The High Performance Zone

Jerome Maldonado has built a super-successful career in the construction industry. Over the years, he’s founded multiple companies and amassed an eight-figure business empire. However, he’s also experienced plenty of setbacks along the way. So today, in his capacity as a coach, Jerome shares the lessons he’s learned from his decades of entrepreneurship and teaches others how to invest in commercial real estate.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Jerome Maldonado on:

• (00:20:30) His dark night of the soul. Jerome recalls the moment when ridden with debt and despair, he prayed for divine intervention in an El Paso church. 

• (00:27:04) His formula for financial success. He talks about the ethics that guide him in business and puts forward his belief that financial success only happens when you finally stop caring about what everybody else around you is thinking.

• (00:40:27) His winner’s mindset. Jerome describes how he got started in the construction industry and credits his rapid success to his phenomenal work ethic and his ‘nothing to lose and everything to gain’ mentality.

• (01:00:57) Good debt versus bad debt. He differentiates between good debt, which enables you to buy assets that produce income (such as rent or dividends), and bad debt, which does not contribute to your wealth.

• (01:12:13) Letting go of limiting beliefs. Jerome urges everyone to stop living scared and have the courage to live life and do business on their own terms without being crippled by the fear of failure or feeling anxious about being judged by others.

Brian Littlefield is a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, a science nerd, and the co-founder and Chief  Product Officer of Jocko Fuel, which creates nutritional supplements and beverages in partnership with retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Brian Littlefield on;

• (00:17:53) Clean ingredients. Brian talks about his company’s decision to put people before profits and create formulas that contain only the cleanest and most effective ingredients, such as monk fruit, a natural sweetener that promotes healthy aging, and krill oil, which helps with joint health.

• (00:33:05) Great-tasting greens. We discuss the common aversion to eating green vegetables, and Brian explains how he came up with the formula for ‘the best-tasting greens on the market.’ As the creator of Jocko GREENS, he’s proud to have made a green supplement product that is so healthy and delicious that people actually look forward to eating it.

• (00:40:41) Healthy, high-performance energy drinks. Brian reveals the list of brain-boosting nootropic ingredients, such as theobromine, theanine, and acetyl-L-carnitine, that go into the Jocko GO energy drink. 

• (00:56:55) The joy of Jiu-Jitsu. Brian opens up about his love of Jiu-Jitsu, which has consistently pushed him past his comfort zone, challenged his brain, and changed the way he handles difficult situations.

• (01:06:32) His recipe for success. According to Brian, one of the most effective ways to succeed and grow as a person is to surround yourself with high-performers and push yourself every single day to keep up with them.

In today's best of episode, we feature former Navy SEAL, Mark Divine. Mark is the founder of Unbeatable Mind, a program that combines elements of Zen meditation with Navy SEAL kick-assery to help people achieve extraordinary results and get beyond whatever is holding them back. Mark is also the creator of the SEALFIT fitness program and the Courage Foundation, which helps veterans suffering from mental health issues. We dive into how a Navy SEAL and a Blue Angel see the world and chart Mark’s transition from MBA graduate to Navy SEAL Commander to successful entrepreneur, author, and leadership coach.

This is a re-air of episode 38  which was originally released May 27, 2021.

Norma Diaz is the CEO of Community Health Group, a nonprofit based in San Diego which is committed to coordinating quality care and providing exceptional customer service for its members. Norma started working for the organization at 14, and, over time, she worked her way up from errand girl to CEO. Today, she shares what her years of dedication and service have taught her about commitment, compassion, and emotional connection. 

In this episode, you’ll hear from Norma Diaz on: 

• (00:10:13) Compassionate leadership. Norma describes her leadership style and explains how she learned compassion as a child after witnessing her mother’s long and painful recovery from the severe burns she sustained in the fire that destroyed their family home. 

• (00:25:00) Living life to the full. She recalls the life-enhancing impact of a course she took as a young woman, which encouraged her to identify her priorities, set goals, and plan for a future filled with passion and purpose. Plus, she reveals how she recently shared these transformative teachings with her employees.

• (00:47:13) Letting go of past hurts. Norma talks about the life lessons she learned from the Dalai Lama and from her 96-year-old mentor Maxie. Above all, she shares how she finally learned to forgive but not forget.

• (00:56:04) Her daily prayer. We talk about Norma’s daily routine, which starts with her 45-minute morning prayer. As a practicing Catholic and a trained meditation instructor, Norma advises others to pray from the heart and explains how meditation helps her prepare for the day. 

• (01:02:03) Providing exceptional customer service. Norma believes in keeping her employees happy so they can serve their customers with more enthusiasm, respect, and compassion. As well as making a great impression on customers, she encourages her employees to be emotionally present for people and have fun at work. 

Ray Zahab is a Canadian explorer, adventurer, and ultra-distance runner who has run across the Sahara Desert and broken the world speed record for an unsupported expedition to the South Pole. He’s also the co-founder of impossible2Possible, a non-profit whose mission is to educate, inspire, and empower young people to learn more about the world and themselves by participating in free adventure-based expeditions.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Ray Zahab on:

• (00:07:50) His personal transition. Ray recalls how he went from being a heavy smoker and drinker to a competitive mountain biker and ultra-runner. Plus, he explains how the sense of achievement he felt after completing and winning his first race inspired him to run 4500 miles across the Sahara Desert. 

