The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast

You've been told to get eight hours of sleep your whole life. Dr. Michael Breus — The Sleep Doctor — says that's not only wrong, it may be making things worse. In this conversation with Dwayne Kerrigan, one of the world's foremost sleep specialists breaks down the science of when to sleep, when to drink caffeine, when to workout, and why most people's sleep problems aren't about how much they sleep — they're about when.

In this episode:

• The four chronotypes — Lion, Bear, Wolf, and Dolphin — and why knowing yours could reduce your total sleep while dramatically improving quality; plus why 55% of the population are Bears, and what that means for your nine-to-five schedule
• The 90-minute caffeine rule: how adrenaline and cortisol make caffeine useless for the first 90 minutes after waking, and when to stop caffeine entirely to protect your sleep
• The biology of the 1:00–3:00 AM wake-up: every human on Earth wakes up in this window due to a cortisol spike — and Dr. Breus's four-step protocol for getting back to sleep, including the four-seven-eight breathing technique developed by Dr. Andrew Weil for Navy snipers
• Why alcohol destroys Stage 3 and 4 deep sleep — the physical restoration stage where the brain's glymphatic system flushes beta amyloid and tau proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease — and the exact wine-with-dinner timing strategy that lets you drink without wrecking your sleep
• Sleep tracking devices: why none of them are accurate for measuring sleep stages, why rings outperform wristbands, why you should only review your tracker data once a week, and how to use trend analysis rather than nightly numbers
• Dr. Breus's personal disclosure: he has moderate obstructive sleep apnea and stops breathing 26 times an hour — and why he wants every listener to stop avoiding sleep testing out of fear

Discover Your Chronotype - Take The Quiz: https://sleepdoctor.com/pages/dr-breus-podcast-dwayne-kerrigan

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Entrepreneurs Sleep Differently

00:33 - Welcome and Guest Introduction

01:06 - Tony Robbins Connection

03:17 - Meet Dr Michael Breus

05:05 - Middle of Night Awakenings

07:40 - Understanding Chronotypes

11:31 - The Lion Chronotype

12:47 - The Bear Chronotype

13:18 - The Wolf Chronotype

14:23 - The Dolphin Chronotype

18:07 - Bad Sleep Habits

20:39 - Morning Workouts and Cortisol

22:27 - Perfect Time for Sex

25:20 - Understanding Cortisol

26:37 - Why We Wake at 3AM

28:57 - Don't Go Pee

30:52 - Don't Look at the Clock

31:43 - Four Seven Eight Breathing

34:59 - Getting Out of Bed

36:28 - Stay Positive

38:06 - Breathing Technique Recap

38:51 - Breathing Techniques Really Work

42:50 - Alcohol and Sleep Quality

46:47 - Caffeine Timing Guidelines

49:49 - Cannabis and Sleep

51:39 - Understanding Sleep Stages

54:29 - Sleep Cycles Explained

56:11 - Sleep Tracking Devices

01:00:08 - Choosing the Right Tracker

01:04:18 - Heart Rate Variability

01:07:17 - Quality Over Quantity

01:08:46 - Sleep Apnea and Testing

01:12:12 - Finding Your Sleep Need

01:12:36 - Closing Thoughts and Stay Tuned for Part 2

Resources mentioned:

• Several of Dr. Michael Breus’ books – The Power of When, Energize!, The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan, Good Night, and Sleep, Drink, Breathe
• Four-seven-eight breathing technique — developed by Dr. Andrew Weil
• Muse headband — brainwave monitoring headband for sleep and meditation
• Oura Ring — sleep tracking ring
• Whoop Strap — activity and sleep tracker
• Apple Watch — sleep tracking
• The Happy Ring from Happy Sleep — FDA-approved ring for sleep studies
• Tony Robbins’s book Unleash the Power Within

Quotes:

“Eight hours is a myth, man. So many people try to force themselves to get... The math doesn't even work. Like, the right number of cycles doesn't even end up at eight hours.” - Dr. Michael Breus

“ I really, honestly, legitimately feel like I've dumbed myself down a little bit when it comes to, when it comes to my, like, abuse of sleep over the years.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“To be clear, dude, you are your best doctor. When you wake up in the morning, if you feel good, you feel good. Like, you slept well.” - Dr. Michael Breus

“ The first liquid that crosses your lips every morning should not, I repeat, not be caffeinated.” - Dr. Michael Breus

“ Stop thinking about hours. This is a quality game, not a quantity game. If you get six and a half hours of good quality sleep- As a sleep doctor, I am much more interested than if you get eight hours of crappy sleep.” - Dr. Michael Breus

Dr. Michael Breus, Ph.D., is a double board-certified Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Sleep Specialist, and one of only 168 psychologists in the world to have passed the Sleep Medicine Boards without attending medical school. Known as The Sleep Doctor, he is the founder of sleepdoctor.com, was named the Top Sleep Specialist in California by Reader’s Digest, and one of the 10 most influential people in sleep. He is the author of several books including The Power of When and Sleep, Drink, Breathe: Wellness is Too Complicated, and has appeared on Oprah, CNN, The Today Show, and The Dr. Oz Show more than 40 times, and lectures globally for organizations including YPO and Tony Robbins' Unleash the Power Within.

Connect with Dr. Michael Breus:

YouTube: Sleep Doctor

Instagram: Sleep Doctor (@thesleepdoctor)

Take the Original Chronotype Quiz | SleepDoctor.com

Sleep Doctor At Home Sleep Test (SleepDoctor.com)

The Sleep Doctor At-Home Sleep Test provides clinical-level sleep analysis from the comfort of your own bed. Using two simple sensors and a connected app, users receive personalized results reviewed by a licensed provider in under a week.

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan

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Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Nobody jumps out of bed wanting to do a bad job. So why does the day fall apart by lunch? In this episode, Dwayne Kerrigan breaks down the actual mechanics of high-performance productivity — not the philosophy, not the mindset pep talk, but the specific rituals, systems, and daily habits that determine whether your week produces results or just burns time.

In this episode:

• The Time Management Matrix — originally developed by Franklin Covey, which Dwayne taught for 35 years — and why the only quadrant that actually moves your life forward is Q2: things that are important but not urgent, including planning, training, creative thinking, and relationship building
• Why weekly planning and solitude is the single most important hour of the week — what Dwayne looks at during that block, how he structures it, and why if you miss it consistently, everything else breaks down
• How Dwayne uses a color-coded identity calendar — each role in his life assigned a color, from Chairman to Love Slave — so that every time block is set with intention, not just task completion
• The AI accountability system: Dwayne sends his planned week and his actual week to an AI agent named Jarvis, who measures his efficiency against his seven-year mission and purpose — and tells him when he's gotten sucked into operations
• The 30-to-60-second rule for managing in-the-moment interruptions: handle it now if it takes under a minute, or put it on the task list immediately and review every two to three hours
• Why perfection is a fool's game — Dwayne's case for defining "good enough" before you start, launching at that standard, and building a continuous improvement process rather than waiting for perfect.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Progress Over Perfect

00:28 - Podcast Introduction

01:05 - Productivity Not Time

02:44 - Roles And Identities

03:44 - Mindset State And Why

04:56 - Strategy Culture Habits

06:47 - Health Vitality Long Game

08:32 - Vision Plan Action Framework

11:33 - Weekly Planning Solitude

16:07 - Time Management Matrix

23:18 - Plan Your Week In Practice

24:41 - Daily Planning

29:09 - Handle Interruptions Fast

30:33 - Email Tasks

34:06 - Inbox Overload Fixes

35:39 - Stop Chasing Shiny Objects

36:39 - Eat The Frog First

37:35 - Perfection Blocks Progress

38:56 - Get Resourceful Ask Help

40:09 - Break Tunnel Vision

41:29 - Identity Based Weekly Planning

43:08 - AI Accountability Feedback

45:00 - Guardrails And Honest Feedback

46:42 - Daily Execution Rituals

49:46 - Urgent Versus Important Explained

55:51 - Stop Unneeded Meetings

57:17 - Prioritize Across Roles

59:59 - Why Breaks Feel Hard

01:05:23 - Calendaring To Reduce Stress

01:09:17 - Wrap Up And Disclaimers

Resources mentioned:

• FranklinCovey Time Matrix, Plan and software (Dwayne's current task management tool)
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — book by Stephen Covey
• Exactly What to Say — book by Phil Jones
• 2 Second Lean — book by Paul Akers
• Byron Katie’s four questions framework — "Is it true? Is it absolutely true?"
• Video text messaging - Todd Hartley and Paul Akers referenced
• Waking Up app — Sam Harris meditation app
• Tony Robbins — six human needs framework referenced
• Keith Cunningham — "Progress is not only measured by yards gained, but sometimes by yards not lost"

Quotes:

“Don't mistake being busy for producing results” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“ Lose two hours of your day out of an eight-hour day, it adds up to a 20% of your day all of a sudden disappears. Well, factor that out over the year, you've got 20% of your year that you've not been working at directing yourself to a target.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“The difference between excitement and fear is just the label that we put on it. Physically and physiologically, it's kind of the same experience in our body, but we put a label on fear versus excitement.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“ The biggest problem that we make is we let perfect get in the way of progress. We've gotta identify what is good. And I'm not saying lower your standards, but what I am saying is we can get stuck on perfection or our need for certainty, and we have what I call failure to launch syndrome.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“ We often overestimate what we can accomplish in a year and we underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan

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Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Kyle Scheele went from 17 TikTok followers to a million in 25 hours — not because he had a strategy, but because he finally stopped waiting for the right time and posted the video. In Part 2, he and Dwayne walk through the five things every idea needs to make it into the world, why AI is a sycophancy machine that will confidently tell you exactly what you want to hear, and why creativity is a team sport — and always has been.

In Part 2 of this episode:

• The five things every idea needs — a chance, a home, a time and place, a bodyguard, and a crew — and the specific, practical way each one applies inside a business or organization
• Why Kyle went from 17 followers to a million on TikTok in 25 hours: a one-minute video about photoshopping his dad's tilted head in a family portrait, and the James Joyce principle that explains why the most particular stories become the most universal
• The chemical company story: a PhD chemist had known for years that her company's product would work perfectly in another industry — and never said anything, because no one asked
• Why AI is good at the "I" and the "A" of the idea cycle (inspiration and action) but can't do discovery or evolution — because those require taste, distaste, and skin in the game that no algorithm has
• How fear of running out of money drove Kyle's entire entrepreneurial career — and why that fear, managed well, doesn't make you play small, it makes you play smart.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Creativity Needs Others

00:32 - Podcast Intro and Setup

01:30 - Give Ideas a Chance

04:44 - Ideas Need a Home

07:20 - Systems That Invite Ideas

11:56 - Launch Now Not Perfect

13:20 - TikTok Breakthrough Story

21:06 - Protect Ideas with Bodyguards

27:23 - Ideas Need a Crew

29:25 - Creativity Needs a Crew

30:50 - Viking Funeral Origin Story

33:03 - Fear of Regret as Fuel

35:05 - Calculated Risks Over Gambling

37:08 - Strategic Projects and Social Media

42:22 - The Idea Cycle Framework

45:35 - Where AI Helps and Misses

51:08 - AI as a Tool and Its Tradeoffs

55:02 - Creativity Beyond Business

56:44 - Applying Creativity Tools to Life

01:01:10 - Final Thanks and Wrap Up

Resources mentioned:

• Several books (for adults and childen) referenced written by Kyle, can be found here: https://kylescheele.com/Books
• TED Talk: How to Find a Wonderful Idea — OK Go, on creativity and discovery
• Vivian Maier — street photographer whose work was discovered posthumously
• Tony Robbins — Business Mastery referenced by Dwayne
• ChatGPT / AI — referenced throughout

Quotes:

“ I always say creativity is a team sport because life is a team sport. You are not designed to do any of this stuff on your own, and even if you did, what would be the point of it all?” - Kyle Scheele

“ On my third video, I went from 17 followers to a million followers, and that changed the course of my business, my trajectory, my life. It opened so many doors for me, and that all happened off a video that I almost didn't post because I almost didn't post any of them because I was waiting for the right time and the right place. “ - Kyle Scheele

“ Give everyone notebooks on your team. Just give them a pocket notebook and go, "Hey, here's the things I want you to start looking for. This week, here's a focus.” - Kyle Scheele

“ The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." - George Bernard Shaw (quoted by Kyle Scheele)

“ If you're not innovating, you're dying, and that is just the truth.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

About Kyle Scheele: Kyle is an author, speaker, and creativity expert known for turning bold ideas into unforgettable results — from hosting a Viking funeral for the regrets of 21,000 people to launching the world's first fake marathon. With more than 750 keynotes delivered in all 50 states, Kyle combines humor, sharp insights, and real-world experimentation to help organizations unlock creativity and innovation at scale. He has worked with teams at Walmart, Deloitte, Fidelity, and Chick-fil-A, and his work has been featured in WIRED, The Washington Post, Fast Company, and Yahoo!. His books include We Put a Man on the Moon, How to Host a Viking Funeral, A Pizza With Everything On It, and A Sunday With Everything On It.

Connect with Kyle Scheele: https://kylescheele.com/

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan

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Linked In

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Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Most people think creativity is something you either have or you don't — a gift, a gene, a mysterious lightning bolt that strikes a chosen few. Kyle Scheele has spent his career dismantling that belief, and in this conversation he makes the case that creativity isn't magic at all. It's problem-solving. And everyone already does it, every single day.

In Part 1 of this episode:

• Why your brain is not a truth-seeking machine — it's a belief justification machine: give it the belief "I'm not creative" and it will spend the rest of your life finding evidence to prove you right
• Kyle's spontaneous ideation theory — the creativity myth he compares to the 17th century scientific belief that dirty rags and wheat kernels spontaneously generated mice, and why most people's understanding of where ideas come from is just as wrong
• The coffee shop moment that defined Kyle's career: his friend Isaac told him, "most people come in here, talk about an idea, and the next time you hear about it, it's just an idea again — you come in two days later editing the footage"
• How Kyle went from broke high schooler selling "Osteoporosis is bad to the bone" T-shirts out of the school lunch room to getting a line into Urban Outfitters in his first year of college — and what that early experience installed in him about figuring things out
• Why 70% of the time, when companies give their teams the bandwidth to explore a challenge internally, the answer is already there — it's just inside the head of someone who hasn't been asked yet (Harvard Business Review, cited on stage)

Content Warning: This episode includes a brief discussion of childhood suicidal ideation. Kyle shares openly about his experience as a child feeling isolated in school and experiencing dark thoughts, before a friendship changed his perspective. The conversation is handled with care and context, but we want our listeners to be prepared.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 — the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — available 24/7 in both the US and Canada.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Creativity as Problem Solving

00:36 - Podcast Welcome and Guest Intro

03:24 - Turning Ideas Into Action

06:33 - Early Hustle T Shirt Business

11:40 - Belief Systems Block Creativity

15:27 - Ambition Versus Contentment

20:59 - No Right or Wrong in Ideas

25:06 - AI Limits and Skin in Game

26:46 - School Struggles and Finding Belonging

28:44 - It Only Takes One Person To Make An Impact

29:36 - Creative Kid Origins

30:12 - Student Council Confidence

31:45 - Baby Steps Momentum

32:15 - Window Of Possibility

33:45 - Vision Into Action

35:08 - Fuel Creativity Thrives Within Constraints

36:49 - Recovering Curiosity

39:34 - Questioning Limiting Beliefs

44:15 - Everyone Is Creative

45:41 - Claiming Artist Identity

48:29 - Business Needs Crystal Clear Goals

51:12 - Creativity As Problem Solving

52:39 - Unlocking Team Innovation

57:27 - Closing Remarks and Stay Tuned For Part 2

Resources mentioned:

• Several books (for adults and childen) referenced written by Kyle, can be found here: https://kylescheele.com/Books
• Harvard Business Review study on internal innovation
• Heather Moyse — Olympic athlete referenced by Dwayne re: chunking goals
• Spontaneous generation theory / Francesco Redi experiments — referenced in context of the creativity myth
• Orbis Medicinae — Jan Baptist van Helmont, referenced in context of spontaneous generation
• Steve Jobs interview — paraphrased by Kyle re: everything in the world being made by people no smarter than you
• LeanScaper Operations Intensive — conference where Dwayne first saw Kyle speak

Quotes:

“ What you might consider might be right or wrong is really based on what's the possibility of it happening, and then it'll only be judged when you look back on it in history.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“ If you don't get clear on that goal, it's hard to know where to go.” - Kyle Scheele

“ Creativity is just problem-solving. Every idea is the solution to some problem.” - Kyle Scheele

"If it never gets any better than this, what a life. But I think it can get better than this." - Kyle Scheele

About Kyle Scheele: Kyle Scheele is an author, speaker, and creativity expert known for turning bold ideas into unforgettable results — from hosting a Viking funeral for the regrets of 21,000 people to launching the world's first fake marathon. With more than 750 keynotes delivered in all 50 states, Kyle combines humor, sharp insights, and real-world experimentation to help organizations unlock creativity and innovation at scale. He has worked with teams at Walmart, Deloitte, Fidelity, and Chick-fil-A, and his work has been featured in WIRED, The Washington Post, Fast Company, and Yahoo!. His books include We Put a Man on the Moon, How to Host a Viking Funeral, A Pizza With Everything On It, and A Sunday With Everything On It.

Connect with Kyle Scheele: https://kylescheele.com/

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan

Facebook

Instagram

Linked In

Website

Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

In Part 2, Kyle and Brent Pease go beyond the race course and into the harder terrain — the screaming match in a New York City taxi after a broken wheelchair nearly ended their marathon, the board member who called every morning during school drop-off, and what it actually takes to build an organization that can run without you.

This is where the mission meets the mechanics, and where two brothers figure out how to grow up together in public.

In this episode:

• How Kyle and Brent built the Kyle Pease Foundation from scratch — including the nine months it took to help their very first family, the decision to race at least once a month to create visibility, and how they've grown from six events in 2013 to 64 events across 14 states last year
• The New York City Marathon story: the wheelchair broke mid-race, Brent spent an hour trying to fix it with help from the NYPD, and eventually told Kyle he was done — and what Kyle said back that got them across the finish line
• Brent's framework for hiring in a nonprofit: passion for the mission matters more than fit for the role, and for every non-disabled hire, he wants to add another employee with a disability doing real work — not stuffing envelopes
• The Dick Hoyt lesson — the father behind the famous push-assist duo called Brent before the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship and gave him these words of advice: "just keep pushing the pedals"
• How Kyle became the athlete-coach he is today: years of sitting on the sidelines, listening to adults talk, and watching his brother compete gave him an observer's precision that most coaches never develop

Support the Kyle Pease Foundation Dwayne is matching donations — up to $5,000 total. Every dollar counts twice right now: 👉 Donate here: https://kyle-pease-foundation-inc.networkforgood.com/events/99987-the-dwayne-kerrigan-podcast

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Purpose Meets Passion

00:22 - Podcast Intro And Setup

01:25 - Priorities And Time Juggling

03:13 - Scaling A Mission Nonprofit

05:52 - Mentors And Running It Like Business

08:51 - Spreading The Mission Through Racing

12:42 - Measuring Impact And Growth

14:25 - Adaptive Equipment And Inclusion

19:00 - Speaking And Education Programs

21:58 - Kona Gear Innovation

24:46 - When Things Break And Tempers Flare

28:26 - Brotherhood Evolved

29:00 - Humanity in Relationships

30:44 - Keep Pushing Pedals

33:47 - Fiercely Experience It

34:12 - Hawaii Cutoff Heartbreak

35:51 - Still Growing Forward

37:33 - Family Balance and Kids

39:17 - Twin Brother Dynamics

41:16 - Parenting and Inclusion

44:43 - Kyle as Coach

49:20 - Scaling Beyond Racing

53:06 - Volunteer and Donation Match

55:51 - Closing Thanks and Disclaimers

Resources mentioned:

• Beyond the Finish — Kyle and Brent Pease’s book
• The Kyle Pease Foundation — kylepeasefoundation.org
• TED Talk: The Way We Think About Charity Is Dead Wrong — Dan Pallotta
• The Hoyt family — Dick and Rick Hoyt, pioneer push-assist racing duo
• Field of Dreams — film referenced by Kyle and Brent
• Tony Robbins — referenced by Dwayne: "emotion is motion"
• Alvin Law — thalidomide survivor and speaker referenced by Dwayne
• IRONMAN World Championship, Kona, Hawaii

