The Mindset Experience®

Max Browne’s dream to play in the NFL began in kindergarten, his trajectory began in 6th grade and by 12th grade, he was the National Player of the Year. His parents laid out a process with unconditional support, humility and ingrained the effort required to build confidence and achieve success. However, his college experience revealed that sometimes hard work and talent are not enough. Declared a “bust” by many, he became frustrated with being frustrated and made the choice to invest in his mental wellbeing and community without football. The skill set he developed on the field gave him the confidence to become risk tolerant, bet on himself and learn to, “treat success the same way he treats failure.” He shares his life post football to motivate and inspire others that, “life can be amazing even when Plan A doesn’t work out.”

@maxbrowne

Reagan Rust’s story includes an abusive father, a family history of mental illness, transitioning through five different high schools and leaving home at age 15 to pursue dreams of playing D1 Ice Hockey. Her story also includes recurrent thoughts and plans to end her own life only to ask herself, “What if I keep going?” Her ability to look for opportunities in front of her, advocate for mental health support and appreciate her mother’s sacrifices helped create the resilience to grow the confidence to achieve her goals. She is the first player from Mississippi to play D1 Ice Hockey, 2019 Beanpot Tournament Champion, 2020 Beanpot Hall of Fame Inductee and member of the Metropolitan Riveters Professional Ice Hockey Team. As founder of the Female Athlete Society, she uses her experience to empower female athletes to take control and create tribes of support.

WARNING: This episode contains emotionally sensitive material including discussion surrounding suicide that may be triggering or disturbing to some listeners. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust.

@rea.rust, @femaleathletesociety

Caeli McKay feel in love with the sport of diving at the age of 6 and decided to leave home at 16 to pursue her Olympic dream by training with a 3x Olympic Medalist who eventually became her mentor, synchro partner and friend. Suffering a career threatening injury just before the Tokyo games, she relied heavily on visualization to stay motivated placing 4th in the Olympics. In addition to sharing her process for success, Caeli dives into her personal struggles with anxiety, depression and an eating disorder exacerbated by “positive feedback” from others regarding how “fit” she appeared in a televised competition.  Her experiences and knowledge have created a passion for mental health advocacy and the importance of creating an identity outside of one’s sport.

@caemckay, @thehiddenopponent

With the spring athletic season approaching, Dr. T identifies the typical thoughts and emotions that so many athletes encounter this time of year. He also takes us through an exercise to identify our own strengths and increase their value in our mind to improve confidence, manage doubts and ensure we are fully prepared to conquer our athletic season. You will want to add this motivational mindset episode to your preseason playlist.

@dr.t_sportspsych, @thehiddenopponent

Emily Sterling has captured almost every award given in her sport including National Goalkeeper of the year but even more incredible is her template for success. She utilizes her strengths of organization and communication to create goal-oriented tasks while being very intentional about language she uses. After an ACL repair, her biggest athletic challenge was not the physical recovery but rather the emotional and psychological recovery for which she was completely unprepared. Her experiences have inspired her to develop a gameday process that encompasses all the work she has put in and has proven difficult to beat.

@em.sterling, @marylandwlax

The youngest of 7 kids, Teague Moore was taught about “toughness” through respect, perseverance and accountability. He also learned that in order to become a true champion, you must create your own goals and develop motivation by what you envision not what you see. This mindset fostered grit which defined his career as one of the most successful wrestlers of his time. He invested back in his sport as a long time NCAA D1 and Team USA Coach. His combined experiences have provided him the knowledge and process to endure the most painful challenges of his life these past two years.

thewrestlingconsultant.com, @wrestlingmindset 

Born and raised in the small town of Seward Alaska, Lydia Jacoby made a huge splash by becoming the first ever Alaskan swimmer to qualify for an Olympic Games. She created even more waves by winning a gold and silver medal in Tokyo 2020. She shares the power that comes from a close-knit community, the importance of changing her mindset for bigger moments and the ability to stick with her own process that has always allowed her to maximize every experience knowing it will not last forever. Lydia also dives into her post Olympic depression and her intentional healing process that has helped her prioritize herself and redefine her relationship with her sport as she currently competes for the University of Texas Longhorns program.

@lydiaalicee_, @thehiddenopponent

Michelle Tumolo played multiple sports growing up and wasn’t even introduced to lacrosse until 9th grade.  Her own desire to get really good really fast combined with a coach who taught her to believe in herself and appreciate every moment created an opportunity for her to play at Syracuse University becoming an All-American, Tewaaraton finalist and eventual 2017 World Cup Champion. As the current head coach at Army West Point, she embraces the opportunity to coach young women who have chosen the harder path to serve others. She also values the ability to teach these young cadets the importance of being one’s complete self and expressing every emotion.

@mtumolo35, @armywp_wlax

Robert Owens is considered “The Fittest and Mentally Toughest 71-Year-Old in the World” He is a Special Ops Pararescueman, mountain climber, 12X Ironman triathlete, World Marathon Challenge finisher, SEALFIT’s Kokoro 50-hour challenge, radio/TV personality, keynote speaker, minister, philanthropist, and father of five – to name a few. He was also adopted at age 3 months, could not run until 7th grade requiring corrective boots, was suspended from school multiple times barely escaping expulsion. He learned that by developing an “unbeatable mind,” being willing to listen and practicing self-mastery, he could endure any pressure situation revealing his true character. This is the “most interesting man in the world!”

roberthamiltonowens.com, robrows4vets.org

Emily Cole is an All-American NCAA D1 runner, social media creator and health advocate. Her passion for running started relatively late in high school but the structure, routine and feeling it created fostered the motivation to excel. Her dedication to training and nutrition was tremendous but her lack of knowledge was life threatening. After spending the most important race day of her life in a coma induced by hyponatremia, she decided to invest in herself and her sport physically and mentally. Her personal experiences inspired her to write a book about sports nutrition and dedicate her mindset to making the most out of each day. The result: she helps others “find balance while fueling their dreams.”

@emilycole, @duketfxc