The High Performance Zone

In today’s episode, John is joined by Lair Torrent, a highly respected holistic therapist, speaker, and author whose work has been featured on NPR, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times. As an expert in both relationships and high-performance psychology, Lair brings a unique perspective on how our mindset and emotional habits shape our success—whether at home, at work, or in life.

Throughout their conversation, John and Lair discuss essential success principles, ranging from mindfulness and self-awareness to trust-building and authentic leadership, all while drawing inspiration from the powerful lessons learned from the Blue Angels.

Key Takeaways
- (00:01:47) Mindfulness and Awareness:
Lair explains that success isn’t just about practice or repetition; it’s about showing up with the right mindset. By understanding “who in you” shows up to a task, you can shape the outcomes of critical moments. As Lair puts it: “If the wounded child in me shows up, the interview is going to go one way. But if I bring forward the professional, it’ll go another way.”

- (00:02:19) The Power of Self-Reflection:
Both John and Lair emphasize the importance of understanding the many parts of ourselves. Lair points out: “I am not just a single organism, but many vestiges of myself.” These different parts, whether rooted in childhood experiences or shaped by professional roles, determine how we approach challenges. The goal is to consciously choose the best part of ourselves in each moment.

- (00:13:16) Trust and Personal Responsibility:
Drawing from the Blue Angels’ culture of debriefs, they discuss how teams can build trust by creating a safe environment where everyone owns their mistakes. John highlights that on the Blue Angels, “We were critical of ourselves because that’s what builds trust—personal responsibility.” By being vulnerable and honest, teams can improve without finger-pointing or defensiveness.

- (00:26:02) Overcoming Imposter Syndrome:
Lair shares a personal story of feeling like an imposter when surrounded by high achievers, only to overcome it by consciously choosing to show up as his most confident and capable self. This story resonates with anyone who has ever felt out of place in a professional setting. Lair’s takeaway: “You need to know which version of yourself has access to the skills you need to succeed.”

Key Quotes:
“Mindfulness allows us to stop, push pause, and notice what we’re thinking and feeling. It gives us the power to change our habits.” 

“When you walk in your authentic self, people notice.”

Connect with Lair:
Website
Instagram

In this episode of The High Performance Zone, John is joined by Paul Crowder, the director behind the IMAX film “The Blue Angels,” and Navy journalist and photographer Alan D. Herrera. They dive into the intense and meticulous process of capturing the Blue Angels on film. Paul shares how his perspective dramatically shifted upon witnessing the team’s discipline and dedication, cementing his belief in the importance of serving a higher purpose.

Plus, the conversation covers the challenges and triumphs of filming in high-pressure environments, showcasing the relentless pursuit of excellence and attention to detail that define the Blue Angels. This episode captures the essence of the team’s spirit so join us for an inspiring look at what it takes to achieve greatness both in the skies and in life.

Key Takeaways
- (00:03:39) The Challenge of Filming.
Paul describes the immense challenge of capturing the Blue Angels’ precision and the meticulous planning required. He notes the difficulty of portraying the daily routine of the team and finding unique ways to film their maneuvers.

-(00:09:30) Meeting the Team.
Paul discusses meeting the Blue Angels team and understanding their backgrounds. He shares the common thread of many team members being inspired by the Blue Angels to join the Navy.

 - (00:28:00) Wide-Eyed Moments.
Paul recounts moments of awe, such as witnessing the chair flying practice and the level of trust required to capture the team’s maneuvers accurately. He emphasizes the need to get everything right in one take, as there are no second chances.

- (00:37:00) Most Impactful Shots.
Paul shares his favorite shots, including the helicopter footage and a specific shot of the jets at sunrise. He also mentions the thrill of capturing the sneak pass and the teamwork involved in getting the perfect shot.

- (00:45:00) The Glad to Be Here Mindset.
Paul describes how the positive attitude and dedication of the Blue Angels inspired him and his crew, pushing them to strive for excellence in their work.

Key Quotes:
“We had to step up our game every single day. The Blue Angels’ pursuit of excellence pushed us to new heights in filmmaking.”

“It’s one thing to see them in the air; it’s an amazing show. But having the opportunity to show the public what goes into how the Blue Angels do what they do and the level of excellence they meet on a day-to-day basis was really just a tremendous privilege.”

