What if the key to reaching your full potential wasn't about what talents you were born with, but something more?

In my conversation with Jake Thompson, we discuss how to grow your mindset, focus, and influence!  Jake is passionate about helping others achieve success and overcome obstacles, and this interview will help you learn a great deal about what's helped him achieve success while building a business.

Jake Thompson is a professional speaker and the Chief Encouragement  Officer at Compete Every Day, a brand he started in 2011 by first  selling t-shirts out of the trunk of his car.

Jake works with organizations and individuals around the country,  teaching how they can develop accountability, mental resilience, and  leadership skills in order to make bigger impacts in their careers and  in their life. It’s through his experience and research that he’s  discovered how people who harness a competitive mindset against themselves can reach their goals, commit to action over motivation, and step into the leader they were created to be.

Jake is a third-generation entrepreneur, the youngest strategic  advisory board member at the University of Dallas’ College of Business,  and a graduate of both Texas Christian University (B.S.) and University  of Dallas (M.B.A.).

For more information about Jake's book, business, and a ton of GREAT resources, check out www.competeeveryday.com 

In this episode, I speak with Anthony Morando about his recent blog article titled “AIM… Before you Fire.” This conversation is filled with some great knowledge but also insights to help you take action towards a goal or vision that you have!

Anthony’s Blog Post:

AIM Before You Fire

Anthony’s Full Bio:

Anthony Marc Morando (CSCS-D*, CSCCA*, FMS*, XPS*, RPR)

Anthony Graduated Springfield College in 2007 with a B.S in Applied Exercise Science. Then went onto a GA Position at Boston College with Football from 2007-2009. Anthony worked @ Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning for 6 years developing a skillset with a variety of the population ( NFL Combine, Hockey, MLB, Adult Population, Rehabilitation from Injury). Anthony from 2011 – 2015 was the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach @ Boston University with Men’s Ice Hockey and also had oversight of the Internship program at BU as well. After an amazing Frozen Four run in 2015, Anthony then moved to North Dakota with his spouse and began working at ALTRU Sports Advantage Powered by EXOS where he was the Performance Manager via EXOS. This entailed training various athletes from youth through professional, as well as small group adult training, and developing programs to upgrade the wellness for the health system.

Recently, Anthony was named the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Minnesota Duluth where he worked with both Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Teams. In 2018 Anthony was offered a great job through the ALTRU Health System and EXOS as a Performance Enhancement Specialist where he will be working with various portions of the population/health system. Anthony currently is a Performance Specialist in a Performance Facility associated with a Health System. He also heads leads the roles of business development, management, oversight of programming, and social media coordination.

Anthony now resides in Grand Forks North Dakota with his wife Monique, and Son Mickey.

In this episode, I speak with IYCA President and original host of "The Impact Show", Jim Kielbaso. 

Together, we reflect on the vision of the show, covering some of the main themes discussed over the last year:

We also discuss how COVID-19 is affecting the strength & conditioning industry, how to avoid informational overload, and practical ways to maximize this time.

Additional Information/ Resources:

In this episode, I share what it means to have the HEART of a leader, and that is to "Think Others First".  During this difficult time, we have an opportunity to lead by giving of our time, talents, and resources to assist those who are less fortunate or in need of an encouraging word.

This concept was taught to me by Randy Gravitt with Integreat Leadership - for more information, check out the following link:  https://integreatleadership.com/

Also, I've been inspired by so many "Impact Show" contributors providing FREE resources!  I know there's probably more people putting out great content (and don't worry, I'll continue to share as I see them!), but here are just a few I wanted to point everyone to at this point:

If you have any other resources to share or have a story of someone you know who is "Thinking Others First" and having an impact in their community, I want to hear about it!  Please email me at [email protected] and I'd love to share with all of our listeners.

Thanks so much!

In this episode, I speak with best-selling author, keynote speaker, performance consultant, and strength coach Brett Bartholomew about his latest resources available through Art of Coaching.  We also discuss why it's so important for the strength & conditioning industry to change, how coaches can not only keep jobs but thrive in careers, and why referent power is so important in navigating workplace relationships!

CLICK HERE to listen to Brett's "Art of Coaching" podcast episode about Power Dynamics in Leadership - it's a great listen!

Brett Bartholomew is a performance coach, best-selling author, and keynote speaker. He is also the Founder of the coach development company Art of CoachingTM, as well as the performance training company The Bridge Human Performance®. His experience includes working with athletes both in the team environment and private sector along with members of the U.S. Special Forces and members of Fortune 500 companies. Taken together, Brett has coached a diverse range of athletes from across 23 sports worldwide, at levels ranging from youth athletes, Olympians as well as athletes who compete in the NFL, NBA, MLB, UFC, MLS & NCAA.

As an advisor/entrepreneur, Brett has proudly served as a teammate and a supporting partner in the strategic growth of two performance companies, and is a highly sought-after speaker and mentor having spoken in more than 46 countries worldwide. Additionally, his work and expertise have been featured in numerous local and global media outlets such as ESPN, FOX Sports, as well as Inc. Magazine and Outside.

From a philanthropic standpoint, Brett is the Vice President for the non-profit organization Movement2Be, which helps youth in underprivileged communities via helping them learn more about physical activity and proper movement. He is also a member of Alumni Advisory board for Kansas State University and was awarded their “Alumni Entrepreneur Award” in 2017 for his contributions to community affairs, organizations and service groups along with supporting K-State’s College of Human Ecology.

His book, Conscious Coaching: The Art and Science of Building Buy-In, achieved “Best Seller” status in two categories, and was ranked in the “Amazon Top 100 Books Overall” in 2017. It is currently being used by several universities around the world as source material used to help guide future coaches and professionals.

