The Waypoint Better Podcast

In this episode of the Waypoint Better Podcast, Joe welcomesDr. Leah Kaylor — the FBI’s Sleep Expert and a leading voice in sleep science and performance psychology. Leah works closely with law enforcement, first responders, and military communities and brings a clear message to high performers: rest is not weakness, it’s readiness.

Leah breaks down why sleep is one of the most powerfulperformance enhancers we overlook, how it impacts decision-making, leadership presence, emotional regulation, and resilience, and why hustle culture has normalized exhaustion as a badge of honor. She also shares insight from her book, If Sleep Were a Drug, and offers simple, actionable steps anyone can take to reset their sleep and improve recovery—especially after travel or demanding work schedules.

This conversation is a reminder that the most productive thing we can do at times is rest. Good sleep doesn’t happen overnight—but it does happen with intention.

Connect with Leah:

Website: https://drleahkaylor.com/home

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drleahkaylor/

Get your copy of Leah’s book If Sleep Was a Drug: https://books.by/drleahkaylor

In this episode of the Waypoint Better Podcast, Joe welcomesDr. Leah Kaylor — the FBI’s Sleep Expert and a leading voice in sleep science and performance psychology. Leah works closely with law enforcement, first responders, and military communities and brings a clear message to high performers: rest is not weakness, it’s readiness.

Leah breaks down why sleep is one of the most powerfulperformance enhancers we overlook, how it impacts decision-making, leadership presence, emotional regulation, and resilience, and why hustle culture has normalized exhaustion as a badge of honor. She also shares insight from her book, If Sleep Were a Drug, and offers simple, actionable steps anyone can take to reset their sleep and improve recovery—especially after travel or demanding work schedules.

This conversation is a reminder that the most productive thing we can do at times is rest. Good sleep doesn’t happen overnight—but it does happen with intention.

Connect with Leah:

Website: ⁠https://drleahkaylor.com/home⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/drleahkaylor/⁠

Get your copy of Leah’s book If Sleep Was a Drug: ⁠https://books.by/drleahkaylor

In this episode, Joe welcomes Andy Bass, mental performance coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates, to the Waypoint Lounge. Andy works with elite athletes to build the mindset and resilience needed to perform when it matters most.

During their discussion, Andy shares his journey to working with professional athletes and what it truly takes to cultivate mental resilience at the highest level. Together, they explore what mental skills coaching looks like day-to-day, the barriers high performers face, and how those same challenges appear in leadership, business, and everyday life. Andy also unpacks the difference between amateur and professional mindsets—and how to train yourself to perform under pressure.

Connect with Andy at [email protected]

In this episode, Joe welcomes Andy Bass, mental performance coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates, to the Waypoint Lounge. Andy works with elite athletes to build the mindset and resilience needed to perform when it matters most.

During their discussion, Andy shares his journey to working with professional athletes and what it truly takes to cultivate mental resilience at the highest level. Together, they explore what mental skills coaching looks like day-to-day, the barriers high performers face, and how those same challenges appear in leadership, business, and everyday life. Andy also unpacks the difference between amateur and professional mindsets—and how to train yourself to perform under pressure.

Connect with Andy at [email protected]

Ep. 36 – Engineering the Human Experience w/Emily Kile

In this episode, Joe welcomes Emily Kile, our resident human engineer, who decodes how people think and perform—whether on the field, in the boardroom, or at home. After swapping carpet-machinery design for people puzzles, Emily now leads WISE (Well, Intelligent, Safe, Empowered) strategies across Fortune 500s, pro sports, and nonprofits. A WELCOA Top 10 Wellness Practitioner and Inc. Power Partner, she helps organizations elevate performance through human-centered design.

Together, Joe and Emily explore how stress, values, andphysiology intersect, and how understanding our body’s signals can help us restore clarity, focus, and connection. They discuss the power of being like-hearted over like-minded, the toll of diminished human connection, and why capacity must come before strategy.

This conversation is a reminder that we’re human beings, nothuman doings—and when we understand our wiring, we can perform, connect, and lead better.

🔗 Connect with Emily

🌐 WorkzBe
💼Emily Kile on LinkedIn

In this episode, Joe welcomes Emily Kile, our resident human engineer, who decodes how people think and perform—whether on the field, in the boardroom, or at home. After swapping carpet-machinery design for people puzzles, Emily now leads WISE (Well, Intelligent, Safe, Empowered) strategies across Fortune 500s, pro sports, and nonprofits. A WELCOA Top 10 Wellness Practitioner and Inc. PowerPartner, she helps organizations elevate performance through human-centered design.

Together, Joe and Emily explore how stress, values, andphysiology intersect, and how understanding our body’s signals can help us restore clarity, focus, and connection. They discuss the power of being like-hearted over like-minded, the toll of diminished human connection, and whycapacity must come before strategy.

This conversation is a reminder that we’re human beings, nothuman doings—and when we understand our wiring, we can perform, connect, and lead better.

🔗 Connect with Emily

🌐 WorkzBe
💼 Emily Kile on LinkedIn

In this episode, Joe welcomes Joe Sclafani, who is entering his 10th season with the Toronto Blue Jays and fourth as Director of Player Development. A former Houston Astros prospect, Sclafani played four years in their system, winning a Triple-A national championship in 2015 and representing Team USA at the Premier 12 tournament. A Dartmouth Hall of Famer, he now oversees the Blue Jays’ player development system, guiding the growth and pathways of athletes across the Minor League organization.

Their conversation explores the importance of development pathways, trust, character, and interdependence in building high-performing organizations.

In this episode, Joe welcomes Joe Sclafani, who is entering his 10th season with the Toronto Blue Jays and fourth as Director of Player Development. A former Houston Astros prospect, Sclafani played four years in their system, winning a Triple-A national championship in 2015 and representing Team USA at the Premier 12 tournament. A Dartmouth Hall of Famer, he now oversees the Blue Jays’ player development system, guiding the growth and pathways of athletes across the Minor League organization.

Their conversation explores the importance of development pathways, trust, character, and interdependence in building high-performing organizations.

In this episode, Joe welcomes Seung Paik, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with 25 years of distinguished service. Throughout his career, Seung led award-winning organizations and served in operations around the globe—from Korea, Japan, and Germany to deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Beyond his service, Seung is a gifted educator. He taught economics at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he was honored as an Outstanding Academy Educator. It was at the Academy that his passion for leadership and economics merged into what would become Leadernomics—“the 101 everyone wishes they had.”

In their conversation, Joe and Seung explore the deep relationship between economics and leadership and dive into some of the transformative ideas from Seung’s new book, Leadernomics.

Contact Seung:

LinkedIn

Website

Purchase Leadernomics: Lifeand Leadership Lessons from My Mentor, Economics

In this episode, Joe welcomes Seung Paik, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with 25 years of distinguished service. Throughout his career, Seung led award-winning organizations and served in operations around the globe—from Korea, Japan, and Germany to deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Beyond his service, Seung is a gifted educator. He taught economics at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he was honored as an Outstanding Academy Educator. It was at the Academy that his passion for leadership and economics merged into what would become Leadernomics—“the 101 everyone wishes they had.”

In their conversation, Joe and Seung explore the deep relationship between economics and leadership and dive into some of the transformative ideas from Seung’s new book, Leadernomics.

Contact Seung:

⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠Website⁠

Purchase ⁠Leadernomics: Lifeand Leadership Lessons from My Mentor, Economics