Quotes:

“ It does not have to be something that we fiercely protect. You know, it's something that we can all fiercely experience.” - Brent Pease

“ I think that we're still growing. We're still evolving. When you stop growing, that's when you need to walk away from whatever you’re doing.” - Kyle Pease

“It got the point where I basically just looked at him. I was like, dude, I'm done. I'm out. This isn't us. I dunno what we're doing. And Kyle said, well, you can quit, but I'm gonna finish.” - Brent Pease

"These small lessons inside of our relationships that teach us about humanity — a lot of times what's missing in the world, and you guys are sharing it through stories like that, which I think is supremely powerful.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“ Because finding people who love what the mission is, like, that's more critical to me than finding the person who fits the exact role. Because if you have somebody who loves what you do and believes in it - a true believer if you will - then they're gonna be able to lean into whatever the task is and grow because they're willing to do it for the people that we serve.” - Brent Pease

About Kyle and Brent Pease: Kyle Pease is a six-time IRONMAN finisher and co-founder of The Kyle Pease Foundation (KPF), born with cerebral palsy and widely regarded as one of the most compelling voices on disability inclusion in the country. Brent Pease is an endurance athlete, coach, and Executive Director of KPF, who has raced alongside Kyle in over 100 events including six IRONMAN triathlons.

Together they made history as the first push-assist brother team to complete the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona in 2018, and have since helped raise well over $10 million in support of athletes with disabilities.

Connect with the Kyle Pease Foundation: https://kylepeasefoundation.org/

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan:

Facebook

Instagram

Linked In

Website

Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Kyle and Brent Pease have completed more than 100 races together — including two IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii — and in 2024 they broke the push-assist course record with a finish time of 14 hours, 8 minutes, and 3 seconds.

Kyle, born with cerebral palsy, is the coach, the motivator, and the athlete who has to be the most positive force in the world for 15 hours straight while his brother, Brent, pushes him across 140.6 miles. What looks like a sports story from the outside is something much harder to categorize: a 15-year study in resilience, gratitude, and what it actually means to show up when both of you want to quit.

In Part 1 of their conversation:

• How Brent and Kyle broke the push-assist course record at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii — and what 15 years of racing together has taught them
• Why Brent says true balance is an illusion — and how he and Kyle define "all in" as the real unit of energy management, shifting fully between Ironman training, family, and the foundation depending on the season
• Kyle's framework for getting out of dark moments: prayer, music, visualization, and the discipline of reducing the time between a hard moment and a shift in perspective
• What the foundation's inclusive employment program looks like on the ground
• How racing together has taught both brothers to say "I'm not okay" — and why that vulnerability has become one of their greatest competitive and leadership advantages

Support the Kyle Pease Foundation Dwayne is matching donations — up to $5,000 total. Every dollar counts twice right now - Donate here 👉 https://kyle-pease-foundation-inc.networkforgood.com/events/99987-the-dwayne-kerrigan-podcast

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Get Out Your Own Way

00:39 - Podcast Welcome

02:29 - Meet Kyle and Brent

04:00 - Ironman Explained

05:50 - Why They Race - Mindset

08:45 - Kyle Positivity Tools

10:12 - Show Up Anyway

13:29 - Dark Days Tools

17:34 - Brent One Step Focus

21:25 - Gratitude in the Body

24:36 - Process Over Outcome

27:44 - Kyle Coaching Brent

31:32 - Brotherhood and Empathy

34:02 - Vulnerability and Faith

41:13 - Business vs Ironman

44:26 - Closing and Subscribe

Resources mentioned:

• Beyond the Finish — Kyle and Brent Pease's book
• The Kyle Pease Foundation (KPF) — kylepeasefoundation.org
• IRONMAN World Championship
• Kennesaw State University — Kyle's alma mater
• Florida State University — Brent's alma mater
• Tony Robbins — referenced by Dwayne in context of emotional states and the "figure eight"

Quotes:

“ Although you don't know what I go through on a daily basis, it is a struggle, right? I choose to look at my life as I get to do this, I don’t have to do this.” - Kyle Pease

“ I would say the hardest thing is that real balance is an illusion. You know, people talk about balance all the time. True balance is knowing when to be all in and what to be all in on.” - Brent Pease

“Ironman isn't for everybody. I mean, less than 1% of triathletes set foot on the Ironman in Hawaii. Kyle's done it twice.” - Brent Pease

"I look at it as an opportunity to showcase my ability rather than my disability." - Kyle Pease

“ I’ve gotten better and better over the years to say, I'm not okay. This doesn't feel good. You know, this is hard.” - Brent Pease

“The mind leaves the relationship before, you know, the physical body leaves the relationship.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“ Can you get in the water and just start swimming? Can you do that much? Because you might feel better if you start.” - Brent Pease

About Kyle and Brent Pease: Kyle Pease is a six-time IRONMAN finisher and co-founder of The Kyle Pease Foundation (KPF), born with cerebral palsy and widely regarded as one of the most compelling voices on disability inclusion in the country. Brent Pease is an endurance athlete, coach, and Executive Director of KPF, who has raced alongside Kyle in over 100 events including six IRONMAN triathlons.

