The High Performance Life

Today's guest is Julie Skolnick! Julie is a nationally recognized expert on twice-exceptional children, or "2e" kids — those who are both gifted and face learning challenges like ADHD, anxiety, or autism.

Julie is the author of Gifted and Distractible and the founder of With Understanding Comes Calm, a global organization that supports parents, teachers, and clinicians working with neurodiverse kids.

She's helped thousands of families better understand the unique strengths and struggles that come with raising a child who doesn't fit the mold.

In this episode, we talk about what it really means to raise a twice-exceptional child—how to keep curiosity alive, why motivation can disappear in boring or rigid environments, and how small shifts in communication can completely change the energy in your home.

Julie shares powerful insights on trauma, learning styles, and the role of resilience—not just for kids, but for parents too.

We also touch on relationships, love languages, and how giving yourself grace as a parent can be just as important as the strategies you use.

If you're raising a complex, bright, emotionally intense child—or if you're one yourself—this conversation will help you feel seen, supported, and more equipped to lead with empathy instead of pressure.

Key Points

• 2e traits extend beyond being "smart."

• Punishment doesn't teach lagging skills.

• Importance of love & play in learning.

• Gifted classrooms should be active.

• Children's nature is key in parenting.

Best Quotes

07:58 - 08:06

• "So the sit face forward, raise your hand, be organized, turn in your homework. Those are not gifted kids. That's anything but gifted."

11:09 - 11:18

• "So when I train teachers, I just, I just trained a bunch of administrators this week. I am always saying, your best answer is from the kid."

24:46 - 24:55

• "When you notice verbs and efforts, it's like they thank you. 'cause it's like, wow, you see how hard I'm working with all the things that I'm dealing with, right?"

39:13 - 39:27

• "Same with parents. Parents might come to me and be like, Ugh. And they'll tell me all these negative things about their kids. And I always start, my first question always is tell me what your kid's superpower is. Tell me what your kid is passionate about or loves or is interested in."

47:41 - 47:51

• "Wait, what? You don't think the way I Wait, hold on. That doesn't mean as much to you. Wait, you Right. Like we we're surprised, right?"

In this week's episode, I am joined by Leonard Sax!

Dr. Leonard Sax is an American physician, psychologist, and author best known for his work on child and adolescent development. A graduate of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned both his M.D. and Ph.D. in psychology, Dr. Sax has spent over three decades working with children and families in clinical settings.

He is widely recognized for his advocacy on issues of gender differences, parenting, and education. Dr. Sax has authored several influential books, including:

- Why Gender Matters (2005) - Boys Adrift (2007) - Girls on the Edge (2010) - The Collapse of Parenting (2015) (2024 revised edition)

Through his writing and speaking engagements, Dr. Sax promotes evidence-based approaches to raising and educating children, with particular attention to the roles of culture, discipline, and biological sex differences.

He has spoken in all 50 U.S. states and internationally, advising parents, educators, and policy makers on how to better support the development of healthy, motivated, and resilient kids.

Dr. Sax is known for blending scientific research with practical advice, often challenging prevailing assumptions about parenting and education.

Key Points

• "Gentle parenting" hardships exposed

• Importance of parental authority

• Teen boys' disturbing tech addiction

• Impact of media on shaping masculinity

• Steps to counter a flawed culture

Best Moments 05:01 - 05:14

• "We can argue about what gentle parenting means, and different gurus have different definitions, but one thing they agree on is that gentle parenting means letting kids decide that good parenting means letting kids decide."

07:28 - 07:33

• "Enlightened parenting means setting your child free to discover for themselves their own right and wrong." 10:29 - 10:35

• "The cause is this toxic American culture of disrespect and sleaze."

10:56 - 11:10

• "You also have to offer something positive. You have to offer a healthy culture, something positive to replace Drake, SZA, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion."

16:35 - 16:39

• "In order to become a better parent, you have to become a better person."

43:15 - 43:20

• "School has become unfriendly to boys, boys doing things that boys have always done."

