The High Performance Life

Today I am joined by Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal, an expert on resilience. Taryn discusses her upcoming book on the five practices of highly resilient people. She emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and failure as lessons for growth. The relationship between pain and movement in building resilience is also discussed along with the importance of authenticity and debunking misconceptions.

Key Points: • There are five practices highly resilient people do to create positive and productive outcomes. • Failure is an inevitable part of the journey towards a high-impact life. • Failure in relationships and personal growth should be embraced as opportunities for learning and growth. • Engaging in the five practices of highly resilient people can lead to momentum and a movement towards embracing resilience. • The practice of productive perseverance involves pursuing goals intelligently while knowing when to pivot or quit. Best Quotes: 06:36 - 06:57 • "What if there are behaviors that we can engage in that are within the span of our control, that when we implement these behaviors, any time, challenge, change and complexity or the three Cs show up in our lives, that we too, like the transportation could create a better outcome for ourselves?" 27:15 - 27:24 • "When you can actually go back into those things, use them for strength, it's really a growth moment. It's not a failure moment at all." 29:43 - 29:47 • "There's a higher standard, there's a difference, and it's a new endeavor." 38:01 - 38:20 • "In that moment we get to make a decision about how we want to respond to what's happening. And when we start making more decisions and behaving in ways that are going to create a better outcome, this creates momentum from that moment." 54:00 - 54:15 • "The extent that we can bring those together into one operating system or as close as possible, that can serve energy, especially when we're facing challenge and vulnerability, is the cornerstone of authenticity and empathy." 59:02 - 59:15 • "Nobody's like, great, I have a flat tire. It's wonderful, right? But so it takes some time. And then generosity, being able to draw on our vulnerability in order to generously share our resilient stories with others."

For more information visit: Scottdanner.com

For more about Dr. Taryn Marie visit: www.resiliance-leadership.com

Today I am joined by Martinus Evans. Martinus is the founder of Slow AF Run Club, and shares his journey from childhood trauma to becoming an inspiration for runners around the world. He emphasizes the importance of struggling and building momentum to achieve success and discusses his new book "Slow AF Run Club". Key Points Martinus emphasizes the importance of struggling and learning from difficult experiences on the path to success. • Evans' job at Men's Wearhouse ultimately led him to start running • Evans emphasizes the importance of building a community of support and finding inspiration in others to achieve goals. • The author's book serves as a blueprint and offers motivation to everyone. • Learn what the four pillars of the Slow AF Run Club are • Determination and dedication are also key in achieving success, as you must be committed and dedicated to making your goals happen and bringing your dreams to fruition. Best Quotes 15:27 - 15:32 • "My mom was like, you set the example, you are a leader and if you go, other people will go." 39:26 - 39:31 • "If I ever get the chance to run again, I will do it with joy." 50:49 - 50:53 • "Your message is don't worry about getting there today. Worry about starting today." 58:59 - 59:04 • "It becomes a part of my life. And now when I don't do it, I feel like, oh man, I don't even." 01:03:19 - 01:03:27 • "You have to be courageous to even think about doing hard things. You gotta be courageous to even take that first step." 01:07:02 - 01:07:08 • "Remember that you could do whatever you put your mind to and that you are the energy that you put out into the world."

My guest today, Damon West, was once a Division 1 starting quarterback, where he faced a devastating career-ending injury that led him down a destructive path of hard-core drug addiction and crime, ultimately resulting in a staggering 65-year prison sentence. However, during his time behind bars, Damon experienced a profound spiritual awakening that changed the trajectory of his life forever.

Like a coffee bean undergoing a transformative process through heat and pressure, Damon discovered his ability to change the environment around him. Through a program of recovery and a renewed faith, he emerged from over seven years of incarceration as a completely transformed man. Damon's story of redemption, grit, and determination continues to captivate and inspire audiences around the globe.

Key Points:

• How Damon learned that you can be the change you want to see in the world
• Nick Saban and Dabo Sweeney called Damon one of the best speakers they've ever heard.
• It doesn't matter whether you win or lose the fight, it matters if you get back up to fight another day.
• Positively change your environment and turn your boiling water (LIFE) into a pot of coffee - just like the coffee bean.
• Addiction affects everyone in society, whether as an addict or a victim of addiction.