Together they made history as the first push-assist brother team to complete the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona in 2018, and have since helped raise well over $10 million in support of athletes with disabilities.

Connect with the Kyle Pease Foundation: https://kylepeasefoundation.org/

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan

Facebook

Instagram

Linked In

Website

Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

What separates average teams from truly high-performing ones?

In this episode, Dwayne Kerrigan breaks down the real mechanics of building high performance teams — from hiring A-players to creating a culture of accountability, coaching, and continuous improvement.

Backed by real-world experience across decades in business, Dwayne walks through the systems, frameworks, and leadership mindset shifts required to build teams that don’t just function but thrive.

You’ll learn why most hiring processes fail, how to identify true A-players, and why the behavior you tolerate ultimately becomes your company’s standard. Dwayne also dives deep into onboarding, coaching, culture, and the hidden psychological patterns that impact performance — including ego, storytelling, and leadership blind spots.

This is not theory, this is a practical blueprint for leaders who want better results through better people.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Ego And Needs

00:39 - Podcast Introduction

01:11 - Why Teams Matter

03:03 - AI And Future Workforce

04:32 - Role Clarity First

06:17 - Interview Intensity

08:58 - Hiring Process Steps

13:58 - Scorecards And Evaluation

16:08 - Compensation And Bonuses

19:19 - Onboarding With Outcomes

22:46 - Episodic Engagement Coaching

26:12 - Culture Standards

28:53 - Measure And Document SOPs

31:19 - My Style Document

35:32 - Hunting For A Players

36:52 - Traits Of High Performers

41:52 - Culture Skill Matrix

43:19 - Developing B Players

44:52 - Coaching Low Culture Talent

46:18 - Managing C Players Fast

48:14 - Story Meaning Behavior Model

52:17 - Standards Above the Line

54:42 - Four Culture Principles

57:06 - Team Dysfunctions Breakdown

01:00:44 - Q&A Backbenching and Ego

01:09:18 - Accountability Without Morale Loss

01:14:16 - Moving Players Up the Chart

01:18:00 - Leadership Growth and Triggers

01:20:57 - Recognizing Base Hits

01:24:06 - Closing and Disclaimers

Key Takeaways:

• The Behavior You Tolerate Becomes the Standard
• Hiring A-Players Starts With Clarity
• Always Be Recruiting
• Onboarding Is a Competitive Advantage
• Coaching Is Not Optional
• Measure Everything
• Most Team Problems Are Psychological
• A, B, and C Players Require Different Strategies

Resources Mentioned:

• Phil Jones – Exactly What to Say
• Rich Divinney – The Attributes
• Patrick Lencioni – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• Tony Robbins – Human Needs & Triad Framework
• Byron Katie – Loving What Is
• Keith Cunningham – Business Mentorship

Referenced Episodes (The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast):

• Phil Jones episode (sales, communication, and training insights) https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/27-exactly-what-to-say-with-phil-m-jones/
• Rich Divinney episode (attributes + performance under pressure) https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/16-transition-tactics-and-building-high-performance-teams-with-former-navy-seal-rich-diviney/
• Emma Murray episode (performance mindset + A/B game thinking) https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/61-breaking-the-b-game-loop-how-top-performers-master-their-mindset-with-emma-murray/

Also these Emma Murray episodes:

• https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/the-mindset-secret-to-crushing-your-b-game-with-emma-murray/
• https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/127-skillset-vs-mindset-the-real-performance-equation-with-emma-murray/
• https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/128-critique-over-criticism-emma-murray-on-learning-faster-under-pressure/

Quotes:

“Everything we do, we do to meet our needs.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“The behavior that you allow in your presence becomes the standards.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“ Keep it simple. Stupid complexity is the enemy of execution.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they’re too heavy to be broken.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“Anything you monitor will get better.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“Progress equals fulfillment.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“Don’t adjust your standards to meet someone’s mediocrity.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan

Facebook

Instagram

Linked In

Website

Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Most business owners think AI and new technology will fix what's broken in their company. Paul Akers disagrees — and he's been inside factories with 10,000 employees on every continent to back it up.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Paul and Dwayne go deeper into the mechanics of Lean culture, and why the secret to happiness and business success might be the same thing.

In this episode:

• Paul's three-word formula for rolling out Lean in any organization without blowing up the culture: slow, consistent, and self-selection
• The 30-minute challenge: instead of solving an employee's problem on the spot, Paul gives them 30 minutes to come up with three solutions on their own — and why that single shift changes everything about how a team operates
• Why Lean is not a burden — it's pure joy: when every tool is where it belongs, every process flows, and people aren't waiting on you to fix things, the business stops grinding and starts moving
• Paul's take on AI and technology: they are accelerants to a well-run company, not a substitute for one