In this electrifying episode of the High Performance Zone, Gucci dives into an inspiring conversation with the executive producers of the new IMAX film, “The Blue Angels,” Greg “Boss” Wooldridge and Rob "Sticks" Stone. Greg, a three-time leader of the Blue Angels, and Rob, an acclaimed producer, share their journey of creating this groundbreaking documentary that captures the essence of the Blue Angels like never before. Get ready to soar through the skies and discover the dedication, challenges, and triumphs behind this extraordinary film.

Key Takeaways:
- (00:01:03) The Journey to Creating “The Blue Angels”.
Boss and Rob share the five-year journey of making the film, highlighting the dedication, perseverance, and setbacks they faced. They discuss the importance of showcasing the behind-the-scenes efforts that make the Blue Angels a symbol of excellence.

-(00:02:30) Capturing the Blue Angels’ Essence.
Rob elaborates on the challenge and privilege of capturing the Blue Angels’ daily excellence on film. He emphasizes the impact of new technology and the importance of showing the human side of these elite aviators.

-(00:05:05) Overcoming Challenges and Gaining Trust.
Boss and Rob recount the obstacles they encountered, from navigating Navy protocols to securing funding, and how they built trust with the Blue Angels team to film authentic, high-stakes moments.

- (00:10:23) Technical Mastery and Cinematic Excellence.
Boss discusses the technical aspects of filming with IMAX cameras and the meticulous planning required to capture the Blue Angels’ maneuvers.

(00:10:39) Experiencing the Magic of IMAX.
The conversation turns to the visceral experience of watching the Blue Angels on the big screen. Boss shares an anecdote about introducing IMAX executive John Turner to the Blue Angels’ awe-inspiring live performance.

(00:13:00) The Trust and Professionalism of the Blue Angels.
John, Boss, and Rob delve into the trust built between the filmmakers and the Blue Angels, essential for capturing the high-octane footage without compromising safety.

(00:31:33) Reflecting on the Journey.
The episode wraps up with reflections on the journey and the impact of the film. Boss and Rob express their gratitude for the opportunity to showcase the Blue Angels’ dedication and excellence to a wider audience.

Key Quotes:
“This project was years in the making and involved a lot of meticulous planning, but the result is a film that truly captures the essence of the Blue Angels.” 

It’s one thing to see them in the air; it’s an amazing show. But having the opportunity to show the public what goes into how the Blue Angels do what they do and the level of excellence they meet on a day-to-day basis was really just a tremendous privilege.” 

Join the Conversation
Tune in to this episode for an inside look at the making of “The Blue Angels” and be inspired by the stories of perseverance, teamwork, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Don’t miss out on experiencing the magic of the Blue Angels —it’s a journey that will leave you saying, “Glad to be here!”

For more inspiring conversations and insights, visit John Gucci Foley’s website and join the High Performance Zone community.

Gucci chats with Giovanni ‘The Lion’ Dienstmann about self-discipline, self-mastery,  and creating a fulfilling life. Giovanni is a self-discipline coach and meditation teacher who champions the virtues of determination, integrity, courage, and optimism. He takes a mindful approach to personal development, and his latest book, Mindful Self-Discipline: Living with Purpose and Achieving Your Goals in a World of Distractions, helps people fulfill their potential and take control of their lives. 

In this episode, you’ll hear from Giovanni on;

- (00.01:19) The top trait of high performers. Giovanni points out that self-discipline is the trait that all highly successful people have in common. He also refers to the components of awareness and willpower that allow us to identify and live in alignment with our values and aspirations.

- (00:12:29) Empowered peace. Giovanni talks about acquiring mental strength and focus through mindfulness and meditation. 

- (00:26:27) Wise confidence. For Giovanni, confidence is a virtue, and he encourages people to turn self-doubt into self-belief and think positively about their abilities and potential.

-  (00:40:43) Good karma. As a meditation teacher, Giovanni believes in karma, and for him, the best strategy for a happy, regret-free life is to do the right thing and give more than you receive.

- (00:43.34) Mantra meditations. Giovanni explains how to do a simple beginner’s meditation and shares a technique to stimulate the Third Eye and access a state of 

In this episode of the High-Performance Zone Podcast, Gucci’s guest is Dre Baldwin, the founder and CEO of Work On Your Game. Dre was born and raised in Philadelphia, played professional basketball in Lithuania, and transitioned into an entrepreneur and motivational coach who applies the mindset, strategy, and systems he learned from playing pro `basketball into his business coaching career.