Best Quotes:

09:11 - 09:16 • "God sets people on fire and every one of us gets to be this person." 27:07 - 27:14 • "But here's the key. You have to be receptive to all of God's messengers to receive all of God's messages." 31:35 - 31:45 • "It doesn't matter what environment I go into, no matter what adversity, no matter what prison I have to go into in life, I won't just survive. I could thrive if I kept the power inside me." 39:49 - 39:54 • "Your expectations may not be realistic. This is part of the problem, my resentment that I had against Judge Snipes." 45:56 - 46:08 • "Patience, you had patience, you actually executed patience. Something that you probably, if you're anything like me, have struggled with your entire life. But when we're patient, our best things come about." 47:30 - 47:34 • "The story's worth diving into because there's little nuggets of great opportunity throughout." 48:43 - 48:47 • "You could do whatever you put your mind to and that you are the energy that you put out into the world."

To learn more visit: Scottdanner.com For more about Damon visit: www.damonwest.org

Today, I am joined by Coach Tony Blauer. Tony is an expert in fear management as well as in self-defense. Tony's organization, Blauer Training Systems, has grown into one of the world's leading consulting companies specializing in the research and development of performance psychology, personal safety, and close-quarter tactics & scenario-based training for law enforcement, military, and professional self-defense instructors. His research on the neuroscience of fear and the startle-flinch led to the development of the SPEAR System® a modern personal defense system based on physiology, physics, and psychology. After decades of interviewing victims of violent encounters and studying violence, he created the KNOW FEAR® program which focuses on managing fear through self-awareness, resiliency, and a 'movement' mindset. Key Points • Mindset on "game day" changes everything in terms of performance • Your mindset can make or break you • Don't run away from fear, understand it and control it. • Doubt creates hesitancy, which leads to procrastination. • Fear has been weaponized in recent years, and it's critical to teach self-awareness, critical thinking, and situational awareness. • Managing fear is the key to success, and high performers have figured out how to do it. • Reading Tony's ebook, Making Friends with Fear, can be life-changing and puts readers on a path toward managing their fear. Best Quotes 12:15 - 12:22 • "If I can change my relationship with fear, I can change my mind. If I can change my mind, I can change my trajectory." 13:32 - 13:39 • "If you don't understand how to help your athlete or your client manage fear, you're not a coach." 29:49 - 30:01 • "How do I recognize fear early, make the psychological shifts in it, use it organically to fuel my performance or what I need to do and then get on with my life?" 49:38 - 49:49 • "Imagine if the person who waited five years to start their company and then they go, 'yeah, I'm making less money, but I work for myself and this is my purpose and this is my passion. And, and they're going like, I've never been happier.'" 51:48 - 51:52 • "The only way you can lean into it is if you've got the self-awareness." 53:14 - 53:20 • "Fear actually has a metaphoric weight on our psyche and therefore our posture, emotional and literal." For more about Tony visit: www.blauertrainingsystems.com

Today's guest, Damien Ryder, is an extreme sports athlete and breathwork expert. Damien shares his journey of overcoming a traumatic childhood and inspiring others to push their limits. Through his experiences, he emphasizes the importance of living with purpose, setting clear goals, and embracing imperfections. Damien also highlights the role of breathwork in building inner peace and achieving high-performance living. Key Points • He overcame a violent childhood that gave him a survival mindset and led him to become an athlete, skateboarder, and entrepreneur at a young age. • Damien's solo and unsupported paddleboard adventure for 500 miles in the ocean for 17 days, where he encountered sharks and nearly broke his neck, solidified his belief that nothing is impossible if you experience it yourself. • Testing and pushing oneself through stress and trauma can lead to efficient problem-solving and sharing knowledge with others. • Giving every bit of yourself to each day, with a clear goal in mind, creates substantial and impactful change • Recovery is integrated into the training routine, with focus on strengthening the body to avoid mental fatigue. • Building trust within oneself is the ultimate key to success • Diverting to different job tasks that lead towards a clear goal is necessary Best Quotes 00:12 - 00:19 • "So, you know, it's just, again, just shows people, you know, not to limit yourself at all with things like that." 09:26 - 09:31 • "But you gotta live with it for the rest of your life. And so I started to really dissect that out and have a look at it." 21:20 - 21:24 • "I was willing to die for something I believe in. I was now living for what I believed in." 30:30 - 30:38 • "Be motivated, but you gotta have the determination and dedication as well. That reason why you're going towards something." 43:41 - 43:43 • "Everyone's on their own journey for a short time or long time."

Today I am joined be Jason Harris. Jason Harris is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mekanism, and is the author of the Bestseller "The Soulful Art of Persuasion: The 11 Habits That Will Make Anyone A Master Influencer.