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Technology Not The Answer

00:17 - Podcast Intro And Setup

01:20 - Change Only When Ready

01:58 - Burn The Ships Commitment

03:05 - Slow Consistent Self Selection

04:11 - The Bob Conversation

06:17 - Labor Laws And Firing Customers

07:14 - Communicate With Video

09:11 - Lean Should Feel Fun

10:28 - Tools And Process Thinking

13:00 - Progress Equals Happiness

13:33 - Gemba Walkthrough Basics

15:22 - Teach People To Solve Problems

17:30 - Meetings Are Mostly Waste

20:19 - No Departments Just Lean

21:25 - What Gemba Really Means

22:56 - Job Sites And Lean Visits

25:21 - Action This Day - Winston Churchill

28:43 - Capture Lists And Proximity

31:04 - Text Expanders For Flow

32:23 - Instant App Sharing

32:54 - Flow With Text Expanders

34:10 - Avoiding Overproduction

34:32 - What Slow Really Means

36:02 - Lean Health Basics

38:47 Lean Life Happiness Map

40:36 - Filling Knowledge Gaps

42:34 - One Improvement Daily

44:34 - AI As An Accelerant

46:31 - Simple Finance Systems

49:07 - Lean Culture At Home

52:43 - Japan Mission Requirements

54:25 - Hiring For Humility

56:24 - Lean Is Fun Closing

58:23 - Where To Find Paul

59:59 - Podcast Wrap Up

Resources mentioned:

• 2 Second Lean — Paul Akers
• Lean Health, Lean Travel, Lean Life, Banish Sloppiness — Paul Akers
• Toyota Production System (TPS)
• Kaizen foam — referenced tool for visual process organization
• 5 Whys — Japanese problem-solving method referenced
• Training Within Industry (TWI) — referenced framework
• Getting Things Done — book by David Allen
• FastCap YouTube channel — https://www.youtube.com/user/fastcaptv

Quotes:

“ The answer to having a great company is not to focus on technology or focus on AI. Those are tools that are accelerants to a well run company. You still have to have a well run, well organized company with well-trained people.” - Paul Akers

“ I almost don't know what's going on in my company anymore. It's, it's so, they're, they're so far ahead.” - Paul Akers

“ I met a lot of my needs of significance and certainty by solving people's problems for them.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“ Slow, consistent and self-select. Self-select. The people that don't wanna do this will self-select out.” - Paul Akers

“ People are depressed, because nothing's changing. And matter of fact, they're in decline. This Lean thing, this idea of continuous improvement is like the secret to life.” - Paul Akers

About Paul Akers: Paul Akers is the founder and president of FastCap, a product development company specializing in woodworking tools and hardware for professional builders, started in his garage in 1997. FastCap now has thousands of distributors in over 40 countries and launches 20–30 innovative products per year. Paul is the author of 2 Second Lean — now available in 15 languages and a Shingo Institute award winner — along with many additional books. He has won Seattle Business Magazine's Business Executive of the Year and spoken in over 34 countries.

Connect with Paul Akers: https://paulakers.net/

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan

Facebook

Instagram

Linked In

Website

Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Paul Akers started FastCap in his garage with no MBA, no funding, and one simple conviction: fix what bugs you. Today FastCap ships over 2,000 products to more than 40 countries, and runs on a philosophy so simple it fits in two words — eliminate waste.

In Part 1 of this conversation, Dwayne Kerrigan sits down with Paul to unpack the Lean methodology that made it all possible, and why it has nothing to do with manufacturing.

In this episode:

• Paul breaks down the eight wastes of Lean thinking — overproduction, transportation, inventory, defects, over-processing, wasted motion, customer waiting, and wasting human potential — using a Costco toilet paper run as the most memorable example you'll ever hear
• Why Paul calls himself a "Lean maniac", not a lean practitioner: "How do I improve this? And how do I make it easier for everyone around me?" — the two questions that drive every decision at FastCap
• The communication standard Paul holds his entire organization to: no one should ever have to ask you a question twice, and why every back-and-forth email chain is a symptom of a deeper waste problem
• How FastCap documents every single process — from cleaning a toilet to setting up a $250,000 injection molding machine — using eight-step visual SOPs, QR codes, and unlisted YouTube videos that any employee can access instantly
• Why Paul starts every Lean implementation the same way, regardless of company size: the bathroom. And why every visitor to FastCap — including presidents of major corporations — cleans the bathroom before they're allowed a tour
• The mindset Paul refuses to argue with: if you're not ready to change, he's not interested in convincing you — and why that boundary is itself a Lean principle

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - No Questions Twice

00:22 - Podcast Welcome

00:54 - Meet Paul Akers

04:37 - FastCap Origin Story

08:31 - Lean Gospel Mindset

10:34 - Lean Maniac Defined

13:42 - Eight Wastes Explained

17:03 - Small Daily Improvements

20:10 - Hunger and Underdogs

28:31 - Lean History Lesson

31:36 - Toyota Just In Time

34:15 - Skeptic to Believer

35:25 - Lean Is People First

36:33 - Stop The Line Mindset

38:00 - Three Habits Of Toyota

40:46 - Morning Meetings

42:45 - Dialogue Not Monologue

43:26 - Keynote Agenda And Culture

48:03 - Defects And Kanban Flow

51:56 - One Hour Before Work Pays

53:59 - Ego And Leadership Growth

57:08 - How To Start

01:03:16 - Standard Work And QR Training

01:07:30 - Who Actually Changes

01:08:22 - Wrap Up And Disclaimers

Resources mentioned:

