The BRINK OF MIDNIGHT PODCAST with John Brenkus

Acclaimed PGA Golf Coach, Sean Foley, joins The Brink of Midnight Podcast with John Brenkus.   Sean Foley is one of the most impactful PGA golf coaches of all time. He's coached some of the world's best from Steven Ames, to Sean O'Hair, Lee Westwood, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose, Tiger Woods, Si Woo Kim, and Danny Willett, in addition to coaching the Canadian Junior Golf Association.   Sean's style isn't like any coach you've had. He combines his impeccable understanding of physics and biomechanics with philosophy, and he has a refreshing take on how thoughts and curiosity impact our daily life. He introduces the idea of having an immune system that deals with thought viruses just like our immune system deals with biological viruses. Sean also puts the power to revoke our estimation of a situation and our consequent suffering into our hands.   A former freestyle rapper, he's a devoted East Coast hip hop fan, and listeners get a taste of that when John puts Sean on the spot to freestyle later in the conversation!   Sit back, grab your notepad, and get ready to step into Coach Sean's flow…his outlook is contagious!   For full show notes, visit: www.brinkofmidnight.com | Contact: [email protected] | Connect on Social Media: @brinkofmidnight (twitter, instagram, Facebook)

Welcome to Friday Findings, our short-form episode full of takeaways, tips, and great ideas to help you cultivate positive change in your life and in your community.   In this episode, John and Lizzie consider what sparks a positive obsession, how that can lead to habit, and how it can positively influence how we think about living our best days.   For all episode show notes, visit: Contact: Connect on Socials: , ,

Multi-platinum singer songwriter, John Ondrasik, of Five for Fighting joins The Brink of Midnight Podcast with John Brenkus. [Be sure to check out our bonus video content on The Brink of Midnight !]   The child of an astro-physicist father and musician mother, John Ondrasik is the consummate artist and performer. He also happens to love his native Los Angeles Kings and the band name "Five for Fighting" is a reference to a major penalty in hockey. He got his start in music nearly cracking the hair metal scene with a little help from some of the guys in Whitesnake, but like all musical acts of the time, the rise of Nirvana put the kibosh on that trajectory. He stayed true to his roots and musical style, ultimately creating the musical backdrop of one of our most profound moments of modern day - 9/11.   In this conversation, John graciously shares his creative and entrepreneurial journey, the highs and lows, and many behind the scenes stories from the music industry that he's never talked about publicly. You'll learn the story behind and depth of meaning in songs like "Superman (It Ain't Easy)" and "100 Years" and John does a rare musical and lyrical breakdown of the song that changed everything for him. You'll learn how to get the bad stuff out so the good ideas can come. You might just be moved to tears with how John has used his music to impact lives with active military and veterans, those suffering from ALS, and families challenged by autism. You'll also hear how to get past the quitting point and remain persistent.   For full show notes + information, visit | Contact: | Connect on Socials: , ,

Welcome to Friday Findings on The Brink of Midnight Podcast - our short-form episode full of takeaways, tips, and great ideas to help you cultivate positive change in your life and in your community. In this episode, John and Lizzie consider what it takes to set up your day to win it, how to get back to center when you get derailed, and which reflective questions to ask as the day closes. A little serious, a lot lighthearted, a little yin, a lot of yang...and some laughs along the way. What are you finding that works? Have a great idea you'd like to share? Email us at . Or, let us know on   or