Jason is also the host of the podcast Soul + Science. For more information about Jason, visit here: https://linktr.ee/jasonharris

Key Points: • Harris's love of music and his first concert experience with KISS sparked his interest in advertising and branding • Being original means embracing your uniqueness and values to connect with others through storytelling and emotion. • Giving without expectation builds meaningful and enduring relationships that widen your network and generate long-term success. • Empathy and understanding enable you to connect with others and build meaningful relationships that benefit both parties. • Long-term thinking and developing relationships are crucial for success in business • Skill hunting helps in building proficiency and high performance • Scott and Jason remind listeners of the importance of mindfulness and being mindful of one's energy. Best Quotes: 00:21 - 00:28 • "If you are proficient at your craft and you are good in at what you do that is going to build trust and, and make you successful." 06:10 - 06:17 • "The power of marketing and the power of the KISS brand is so strong. That's what catapulted them into, you know, the stratosphere." 16:09 - 16:18 • "When you really know what you are, what makes you unique, and you lean into that, that's gonna make you connect with an audience and become a big success." 20:13 - 20:19 • "There's gotta be a better way to do this. It's not a zero-sum game. If someone else is successful, it doesn't mean I'm not gonna be successful." 25:14 - 25:18 • "I wanna go in with the long game in mind, even if I sacrifice the short game." 49:38 • "Like, just because you know, it doesn't mean that you do it every day. Nah. It's constant practice."

_ Jason Harris is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mekanism, and is the author of the Bestseller "The Soulful Art of Persuasion: The 11 Habits That Will Make Anyone A Master Influencer.

Jason is also the host of the podcast Soul + Science. For more information visit here: https://linktr.ee/jasonharris

In today's episode, I am joined by Rich Diviney. Rich draws upon 20+ years of experience as a Navy SEAL Officer. He completed more than 13 overseas deployments – 11 of which were to Iraq and Afghanistan. He achieved multiple leadership positions – including the Commanding Officer of a Navy SEAL Command. Rich was intimately involved in the world-renowned SEAL selection process, to find the most elite optimal performers. Rich was often surprised by which recruits washed out and which succeeded. Through years of observation, Rich learned to identify a successful recruit's core Attributes, the innate traits for how a person performs as an individual and as part of a team. Rich now helps define the key Attributes for success for business leaders and everyday people -- including cunning, adaptability, even narcissism-- in fresh and surprising ways. Key Points: • Different fields require different attributes to excel • Dormant attributes can be uncovered through experiences • To achieve long-term goals, both discipline and self-discipline are necessary • Competitive mindset looks for rules and conditions to win, while non-competitive mindset seeks new opportunities and ignores rules. • Discipline and adaptability are important in education for promoting discomfort tolerance and preparing for real-world challenges. • Open-mindedness and curiosity are essential attributes to cultivate for success. • Having a growth mindset is crucial for living a high performance life. Best Quotes: 12:17 - 12:22 • "Teaching him to swim was the easy part. Teaching him the skills was the easy part." 12:22 - 12:25 • "If you have the right attributes, you can always teach the skills." 16:53 - 17:06 • "I knew that it was the way to success, but applying it and then getting comfortable with it was something that I really felt was driven towards some of the old things that I just was very, very okay with." 31:28 - 31:35 • "The level of uncertainty, the level of discomfort, the level of challenge. I don't think it's not there, I think it's just changed." 35:07 - 35:14 • "The toughest part of parenthood, and this is where you can kinda see the helicopter parents versus the ones who are not, is letting kids take the fall." 41:06 - 41:09 • "When you're in tune with that rhythm of the vehicle, you can't be in tune with anything else." 53:19 - 53:24 • "And, and what I know about researching you is you're helping other companies to do that as well."

