The Growth Project

Successes are often shared and highlighted in the media, and for good reason - it's inspiring and motivating to hear about the path to achievement. However, it's often the less-glamorous and unmentioned moments of failure that act as the key catalysts for personal growth, paving the way to future successes. In this episode, Dr. Cory Shaffer is joined by Dr. Kimberly Shaffer, program coordinator and professor of sport psychology at Barry University in Miami - one of the top programs for sport psychology in the United States - to share personal stories of failure and discuss how their responses to these missteps and setbacks have shaped their development journeys.

Turning the page to a new year is a natural time to reflect and create new goals. With 2022 underway, the AMPLOS team discusses their personal approaches to year-end reflection, how they learn from previous experiences, and how they strive to make incremental, yet important, changes to ensure each year is a little better than the previous one.

For our 4-part AMPLOS team series, we're shifting the spotlight to our group of psychologists and performance coaches. In the fourth and final episode of this series, Dr. Drew Brannon talks with Dr. Cory Shaffer about Cory's path from a small town in Pennsylvania to the ivy league, the hurdles Cory had to overcome in his journey to become a performance coach, and his desire to maximize his potential and help others reach theirs.

Uniting passion and purpose is typically the ultimate, and often difficult, goal in achieving a fulfilling career and life. Dr. Drew Brannon and Furman University Men's Basketball Head Coach, Bob Richey, discuss Bob's path to finding clarity in his career, his commitment to developing a unique program within the college basketball world, and a focus on building a culture that aligns with his values.

What does it feel like to finally achieve a long-term, meaningful goal and, once you reach it, what does it feel like in the afterglow of that euphoric moment? Clemson Men's Soccer Goalkeeper and Captain, George Marks, and Dr. Cory Shaffer, who regularly works with the team as their performance coach, reflect on the Clemson Men's Soccer team's path to becoming 2021 National Champions, the legacy George hopes to leave behind, and the importance of growth and balance in all facets of life.

This is always an interesting time of year with numerous changes being made to the leadership of some of college football's key programs, and it's been a particularly fascinating end to the 2021 regular season. In this episode, Drs. Drew Brannon and Cory Shaffer explore the psychological, cultural, and emotional components wrapped up in the college football coaching carousel, looking at both the perspectives of the coach and the player.

For our 4-part AMPLOS team series, we're shifting the spotlight to our group of psychologists and performance coaches. In the third episode of this series, Dr. Milt Lowder talks with Dr. Drew Brannon about Drew's belief that effort leads to success, accomplishing what you put your mind to, and working as the University of Georgia football team's sports psychologist.

Like most things in life, practicing gratitude is a skill that can be developed, and it's one worth strengthening - there is no shortage of research underscoring the dramatic positive impact of regularly exercising gratitude. In light of Thanksgiving, the AMPLOS team explores how to develop a genuine sense of gratitude and awareness for what's in your life as part of a special holiday conversation.

For this 4-part AMPLOS team series, we're shifting the focus internally to our team of psychologists and performance coaches, who are typically on the other side of the conversation asking questions about our guests' lives. For the second part of this series, we're taking a deeper dive into the life and career of AMPLOS CEO and Founder, Dr. Milt Lowder. Dr. Katie Nichols talks with Milt about growing up on a farm, the challenging life experiences that shaped him, and how becoming a psychologist influenced his role as a father and leader.

Life doesn't always go according to plan, but when one phase of life unexpectedly comes to an end it often creates space for new and meaningful opportunities to arise. Dr. Milt Lowder uses this concept as a framework to explore the life and career of Kent Barber, founder and CEO of Daybreak. In the conversation, they discuss the importance of relationships, autonomy, and getting comfortable being uncomfortable.