Today, you’ll hear from Dre Baldwin on:

•  Discipline. For Dre, discipline is what separates success from failure. And as a former professional athlete and an entrepreneur who likes to lead by example, he believes that creating a structure to your day and being willing to show up consistently and do the work will eventually deliver results.

• Mindset. Dre explains that mindset is the foundation upon which success is built, and he follows the Be Do Have philosophy, which involves acting as if you have already achieved the outcome you’re striving for. He also encourages people to ask themselves the all-important question, ‘ Who do I need to be as a person?’ before they set their goals.

• Building an effective system. We talk about how to consistently and efficiently employ the same techniques in order to start multiplying your results without multiplying your efforts. 

• Getting started. Dre recognizes that most people like to stay in their comfort zone and get around to doing things slowly and later rather than fast and now. With this in mind, he stresses the importance of avoiding procrastination and resolving to take swift positive action.

• Setting standards. Dre advises listeners looking to improve their performance in life to set non-negotiable standards centered around achieving their goals and commit to achieving them.

Get in touch with Dre:

Text 305.384.6894 for Daily Motivation

Website: Work On Your Game University

Instagram: @drebaldwin

YouTube: Dre Baldwin - Work On Your Game 

Connect with John: 

Sign up for John’s free weekly IMPACT video series

John’s Website 

John’s LinkedIn

John’s Instagram

Russ Holder is a golf professional, a former caddy for Bernhard Langer, and the founder and CEO of Caddy For A Cure. As the son of a pilot and an ardent fan of the Blue Angels, Russ ran the golf tournament for the Blue Angels Foundation for several years. Recently, he created the Inspiring Warriors Golf program, and his mission is to inspire and assist wounded veterans through golf.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Russ Holder on:

• (00:13:14) The player-caddy relationship. Russ describes the circumstances that led to him becoming Bernhard Langer’s caddy, and he refers to his role as part psychologist, part weatherman, and part nutritionist. 

• (00:22.50) What golf can teach us about life. Russ explains the significance of the golfer’s pre-shot routine and emphasizes the importance of developing an effective daily routine and sticking to it.

•  (00:29:57) Creating a winner’s mindset. We discuss how to keep a cool head after playing a bad shot, and Russ shares Tiger Wood’s 10-second rule for addressing anger and frustration before moving on with his game.

• (00:42:00) Giving back through golf. Russ talks about his reasons for starting Caddy For A Cure, a charity that raises money and awareness for a rare bone marrow disorder called Fanconi Anemia. He also outlines his exciting vision for his Inspiring Warriors Golf program.

• (00:54:19) Taking action. Russ urges listeners to start acting on their ideas and explains how he was inspired by Zig Ziglar, who used to hand out coins inscribed with the words ‘round tuit’ to encourage people to ‘get around to’ whatever they were putting off.

Shelly Lefkoe is the co-founder of the Lefkoe Institute and a world-renowned expert in teaching people how to eliminate their limiting beliefs. Shelly specializes in setting her clients free from the psychological constraints that prevent them from living happier and more authentic lives. In this episode, she takes John through the unique Lefkoe Belief Process and explains how to disrupt destructive thought patterns and create positive change in your life.

 Today, you’ll hear from Shelly on:

• (00:14:01) Watering all your plants. She reminds high performers to pay attention to all aspects of their lives (including their families, relationships, and hobbies) and avoid focusing solely on their achievements or careers.

• (00:16:34)  Challenging your beliefs. Shelly explains how we can start challenging the common limiting beliefs that we’re not good enough, we don’t matter, and that mistakes and failures are bad. 

• (00:25:19) Finding emotional freedom. As someone who has learned to cultivate a healthy sense of self-worth, Shelly describes how our lives can change once we eliminate our limiting beliefs and stop worrying about what others think of us.

• (00:40:54) Recognizing how parental expectations can impact your adult life. According to Shelly, we need to examine how childhood experiences of not excelling in school or not living up to parental expectations can affect our confidence as adults and stand in the way of our success. 

• (00:54:59)  Learning to stop attaching meaning to meaningless events. John and Shelly talk about learning to detach our emotions from events that have shaped our beliefs and adversely affected our sense of self.

Dr. Christian Conte is a leading emotional and anger management expert who often works with prisoners, prison officers, and high-performance sports teams. Christian is passionate about helping people gain control over their emotions, and his book Walking Through Anger provides valuable strategies for confronting conflict and staying focused and calm in emotionally charged situations.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Christian on:

• (00:13:09) Sports psychology. He explains why mastering the art of being present is the pathway to achieving peak performance and shares some tips for eliminating mental clutter and focusing on the task at hand.

• (00:21:45) Visualization. As an experienced prison counselor and educator, Christian describes the powerful visualization technique he uses to deal with chaotic and potentially dangerous situations.

• (00:25:02) Zen parenting. We talk about The Four Cs of effective parenting, and Christian reveals how his Thousand Times Rule can help parents be more compassionate, patient, and calm.

• (00:38:54) Tonglen Breathing Practice. Christian describes the meditation technique he uses to help heal pain and suffering. Plus, he shares his unique Seven Breaths technique.

• (00:50:12) Yield Theory. We discuss Christian’s Yield Theory which involves meeting people where they’re at and listening to, validating, and exploring their options with compassion and creativity.

Jessica Kriegel is a Workplace Culture Expert, the creator of The Culture Equation, and Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture at Culture Partners. Jessica knows that culture drives results, and through her tried and tested tools and strategies, she empowers leaders to improve employee fulfillment and increase performance and profitability. As a culture change specialist, Jessica is a sought-after keynote speaker and the author of Unfairly Labeled: How Your Workplace Can Benefit from Ditching Generational Stereotypes and Proving the Value of Soft Skills: Measuring Impact and Calculating ROI.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Jessica on:

• (00:09:20) Love-based leadership. According to Jessica, fear is our worst enemy when it comes to creating a healthy workplace culture. Instead, she advises CEOs to lead from the heart and concentrate on building a sense of loyalty and trust that improves performance and productivity.

• (00:21:06) The Culture Equation. Jessica sets out the basis of her Culture Equation model, where purpose and strategy combine with organizational culture to deliver consistent results. Plus, she points out that a company’s key outcomes must be meaningful, measurable, and memorable so everyone knows what they are and if they’re on course to achieving them.

• (00:32:53) Scaling culture. She explains how to build a more successful company culture by focusing on results and creating intentional employee experiences through a combination of culture management tools, such as feedback, employee recognition, and storytelling.

• (00:34:17) Saudi Arabia Vision 2030. We talk about Jessica’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia and the country’s efforts to create greater economic diversity and achieve gender equality for women and girls.

• (00:41:07) Accountability. Jessica stresses the importance of identifying problems, acknowledging shortcomings, and engaging in ‘above the line’ thinking that concentrates on solving the problem rather than allocating blame.  

Today's Best of Episode features Catherine Hernandez-Blades. Catherine is an award-winning CMO and PR News Hall of Famer who is currently the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at SAIC. With over 25 years of experience in senior marketing and communication roles at Fortune 500 companies, Catherine likes to position herself at the nexus of purpose and profit, and she’s passionate about the social impact that corporations can make in the world.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Catherine on:

• (00:02:52) Her early ambitions. Catherine talks about her childhood dream of becoming a reporter and recalls how, as a young girl growing up in Louisiana, she would wear a little fedora hat with PRESS written on it and ‘interview’ people in her neighborhood with a fake microphone.

• (00:06:44) The secret to her success. For Catherine, success comes down to caring about your people and giving them the tools they need to thrive. She credits Jon Jones, her former boss at Raytheon, with helping her become a better leader by showing her how to build connections and create a sense of inclusivity and belonging at work.

• (00:18:20) Social impact. We discuss the role that Catherine played in the creation of My Special Aflac Duck, a social robot designed to facilitate communication and provide comfort to children undergoing cancer treatment. As Aflac’s former Chief ESG and Communications Officer, Catherine explains that consumers always reward companies for doing the right thing, and she adds that, as a result of the program, 15% of Americans were more likely to buy an Aflac policy.

• (00:42:42) Accountability. We talk about the similarities between the Blue Angel Debrief and the way that Catherine prefers to provide feedback to her team. Above all, she reminds managers and leaders to be kind, and she encourages employees to embrace the empowering effect of holding themselves accountable. 

• (00:51:39) Paying it forward. Catherine refers to the work she does with college students and explains why it’s important for women who have climbed the corporate ladder to share their knowledge and experience and give others the tools and coaching they need to succeed.