Aubrey Marcus (), Founder/CEO of ONNIT and host of the popular Aubrey Marcus Podcast joins The Brink of Midnight Podcast with John Brenkus.   If you take a first glance at Austin, Texas native, Aubrey Marcus, and what he's been able to create with his company, podcast, new clothing brand, and forthcoming book, you immediately pick up on his mission of human optimization and vibe of living big every day. But that's only the half of it. As any top performer in sport, business, and life will attest, the mental and spiritual game is the foundation from which everything flows. Aubrey is no different and in this unique conversation, he graciously gets very vulnerable as we go on a journey inward through the darkness, struggle, transformation, and rise that he's experienced through intense self-study and helping others discover and optimize their unique gifts.   A gifted athlete and thinker with influences from family in the fields of business, homeopathy, and athletics, one might assume that Aubrey succeeded out of the gate. However, through a combination of circumstances, he found himself lost and spinning into the darkness of heavy partying and complacency. A key friendship with Olympic skier, Bode Miller, and the desire to turn his life around laid the foundation for his process-oriented "warrior ethos". ONNIT was born out of Aubrey's redefining the foundation of his life - one rooted in self-discovery, transformation, growth, optimization, and choosing to be one's best.   We explore Aubrey's orientation to the world, the universe, God, and transcendence. He also shares his powerful suggestions on how to shift perspective subtly so we can analyze our choices, thought patterns, and tap into what parts of us carry our highest wisdom. Get ready for this spiritual and tactical download of ideas to, as Aubrey puts it: own your day and own your life!   For full show notes, visit: www.brinkofmidnight.com | Contact: [email protected] | Connect: @brinkofmidnight across socials

Sebastian Abbot (), author, former AP Bureau Chief, and foreign correspondent joins The Brink of Midnight Podcast.   Not many people can own the unique combination of life plot points that Sebastian has experienced. He grew up in a military family, played soccer at Princeton, and received his Masters of Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy school.   He began his journalism career as a foreign correspondent after the urge of wanderlust led him to quit investment banking and start writing while traveling the world on a shoestring and with a backpack. Starting at the bottom rung, he climbed the ladder of the Associated Press, worked in the Cairo office and became Bureau Chief in Pakistan. He's embedded with rebel fighters in Libya and spent several embedded missions with US troops in the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan. Seb's stories truly leave you on the tip of your seat! He also just published an already-acclaimed book called THE AWAY GAME, which details the world's largest sport talent search for soccer. The book is four years in the making and is a riveting look behind the curtain of both the passion and big business of soccer.   In this conversation, we get into some of Seb's crazy stories, but what this episode really highlights is how vast and rich a life can be if you're willing to say yes to the unknown, new adventure, and listen to your gut.   For full show notes, visit: www.brinkofmidnight.com | Contact:   Follow Brink of Midnight at @brinkofmidnight (twitter, instagram, Facebook)   Follow John Brenkus at @johnbrenkus_ on twitter

High performance psychologist and thought leader, Dr. Michael Gervais, joins The BRINK OF MIDNIGHT Podcast with John Brenkus.   What is greatness? What is mastery? Today’s guest, Mike Gervais, has spent a career helping people, especially elite athletes, coaches, business leaders, and organizations achieve their absolute best. He's worked with the Seattle Seahawks, Pete Carroll, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Felix Baumgartner, Luke Aikins, among many others. His fascination with what he calls the "razor's edge" is contagious and he reminds us how essential it is to find what that means for us in terms of developing our unique minds, ability to focus, and approach to organizing our days.   Mike helps us dismantle the idea of simply "doing more" as a measure of success and breaks down what it means to cultivate happiness and meaning in every moment. He believes there is equal power in every moment and that we can either pay attention to the "noise" of life around us or develop an orientation to our unique "signal".   We peel back the layers and psychology of social media in terms of it's dangers and our unpreparedness as a society when it comes to the temporary pleasures and darkness that can come from how we engage with it.   We talk about thoughts, their weight, origin, and impact, and how our thoughts can help shape our collective human experience. We dive into the details and impact of brain waves, creativity, letting go, and re-centering.   Both being family men, we also tap into the struggle of creating equilibrium as a parent, professional, and game changer and playing all roles equally or in the most impactful and fulfilling way.   This episode is so chalk full of wisdom and insight that you can implement into your life today…right now. Grab your journal or note-taking app and get ready for a master class courtesy of Dr. Mike!   For full show notes and more episodes, visit: www.brinkofmidnight.com | Contact: [email protected] | Connect: @brinkofmidnight across socials