• 2 Second Lean — Paul Akers
• Lean Health, Lean Travel, Lean Life, Banish Sloppiness — Paul Akers
• The Amezawa Legacy — Paul Akers
• Lean the Gospel Dressed Up in a Business Suit — Paul Akers (in progress at time of recording)
• Out of the Crisis — Dr. W. Edwards Deming
• Toyota Production System (TPS)
• FastCap — Paul Akers' company
• Bob Taylor / Taylor Guitars — referenced as Paul's early mentor
• Training Within Industry (TWI) — referenced framework
• FastCap YouTube channel — https://www.youtube.com/user/fastcaptv

Quotes:

"I have no time whatsoever to convince you of common sense. Zero." - Paul Akers

“ I read Dick and Jane like 10 times when I had to read it in front of the class. I had to read it over and over and over again and memorize it so I didn't screw it up when I read in front of the class.” - Paul Akers

“ But there's one thing that I've kind of realized in life is that the reason why we don't have something in our life is because of the story that we're telling ourselves.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

“Everything I look at, I'm always thinking, how do I improve? How do I increase the quality and reduce the burden on me and the people around me? So I want everything to be. Easy for everyone. No struggle in flow.” - Paul Akers

“ No one should ever ask you a question twice. If you communicate to someone, your communication should be so clear that when you say it and the words come out of your mouth, they go, I understand exactly what you want.” - Paul Akers

About Paul Akers: Paul Akers is the founder and president of FastCap, a product development company specializing in woodworking tools and hardware for professional builders, started in his garage in 1997. FastCap now has thousands of distributors in over 40 countries and launches 20–30 innovative products per year. Paul is the author of 2 Second Lean — now available in 15 languages and a Shingo Institute award winner — along with many additional books including Lean Health, Lean Travel, and Lean Life. He has won Seattle Business Magazine's Business Executive of the Year and spoken in over 34 countries.

Connect with Paul Akers: https://paulakers.net/

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan

Facebook

Instagram

Linked In

Website

Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Most entrepreneurs think the next stage of their business requires a better strategy. Dwayne Kerrigan disagrees. In Part 2 of his live keynote at the LeanScaper Operations Intensive in Cape Coral, Florida, he makes the case that what's actually required is a different identity — and that without that shift, no system, tool, or team will get you where you're trying to go. 

In this episode: 

• Dwayne walks through his personal identity chart — from the "warrior" and "general" identities that ran his life for years, to the consciously designed identities he operates from today, including the Chairman, the Profit Seeker, and the Peak Performance Coach 
• Why the Serenity Prayer became one of the most powerful business tools Dwayne ever learned — and how distinguishing what you can and can't control transformed his leadership at 32 years old, running an $18M business with 300 employees 
• A live identity creation exercise: how to write your own eulogy for a specific business role, and why that process is the starting point for becoming who your business needs you to be 
• The eight stages of the entrepreneur and the business lifecycle — and why understanding exactly where you are in both is critical to knowing which identity needs to show up 
• The four economic seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) and why Dwayne believes the landscaping industry is currently sitting somewhere between late fall and early winter 
• 40 years of lessons learned — distilled into the principles that have shaped how Dwayne builds, leads, and recovers 

Episode Highlights:   

00:00 - Tsunami Of Change 

00:27 - Podcast Mission 

00:59 - Internal Vs External 

02:07 - Serenity Prayer Lesson 

03:42 - Identity Chart Origins 

04:32 - From Warrior To General 

06:10 - Purpose And Marriage 

07:47 - Building New Identities 

08:48 - Chairman Identity Script 

09:50 - Language And Questions 

12:38 - Borrowing Role Models 

13:41 - Post Fight Debrief 

14:40 - Create Your Identity 

16:48 - Write Your Eulogy 

17:46 - Visualization And Realism 

19:01 - Do The Work 

19:48 - Physiology Guidelines 

20:15 - Physiology and Rituals 

20:57 - Energy and Emotions 

22:00 - Identity Agent Tool 

23:53 - Daily Identity Editing 

24:56 - Future Shock and Adaptation 

26:22 - Economic Seasons Framework 

27:58 - Entrepreneur Stages 

29:13 - Business Lifecycle Reality 

31:33 - Shift Identity in 3D 

31:56 - Courage and Deep Thinking 

34:57 - Lessons Learned Log 

37:19 - Hard Won Business Rules 

40:19 - Final Fear and Farewell  

 Resources Mentioned:  

• Think and Grow Rich — Napoleon Hill 
• Stephen Covey — The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey Institute 
• Keith Cunningham — referenced as the "Rich Dad" in Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad 
• Tony Robbins — Date With Destiny, UPW seminars 
• Identity framework AI agent — available at The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast: https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/identity-framework/

Quotes:    

 “You can either be right or you can be rich, but you can't be both.” - Dwayne Kerrigan  

“I did this for my wife through a lot of pain and self suffering, I had to get to the point where the general just couldn't run the show anymore because it was just not sustainable.” - Dwayne Kerrigan  

“You don't experience the life that you live. You're experiencing the life that you focus on.” - Dwayne Kerrigan  

“ My greatest fear in life is on my final day to meet the man that I could have been.” - Dwayne Kerrigan  

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan  

Facebook  

Instagram  

Linked In  

Website  

Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.