In this week's episode, I am joined by Kris Gethin!

Kris Gethin is a globally recognized fitness coach, biohacker, author, and entrepreneur who's helped thousands of people transform their lives—both physically and mentally.

With a background in bodybuilding and extreme fitness, Kris has built a reputation for pushing the limits of human performance while staying grounded in recovery, mindfulness, and longevity.

In our conversation, we dive into what it really means to live a high-performance life.

We talk about the connection between physical challenges and mental resilience, the power of daily rituals, and how relationships—not transactions—are the true foundation of lasting success.

Kris shares his deep knowledge on cutting-edge health practices like peptides, stem cells, grounding, and biohacking.

We discuss how sleep, hydration, and movement are non-negotiables for health, and how self-awareness and patience are often the missing ingredients in long-term transformation.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, athlete, or simply someone striving to be better every day, this episode is packed with insights you can apply to your life immediately.

Key Points

• Relationships are at the core of true success • Physical struggle builds mental resilience • Daily rituals influence health and mindset • Biohacking can optimize body and brain performance • Meditation isn't one-size-fits-all—find your version • Grounding helps reduce inflammation and stress • Sleep is the most vital recovery tool we have

Click here to learn more about Kris: https://www.krisgethin.com/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Jim Sheils!

Jim is the founder of 18 Summers, a movement that helps families deepen their relationships through intentional time, powerful experiences, and lasting memories.

Jim is also a successful real estate investor and entrepreneur who, after seeing how many business leaders were thriving at work but disconnected at home, became passionate about helping families reconnect—starting with his own.

In our conversation, we explore the importance of being fully present with the people who matter most. We discuss how building a strong family foundation can not only enhance your personal life, but actually fuel your professional success.

Jim shares how "family board meetings" have changed the way thousands of parents connect with their children and why adventures are more impactful than lectures.

We also talk about generational wealth, raising kids with core values, breaking generational patterns, and how to move from consuming personal development content to actually living it.

If you're a high performer striving for both success and significance, this episode is for you.

Key Points

• Relationships are key to true success • Integrating family and business is essential • One-on-one time with kids builds trust • Experiences create deeper bonds than lectures • Being present at home impacts your leadership • Core values shape a family legacy

In this week's episode, I reflects on my evolving perspective on funerals and the importance of celebrating life. I took some time to sit down and reflect on my personal experiences from delivering eulogies for my grandparents, emphasizing the lessons learned and the impact of these moments on his understanding of legacy and relationships. I discusses how funerals serve as a reminder of life's brevity and the significance of living a meaningful life, and I encourage anyone listening to reflect on their own legacies and the connections they have with loved ones. Key Takeaways: - You definitely want to leave behind a better world.

- Life is meant to be celebrated.

- Life is imperfect, and we all fail along the way.

- It's our job to keep their legacy alive.

- How can I make small daily impacts?

- Thank you to the life that went before me.

In this week's episode I am joined by Cathy Heller!

Cathy Heller is a dynamic transformational coach, spiritual guide, meditation teacher, and inspirational speaker dedicated to helping individuals find ease, joy, and fulfillment in their lives.

As the host of the Abundant Ever After podcast and author of the empowering book Don't Keep Your Day Job: How to Turn Your Passion into Your Career, Cathy inspires her audience to pursue their dreams and live authentically.

Cathy has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands through her teachings. On her podcast, she has engaged in enlightening conversations with a diverse range of creative entrepreneurs, renowned blogger Seth Godin, actor Matthew McConaughey, spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra, author Marianne Williamson, and psychologist Dr. Edith Eger, among others.

Cathy's passion lies in helping people find joy and meaning beyond material wealth, and she has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands through her teachings.

Her work encompasses meditation, Jewish mysticism, and career strategies, empowering individuals to expand their potential and make a positive impact on the world. Key Points

• Kathy Heller's journey from music to mysticism

• The profound impact of spirituality on success

• Allowing ease and grace into your high-performance life

• Manifestation through the lens of Jewish mysticism

• The significance of small acts in creating change

Best Quotes

06:40 - 06:51

• "I started studying with Rabbi Aaron, and he said to me the first day, he said, you are a masterpiece because you are a piece of the master. And he said, you are someone because you're some of the one."

07:45 - 07:51

• "And what Rabbi Aaron explained to me is that God has put everything in escrow for us, and our only job is to receive it."

13:13 - 13:23

• "And so it like brings me to tears because I, I cannot imagine what it would be like if I didn't have a relationship with my creator."

15:50 - 15:59

• "I start the podcast, okay? I don't know anybody not worried about it. I heard the, I heard the call Cath start a podcast. I'm like, all right, I'm gonna trust this whisper, right?"

20:16 - 20:27

• "The book I wrote is about the idea that everyone has these lists of things that they want. They wanna manifest a house, $10 million, the love of their life. Great."

30:15 - 30:28

• "And it's amazing because if I went through every single thing that's ever happened to me, it literally happened from the power of, you know, connecting with a person in a moment for no reason other than it feels good to do."

Website: https://www.cathyheller.com/

In this week's episode, I wanted to share my thoughts on "Modern Parenting". I take a deep dive into why today's gentle approach may miss the mark, and hear raw, real-life insights on discipline, failure, and family dynamics. Join me for a no-holds-barred discussion that's as much about raising strong children as it is about building character in the digital age! Key Points

• Kids need discipline and boundaries

• Failure teaches and strengthens

• Too much protection can handicap your child's future

• Strong kids need various role models

• Technology should not replace real connection

Best Quotes

00:00 - 00:05

• "Modern parenting is failing. And the worst part is most parents don't even know why." 00:55 - 01:05

• "Children are born and challenge constantly, but if we allow them to constantly cross the line and don't set appropriate boundaries, then children don't know how to act." 01:43 - 01:55

• "If a child does not listen or hear some of the most important things, they are at risk for getting themselves in trouble or doing something that could hurt them." 06:19 - 06:25

• "Parents are making themselves the main character in the story.

07:27 - 07:42

• "Now being in the generation that we had immense freedom in the, in the, the early high school years and into college, I mean, I did so many things that my children did not and do not do, and I don't want them to repeat those things."

09:15 - 09:20

• "Frederick Douglas said It's better to build strong children than to repair broken men."

14:13 - 14:20

• "At the end of the day, parenting is imperfect. I understand that. And everybody that's a parent understands it."

14:21 - 14:29

• "Every single child will look back on their lives and understand that their parents did the best possible job they could. Hopefully."

In this episode, I take a deep dive into the story behind discovering the 5 Love Languages!

Key Points

• Story of buying first home and marriage

• The influence of "The Five Love Languages"

• Growing through challenges in marriage

• The importance of understanding love expressions

• Making love a daily choice

Best Quotes

05:52 - 06:05

• "It stayed there for three years. We had our first son, we had our second son, and now we're approaching a moment in our life, in our marriage where chaos is taking over."

08:10 - 08:21

• "We had never actually been working on our relationship. We had never started to apply the work that it takes to get to the next level in our marriage or in our relationship."

08:14 - 08:21

• "We had never started to apply the work that it takes to get to the next level in our marriage or in our relationship." 16:24 - 16:28

• "But the action of doing what the other person needed could be."

18:02 - 18:11

• "The reality is you have a partner. And when we have a partnership, it requires daily work, daily action."

19:49 - 20:00

• "At the end of the day, I'm super glad that we found the place to raise our family, that we got that book, and that we were able to build a stronger relationship because of it."

In this week's episode, I am joined by Cristina Versari! Dr. Cristina Versari was the Program Administrator for the NBA Education and Career Development Program responsible for the services offered to thirty NBA teams.

She counseled NBA players on a variety of specific topics including career transition, life planning, education and degree completion. In addition to this Cristina also developed numerous NBA players seminars and training programs.