Welcome to Friday Findings on The Brink of Midnight Podcast. This is our short-form episode full of takeaways, tips, and great ideas to help you cultivate positive change in your life and in your community.   Today, John and Lizzie break down the art of the pitch. Pitching yourself, your idea, your product, your services…these are all part of today's world and there are elements of a successful pitch that stand the test of time and relevance across circumstances.   John has been in the business of pitching and being pitched for 26 years across film, TV, music, and advertising and Lizzie brings to the conversation her perspective from the book publishing world.   Lizzie turns the table on John and asks about pitfalls, most common mistakes, and how he approaches a pitch of any kind. Listen for John's 5-step process for crafting a pitch, how to avoid common missteps, and how to know when you're ready.   Show notes for all episodes: www.brinkofmidnight.com | Contact: [email protected] | Connect: @brinkofmidnight across socials

Professional wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Fame inductee, Diamond Dallas Page, joins The Brink of Midnight Podcast with John Brenkus.    Professional wrestling has crazy athletic moves, awesome story lines, and most of all, larger than life characters. Without a doubt, one of the biggest personalities to ever emerge from the wrestling scene is today’s guest Diamond Dallas Page, or DDP for short.    Professional wrestling is the greatest physical theater there is. You can’t fake a giant man throwing another giant man out of a ring. Gravity and pain exist. It’s simply part of the job. Imagine the dedication it takes to become the Heavyweight Champion in professional wrestling. DDP started as a wrestling manager like Captain Lou Albano, and, in a long and impressive wrestling career, was a 3-time WCW Heavyweight World Champion, 4-time WCW World Tag Team Champion, WCW Triple Crown Champion, and the list goes on and on.    In today's conversation, Diamond Dallas Page takes us on his journey to becoming a champion, not only in wrestling, but in life. Since his wrestling days, he’s gone on to create DDPYoga and is focused on empowering everyone that crosses his path. DDP Yoga has been featured on the Today Show, Shark Tank, and Good Morning America, and has a simple message: Own Your Life. Never underestimate the power of believing in YOU.    I feel so honored that DDP spent so much time with me for this podcast and that he opened himself up, scars and all, so that we can learn what kind of commitment, vision, and discipline it takes to make it.    For full show notes, visit: www.brinkofmidnight.com | Contact: [email protected] | Connect: @brinkofmidnight on socials

David Greathouse, the multi-talented film producer, joins The Brink of Midnight Podcast with John Brenkus.   It’s Oscars week! The pinnacle of the year in film. We are so excited to bring you today’s guest, the multi-talented film producer, David Greathouse. Dave and his wife also happen to be some of our closest friends. We’ve shared lots in the world of entertainment and endured agonizing training together for endurance events.   The timing of this conversation is special because Dave was the executive producer for multi-Oscar award-winning film, “Hacksaw Ridge”, which was directed by Mel Gibson. In the world of entertainment, there are a lot of folks known for their larger than life presence and Dave possesses a unique mix of humility, wisdom, and insight while having a larger than life imagination. He’s worked with some of the very best in Hollywood. He got his start at Disney and then learned under the mentorship of Scott Rudin. He’s worked with legend Robert Benton and special effects innovator Sam Winston. He’s most recently worked with Kevin Smith and Mel Gibson. His upcoming film “Icebox”, a powerful and moving movie centered on the topic of immigration should be on your radar.   Dave is like a Swiss Army knife meets savvy finance executive meets strong and accomplished endurance athlete. He’s completed three full Ironman triathlons, multiple Tahoe Death Rides, and does things like ride his bike from San Francisco to Santa Barbara for the heck of it. He favors the journey and process over the destination in all that he does.   Sit back and enjoy these stories, simple joys, and adventures with Dave…and how it all began with Star Wars in a small town in Texas.   For full show notes, visit: www.brinkofmidnight.com | Contact: [email protected] | Connect: @brinkofmidnight on socials