• (00:16:28) Running the Sahara. We talk about the documentary film narrated by Matt Damon that tracked Ray and his fellow runners' Saharan journey from Senegal to the Red Sea and helped raise awareness of the drinking water crisis in North Africa. 

• (00:49:25) Overcoming the fear of failure. According to Ray, there’s no such thing as failure, there’s only a first attempt at learning, and he encourages listeners to have the courage and confidence to take the first step on the path to pursuing their goals.

• (00:54:42) Getting comfortable with discomfort. He emphasizes the importance of resiliency, self-reliance, and developing the skillset to cope with the more difficult and challenging situations in life.

• (01:02:23) The winner’s mindset. We discuss overcoming the mental barriers that stand in the way of success, and Ray shares a motto that motivates him to strive for excellence.

• (00:14:31) Professional challenges: Dede recalls how she and her colleagues dealt with the aftermath of a suicide and attempted suicide on campus, and she explains how her faith helped her to cope with the crisis.

• (00:21:04) The inspiring example of Marko Cheseto. Dede praises the courage and commitment of Marko Cheseto, who (despite being a double amputee) went on to run marathons on his blades and become a spokesperson for mental health and suicide prevention.

• (00:31:50) Prioritizing mental health. We talk about why some people hide their mental health struggles and discuss the mood-enhancing effect of adopting a gratitude practice. 

• (00:42:49) Conquering dragons. Dede shares the motto that helps her confront and overcome difficult situations.

• (00:58:52) Career advice. We explore the opportunities for women in athletic leadership roles. Plus, Dede advises anyone considering a career in college athletics 

Doug Sandler spent 30 years as a Bar Mitzvah DJ before making the leap into podcasting. Today, he’s the founder of Turnkey podcast production services and an expert in podcast monetization. What’s more, as the host of the super-successful Nice Guys on Business Podcast and the author of Nice Guys Finish First, he’s a firm believer in building business relationships based on integrity, authenticity, and respect.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Doug Sandler on:

• The power of praise. Doug points out that praise for a job well done is a much more powerful motivator for employees than criticism of their mistakes. So, as a small business owner, he describes how he likes to make a habit of catching his team members in the process of doing something right and finding opportunities to praise them for their performance. 

• Avoiding mutual mystification. As well as providing positive feedback, Doug sets out his approach to creating a better and more productive work environment by clarifying the company’s objectives and ensuring that employees are given the tools they need to meet expectations. 

• The business of being nice. We talk about Doug’s ‘Nice Guy’ philosophy, and he explains how simple things like returning calls, turning up on time for appointments, and telling the truth can go a long way towards building successful business relationships.

• The key to podcast monetization. Doug reveals that advertising and sponsorship are not the most effective ways to monetize a podcast. Instead, he recommends building business relationships with podcast guests and turning them into clients, referral sources, affiliate relationships, and joint venture partners.

• The law of attraction. We dive into the subject of manifestation and discuss setting intentions, communicating goals, and consciously taking steps to achieve your objectives.

John Ramstead is a former Navy fighter pilot who served in Operation Desert Storm and became a super-successful businessman after leaving the military. However, in 2011 a horrific horse-riding accident unexpectedly changed the trajectory of John’s life and led him to reassess his values, priorities, and purpose. Today, John is a renowned leadership coach, the host of the Eternal Leadership podcast, and the author of On Purpose With Purpose: Discovering How to Live Your Best Life. 

In this episode, you’ll hear from John Ramstead on:

• (00:14:17) Successful leadership styles. John contrasts the command and control and servant leadership models and explains how to create a culture of excellence and integrity through training people to have the knowledge, experience, and tools to do their jobs effectively. 

• (00:29:16) Knowing yourself. We talk about how excellent leadership starts with self-awareness and the ability to identify your core values and recognize your strengths and your weaknesses. Plus, John emphasizes the importance of defining what success looks like for both the individual employee and the team. 

• (00:42:50) Building a vision and learning from the best. He sets out his three-part framework for success, which starts with picking a goal that scares you, following the example of someone who has excelled in that area, then creating accountability by sharing your plan with others.

• (00:51:08) His near-death experience and conversation with God. John recalls what he saw and heard in the immediate aftermath of his accident and describes the powerful sense of unconditional love that flooded his body.

• (00:58:27) Leaving a legacy. We talk about how writing your own obituary based on what you’d like your loved ones to say about you at your funeral can encourage you to adapt your behavior and work towards becoming a better husband, father, and friend.

In today's best of  episode, we feature Tom Trotter. Tom has the career path that every naval aviator dreams about. He is the former commanding officer of TOPGUN and a Carrier Air Group Commander who oversaw nine squadrons and 2,200 personnel. Tom has almost 4,000 flight hours in the F/18 and is certified in an amazing array of aircraft. He has followed his passion for flying from the time he was a child to the present day, flying, instructing, and managing aircraft through his company Eagle Top Flight. In the field of aviation, Tom is an extremely high performer.

This is a re-air of episode 18  which was originally released January 7th, 2021.

In his second solo episode focusing on life aboard the USS Enterprise during the filming of the original Top Gun movie, John recalls some of the interactions between the cast and the crew. He also praises the teamwork and camaraderie of Carrier Air Group 11 and describes what it feels like to take off from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier and accelerate from 0-200 mph in 1.8 seconds.