She is the Director of the Sport Psychology Program at the San Diego University for Integrative Studies. ( SDUIS) and has worked with the Brazilian Olympic Men's Basketball Team.

She also continues to provide services to individual professional basketball players and lacrosse players members of the National Lacrosse and Premier Lacrosse Leagues.

She attended the United States International University and obtained her Ph.D. and Masters degree in Psychology with specialization in Sport Psychology.

Dr. Versari has been working with high profile clientele for over thirty years.

Her work has been featured on national and international television and in newspapers including MSNBC, FOX News, CNN, LA Times, Sports Illustrated, Psychology Today, The New York Times, San Diego Business Journal, San Diego Union Tribune, The San Diego Reader, Orlando Sentinel, Sacramento Bee, NorthJersey.com, UCSD Guardian, and Sportv. Key Points

• Belief in self drives top athletes

• Successful pro athletes practice discipline

• Relationships: A struggle for high performers

• Parenting influences on young athletes explored

• Personal growth requires impactful relationships

Best Quotes

07:12 - 07:18

• "These are the areas that you can make the decisions. You can decide anything you want in these certain areas."

07:27 - 07:31

• "So right now I decide when your bed time is, and that's the time you go to bed."

09:21 - 09:29

• "No, we're telling them, Hey, you have to decide what is the difference that, that you need to make to get on the field to get more playing time."

18:27 - 18:34

• "Sometimes the experience they had in life was so painful that they wanna change now."

22:04 - 22:11

• "There's a price you have to pay and those people are willing to pay the price to get there."

28:06 - 28:16

• "You have to have those qualities to attract someone like that. So we spend a lot of time working on the relationships now."

For more information about Dr. Versari: www.cristinaversari.com If you wish to reach out or book an appointment, she can be reached at: [email protected]

In this week's episode, I am joined by Jeff Krasno! Jeff is the co-founder and CEO of Commune, a masterclass platform for personal and societal well- being. He hosts the Commune podcast, interviewing a wide variety of luminaries from Deepak Chopra and Marianne Williamson to Matthew McConaughey and Gabor Maté.

Jeff pens a personal weekly essay titled "Commusings" that explores spirituality, wellness and culture and is distributed to over one million subscribers every Sunday.

Jeff is the creator of Good Stress, a collection of wellness protocols that he developed to reverse his diabetes, lose 60 pounds and reclaim his health at age 50. Good Stress is available as on-line course and is being developed into a book and TV series.

Jeff is also the co-creator of Wanderlust, a global series of wellness events. In 2016, he was selected by Oprah Winfrey to be part of the SuperSoul100 as one of the nation's leading entrepreneurs.

In 1995, Jeff married his college sweetheart, Schuyler Grant. They live in Los Angeles and have three daughters.

SCHUYLER GRANT is founder and co-director of Kula Yoga Project in NYC, co-creator of Wanderlust, and co- owner/director of the Commune Topanga retreat center. The advanced teacher training she has led for over two decades in Kula Flow, her unique style of alignment-based vinyasa, has minted teachers and studio owners worldwide. She considers herself exceptionally lucky to still love vinyasa-style yoga—and the same man—after all these years. Key Points

• Turning childhood adversities into strengths

• The paradox of modern ease leading to dis-ease

• Rethinking rituals & mental muscles

• Personal stories of transformation & community

• The mental & physical gym's role in wellness

Best Quotes

09:23 - 09:38

• "I really went down this slope of, you know, chronic fatigue, brain fog, insomnia, irritability, really deep inability to concentrate and grab my phone every two seconds."

12:13 - 12:19

• "I was totally impermanent. And change was not only available to me, it was the only thing on offer."

18:15 - 18:26

• "We taste it when we taste that homegrown tomato that required some inconvenience, right? Versus that ethylene gas one that we bought at Stop and Shop." Grab your copy of Jeff's book "Good Stress": https://www.jeffkrasno.com/book