My guest today, Nick Koumalatsos, discusses various aspects of personal growth and leadership. From intentional communication to maturation and taking ownership, these conversations provide insights into how to become a better partner, parent, and leader. The importance of self-care, discipline, and accountability are also emphasized, as well as the challenges of transitioning from a career that defines one's identity. Key Points: • Transitioning out of a career that defines one's identity can result in an identity crisis. • Being present in the moment can lead to improved focus and productivity • Prioritizing family and service can bring rewards and fulfillment in life. • Setting aside the ego and serving others leads to big wins. • Happiness is not just about relaxation, but also about accomplishing difficult and challenging tasks • Failure is an essential part of success, and one must lean into it to move forward • Businesses can have the power of serving the community by providing jobs and products or services. Best Quotes: 02:32 - 02:44 • "We've actually made it so that we're normalizing unhealthy behaviors and trying to make people feel better about themselves instead of actually identifying what makes them healthy, happy, wealthy, successful." 26:52 - 26:58 • "If you're not where you want to be financially, if you're not where you want to be health-wise...you have to find ways to be self-aware." 44:39 - 44:44 • "Hey, what do you guys need? How can I serve you?" 58:03 - 58:06 • "I know that I'm not being the husband, I'm not being the father." 01:10:52 - 01:11:04 • "If men were men, two, if, if we had this two and a half years ago as a whole, if men as a community were like this, like what we're talking about doing, the things that we do, talk about the things that we do have." 01:14:44 - 01:14:50 • "If you don't fix the man, then you can't do anything else. So, so we fixed the man first and then we scale everything else." 01:16:35 - 01:16:41 • "Remember that you could do whatever you put your mind to and that you are the energy that you put out into the world."

In this episode, we will be joined by Charlie Engle, a renowned endurance athlete, author, and addiction recovery advocate. Charlie will share with us how his love for running helped him overcome addiction and gave him a new lease on life.

Key Points: • Charlie chose to commit to running and attending AA meetings as a way to save his life, and he did both every day for three straight years. • Running saved Charlie's life and gave him purpose, leading to him running across deserts and jungles and becoming the Senior Producer of the hit TV show Extreme Makeover Home Edition. • Coaches can use wearable data to gently guide addicts towards better physical health • Wearables offer a nonjudgmental accountability tool that combats isolation and loneliness • Reinforce the lesson of giving away your gifts and skills. • Charlie emphasizes the importance of sharing struggles and successes with the world • He believes in attraction rather than promotion when it comes to mentoring and learning from others Best Quotes: 09:14 - 09:25 • "I committed my, I didn't say I was gonna do it for three years. I just committed to one day at a time doing these two things and seeing how that would change my life." 16:36 - 16:45 • "When you put yourself in the right setting, your ideas can even be crazy, but if you have the right people around you, they can help you execute 'em." 25:05 - 25:11 • "The older we get, the harder some of the things that you used to do with ease become totally just." 31:17 - 31:25 • "It's an accountability tool. I don't care if they do the meditation or not, but I, I have told them that I see them." 34:49 - 34:56 • "I know that if I had one or two glasses of wine, what it does to my recovery the next day." 42:47 - 42:53 • "We are the only country on the planet that incarcerates and I mean incarcerates for a long time." 51:32 • "While I was locked up, I had this other idea, another bad idea, basically, that I wanted to take the metaphor...That I would become the first person to ever go from the lowest place on the planet,

Today, I am joined by Sterling Hawkins. Sterling is an author, investor and entrepreneur. He is also a keynote speaker and founder of the #NoMatterWhat movement. He shows people how to achieve the results they want regardless of the circumstances. He developed the system working on a multi-billion dollar startup from collapse and back to launch, investing and growing over 50 companies. He has taken that experience to work with C-level teams and speak on stages around the world. He has even been seen in fancy magazines like Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, The New York Times and Forbes. Key Points • Make commitments to yourself • Build the right habits • Inspiration is a missing link • Acknowledging death is the first step • Committing to a goal with no going back • Letting go of discomfort can bring peace and happiness • Experiencing eulogy moments can help us remember what matters most Best Quotes 08:05 • "When you're hunting discomfort, you are forever and ultimately free of it. Not circumstantially free, not when you have enough money in your bank account, or you're married to the right person, or you have the right team, but you are free, period." 15:37 - 15:48 • "Whenever you feel those feelings of discomfort, embarrassment, fear, anger, grief when you feel those feelings, it's like a neon sign for me now." 21:09 - 21:25 • "The people that make a real impact, they live in another world that all of us know, but only the, the brave few step into, and they live in a world that's a courageous enough to stare into the unknown of tomorrow." 44:36 - 44:42 • "It's not what matters at the end of our life. And I can say that as somebody that's considered getting there a little bit early." 45:53 - 46:13 • "Not once did I talk about their jobs every day or, or the finite things I talked about how much joy they brought to people, what their, what their life was all about. Who they loved, who loved them back. Yeah. They're the generations that they created." 01:03:54 - 01:04:00 • "No matter how much resentment, anger, sorrow I had about those things did not change my circumstances." 01:12:14 - 01:12:20 • "I go whenever I'm feeling a little bit down to what we were talking about earlier, I go there to see like what people are up to."