Brett is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) where he holds both their CSCS*D & RSCC*D distinctions and is a proud graduate of Kansas State University and Southern Illinois University where he wrote research focused on the domain of motor-learning in elite athletes. His current research focuses on the roles of perception, persuasion, and power-dynamics within elite sports settings and other interpersonal domains.

Course links include:

Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Conscious-Coaching-Science-Building-Buy/dp/1543179479/ref=nodl_

Workshops: https://artofcoaching.com/apprenticeship/

In this episode, I speak with Jill Kochanek about Mental Toughness.  Join us as we tackle this topic by defining the term, debunking myths, and exploring strategies to help you maximize your coaching impact and help players develop in this area!  After the interview, I also share 7 questions every leader should be asking themselves!

Bio information: Jill Kochanek is a doctoral student at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sport at Michigan State University. She is also a high school girls' and boys' soccer coach. As a coach-scholar, Jill is passionate about bridging the research-practice gap to make sport a more inclusive, empowering context. Her research and applied work centers on helping athletes and coaches take charge of their own developmental process and social progress. If you enjoyed this podcast, feel free to visit her youth sport coaching blog, bothandcoaching.blog, for posts that address other topics related to sport psychology and sociology and follow her on Twitter @bothandcoaching.

Addtional resources:

1. Engaging Sports is a great blog that provides critical perpsectives on issues in sport, including coaching and athlete development: https://thesocietypages.org/engagingsports/

2. A great TedTalk by winning UCLA Gynmanstics coach, Miss Val: https://www.ted.com/talks/valorie_kondos_field_why_winning_doesn_t_always_equal_success

3. MSU's sport coaching and leadership blog also has great posts for coaches on how to best support athlete holistic development: https://edwp.educ.msu.edu/sport-coaching-leadership/

Do you have any feedback or questions regarding this podcast?  

Contact Matt Diener at [email protected]! 

In this episode, I speak with USA Football Master Trainer Kevin Lynott about leading yourself, developing team culture, and the power of positivity!

Special thanks to Teambuildr - the leading online strength and conditioning software that allows you to write programs online, generate more than 13 reports, and even train athletes remotely for side income.  Start your FREE TRIAL today at www.teambuildr.com! 

Coach Lynott's Background/ Bio:

Middletown High School, Maryland

Contact Info: 

Twitter and Istagram : @coachlynott  / email [email protected]

Book Recommendations:

In this episode, I interview David Kitchen on what it means to "Set Your Intentions" so that you can maximize impact and leave your mark every day!

To check out David's blogs on a variety of strength & conditioning topics along with leadership and values discussion, visit: https://blog.teambuildr.com/author/david-kitchen

Also, make sure you check out www.teambuildr.com for a FREE TRIAL of the leading online strength training software for coaches at any level!

David Kitchen is in his first year as the Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning for Olympic Sports at Georgia Southern University where he trains the Men’s Basketball & Men’s Golf team as well as overseeing the training of Women’s Basketball. Kitchen comes to Statesboro after serving as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at his alma mater, Susquehanna University, where he oversaw the training of all 23 varsity sports.

Prior to SU, Kitchen spent 2 years as the Assistant Director of Football Strength & Conditioning at UNLV. While at UNLV, he implemented, demonstrated and coached training methodologies, including triphasic training, velocity-based training, and conjugate training for members of the UNLV football team. Kitchen also developed and managed accredited undergraduate and graduate level internships for both strength & conditioning and nutrition. He also worked closely with the sports medicine staff to redesign and implement a performance-driven return-to-play protocol for injured athletes.

Kitchen also spent 2 years at Bloomsburg University with the strength & conditioning department from 2015 - 2017. He started out as an assistant coach before being promoted to the head coach after a year on the job. In his first year, Kitchen oversaw the expansion of the strength & conditioning program from one to seven sports. Then, as the head coach, he undertook all 20 Bloomsburg athletic teams. Kitchen also served as a strength & conditioning intern at Robert Morris University and as the football strength & conditioning coordinator at Holy Redeemer High School.

Social Media:

Book Recommendations:

Recommended Podcasts:

First, make sure you visit www.teambuildr.com and start your FREE TRIAL today!

TeamBuildr is the leading software for high schools and colleges by providing coaches the ability to write programs online, generate over 13 reports and even train athletes remotely for side-income.

Jeff Bramhall is the COO of Reflexive Performance Reset and a massage therapist. With RPR, he works with coaches, trainers, and practitioners teaching a system of breathing and rubbing that helps people feel better, move better, and live a better life. As a massage therapist, he works primarily with active adults who want to feel their best and be the best partners, parents, and friends they can be and they realize that therapeutic,       caring touch is a valuable part of their overall wellness.

In our interview, we discuss what RPR is all about, how mindfullness leads to impact, and how to "stack your deck" towards a meaningful and productive day!

Social Media Links for Jeff:

Books Jeff Referenced:

Jeff's Article:  "Stacking the Deck"

Special Impact Show Offer:

In this episode, I share a concept I learned from the book "The Ideal Team Player" by Patrick Lencioni.  For me, this concept of the 3 essential virtues (Humble, Hungry, Smart) has always been applied to hiring/ on-boarding staff, but I think it's very applicable when we look at developing leadership in our sports teams or even business teams.  Before we can really trust members of our team to lead well, they need to embody these values or else they will struggle immensely to have an IMPACT.

I hope this episode gives you a framework for this concept, and motivates you to want to read more and start assessing where your team is at so you can grow them in these areas.

Additional Resources: