approach to finding a win even when everything in a session feels off
  
• What he tells his coaching clients when their actions don't match their goals
  
• The three daily habits he refuses to skip no matter what

  
  

Key quote: "If you want to not be average, these sacrifices have to occur at some point."

Connect with Adam:

Instagram: @adam.timbrook10

TikTok: @TimbrookTrainingSystems

Coaching: Timbrook Training System

Connect with Sam: samnott.com

Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly.