Win More, Live Better

Moylan’s Arrow explores how one small design decision removed friction for millions of people and what it can teach us as coaches and leaders about environment design. Drawing inspiration from the real life story of Jim Moylan, this episode unpacks why leadership is less about telling people to “figure it out” and more about creating conditions for great work to occur. You’ll learn how to spot hidden friction and leverage the right people in your organization to remove it.

 Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/

Achieving goals don’t always require massive effort, but they do require leverage. In this episode, we explore The Domino Effect and why extraordinary results rarely come from doing everything or trying harder. Borrowing from physics, we'll discuss how small, intentional actions (when lined up correctly) can compound into powerful momentum.

 Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/

This is the latest segment of "After the Whistle," a short reflection series that follows guest conversations on Win More, Live Better. Drawing from my recent interview with Mitch Canham, this episode explores the often-overlooked idea of transition routines. We spend plenty of time preparing to perform, but far less time learning how to exit performance. This reflection looks at how intentional transitions can influence our consistency, regulation, and presence on those we love most.

 Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/

Today I’m joined by Mitch Canham, the head baseball coach at Oregon State University. Mitch’s story and career has come full circle as he once helped build Oregon State’s championship standard as a player and now carries the program forward as its head coach.

As a student-athlete, Canham helped lead the Beavers to three trips to Omaha for the College World Series and back-to-back National Championships in 2006 and 2007. He earned numerous individual accolades including 2007 All-America honors, and First-Team All-Pac-10 recognition.

Following his collegiate career, Canham was selected 57th overall in the first round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. He spent nearly a decade in professional baseball, which extended up to the Triple-A level. 

Before returning to Corvallis, Canham built his coaching foundation in professional baseball, spending three-and-a-half seasons as a minor-league manager in the Seattle Mariners organization.

Since taking over at Oregon State, Canham has guided the Beavers to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, Super Regionals, and a return to Omaha in 2025, when Oregon State won 48 games and advanced through five consecutive elimination games.

In the conversation, Mitch goes beyond results to unpack how he leads. He breaks down his belief that strong cultures and relationships are built on honesty, the truth, and communication. He shares how he reframes adversity from something that is “hard” into something that is worth accepting as a challenge, why leaders must build systems to guard against drift, and how his faith serves as a guiding light in his personal and professional life. 

Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:
[6:15] — Leadership Lessons from 2006 & 2007 National Championships 

[8:43] — Core Values and Pillars of the Program

[11:35] — His MVP'S (Mission, Values, Purpose, and Slogan)

[14:14] — Prioritizing Your Values

[18:32] — Upholding the Standards as a Staff

[33:20] — Preventing Drift as a Leader

[36:06] — Growth Amidst All Phases in Life

[38:40] — Coaching is an Art

[47:09] — Leveraging a Vision of Your Future

[53:16] — Faith and Family

Learn More About Mitch Canham:

• If you’d like to learn more from Mitch Canham, you can follow him here.

Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/
• You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.

Growth rarely follows a linear path and trajectory. This episode examines what I call the Up and To the Right Fallacy and how performers (and leaders) will sometimes mistake nonlinear growth as an indication of inadequacy. It's a reminder how messy seasons and unexpected detours are not indictments of your ability, but rather part of the normal process it takes to pursue or create something meaningful.

 Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/

One of the hardest leadership questions to answer is this: What happens when I leave the room? This episode explores why compliance in a leader’s presence doesn’t always translate to commitment in their absence. Through stories and a classic leadership metaphor comparing buffalo and geese, we examine how leaders unintentionally create dependence and how they can instead build cultures rooted in shared ownership.

 Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/

How often do you make promises you don’t fully intend to keep? In this episode, Zach examines how leaders unintentionally erode trust through unmet commitments and why auditing your promises is a key practice to ensure you're not losing and sabotaging your credibility. You’ll learn about two types of promises leaders make and a practical audit you can use today to protect your integrity and strengthen your impact.

 Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/

After the Whistle is a short reflection episode following each guest interview, where Zach pulls out a standout moment from the conversation and offers additional perspective on how to apply the insight to your own coaching, leadership, and life. 

In this episode, Zach expands on Jack Mullaney’s idea of “going on offense” with your time as a coach, whereby you intentionally set priorities and align your schedule with your values, rather than reacting your way through the day on defense.

 Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/

Our first guest interview of 2026 is Jack Mullaney. Jack is the head coach of HOKA NAZ Elite, one of the premier professional distance running teams in the world, based in Flagstaff, Arizona. His coaching journey began in sport administration, serving as an operations assistant for the University of Minnesota track & field and cross-country programs before moving to Utah State University as Director of Operations.

In 2017, Jack transitioned into coaching as an assistant coach at the University of Portland, where he spent seven seasons as a key member of one of the most successful collegiate distance programs in the country. During his time at Portland, he helped lead the men’s program to two NCAA Cross Country podium finishes and the women’s program to its highest finish in program history, while also serving as recruiting coordinator and working with athletes who went on to compete internationally.

Jack holds a Master’s degree in Sport Management, is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and a USATF Level 3 Coach. He took over as head coach of HOKA NAZ Elite in the fall of 2023, and in his first year, NAZ athletes set multiple team records across track and road events, earned a U.S. road title, placed at World Indoors and the Chicago Marathon, and produced a top-10 finish at the Olympic Games.

Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:
[7:28] — Unique Demands and Challenges as a Running Coach

[10:06] — Core Values and the 5 C's

[20:18] — "Heating the Room" Analogy

[24:53] — Leveraging Shoutouts and Recognition to Reinforce Values

[28:46] — Fireman and Heart Surgeon Mindset

[37:33] — Managing Pressure with a Clear Process and Values

[43:34] — Being on Offense vs. Defense Each Day

[54:55] — Protecting Your Well-being as the Leader

[1:00:38] — Reading and Learning from Others

[1:06:55] — Coaching to the Individual

[1:11:52] — How to Evaluate Yourself as a Coach

[1:14:57] — Quick Hitters

Learn More About Jack Mullaney:

• If you’d like to learn more from Jack Mullaney, you can follow him here.

Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/
• You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.

Why do some athletes excel in pressure moments and others tighten up, even when the task is exactly the same? In this episode, Zach explores a lesson drawn from elite-level soccer and the psychology of penalty kicks. It offers a reminder that our perception of pressure is key to determining our ability to execute when it matters most.

 Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/