Win More, Live Better

One of the most important reminders we can share with athletes is to not judge your performance or season too early. Like a Polaroid picture, performance takes time to develop. This episode is all about evaluating your growth with patience and perspective and not becoming trapped by assumptions you create from past experiences.

• 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/

Pioneering American psychologist, William James, once told an audience of thousands that a century of psychological research could be distilled into one principle: You become what you think of yourself. This episode breaks down why identity drives behavior and why even elite performers sometimes get in their own way.

• 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/

A lot of performers chase being the best, but there's an added advantage for those who become the only. The real separator is someone who creates value in ways no one else is willing or able to do. So in this episode, Zach breaks down how limitation creates value. You’ll learn why exclusivity is a performance advantage, how to identify high-impact gaps in your environment, and how adopting this mindset accelerates your influence and opportunities.

• 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/

Tommy Sheppard's career spans over 30 years in the NBA, which includes most recently serving as the General Manager and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. Known for his humility, generosity, and world-class ability to connect with people, Tommy now works as an executive leadership coach helping leaders align performance with purpose. 

Between his time with the Wizards, Denver Nuggets, and USA Basketball, he's made significant contributions to the sport of basketball in multiple ways. He's also served as an Adjunct Professor for Georgetown University's Sport Industry Management program since 2009. 

In this conversation, we discuss the human side of leadership including his non-negotiables (e.g. character, self-awareness, integrity). Tommy shares stories from his decades in the NBA, how he navigated the uncertainty of COVID, why curiosity matters more as you advance, and what leaders often get wrong about developing people. 

This whole conversation offers a grounded and wide-ranging look at what it means to lead well, especially when the stakes are highest.

Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:
[6:23] — Love People, Not Things

[8:34] — A Non-Traditional Path to the NBA

[12:50] — Beginner's Mind for Leaders

[17:23] — 3 Pillars Every Team Needs

[23:43] — How NBA Teams Evaluate Character

[29:19] — Leadership Can't Have a Bad Day

[36:56] — Building a Healthy GM-Head Coach Relationship

[41:12] — Why Leaders Need to Check Their "Dashboard"

[45:18] — Preparing for Tough Stretches Before They Happen

[52:11] — Hardest Stretch of His NBA Career 

[55:36] — Check In On Your People

[59:05] — Being Present at Home

[1:04:52] — Treat 12 Like 1 and 1 Like 12

[1:09:41] — 3 Questions to Help Foster a Great Relationship

[1:12:42] — What 30 Years in the NBA Changed My Mind About

[1:16:21] — The Legacy That Matters Most

Learn More About Tommy:

• To learn more about Tommy's work and coaching, check out his website here: https://tommysheppard.com/

 Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a collegiate or professional coach striving to win more and live better, I'm offering free discovery calls in December to share resources and offer support for your journey. You can sign up for a call here: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/

Former UFC fighter, Frank Shamrock, once shared a simple framework for how to grow more effectively with the right people in your circle. This episode explores his Plus–Minus–Equal process and how mentors, peers, and rising performers each play a critical role for you in raising standards and sustaining excellence. 

• 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/

We all know the phrase, “Put your own oxygen mask on first.” Yet many leaders, coaches, and parents struggle to do it. Using two recent conversations (one with an Olympic-level coach and the other an NFL agent), this episode asks a deeper question, "Who in your life puts the oxygen mask on for you when you won’t?"

• 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 episode explores why excellence often comes not from adding more, but from deliberately subtracting what no longer strengthens your craft. Borrowing from the film industry, we discuss how great editors shape award-winning films not by cramming in more scenes, but by cutting the ones that are not essential. You’ll discover why deliberate subtraction is one of the most overlooked tools for improving performance and sharpening your communication as a coach.

• 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/

Most athletes treat the offseason as a technical laboratory to refine their mechanics and strengthen their physical skills, but sometimes this creates challenges in-season when competition arrives. In this episode, Zach shares a couple of personal stories from his work with Major League Baseball players and a valuable proverb on the importance of building trust in your identity as an adaptable competitor. Listeners will learn practical strategies for improving adaptability and competing when their mechanics and physical skills breakdown in-season.

• 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/

Billy Allen brings a rare blend of experience to today's conversation: Elite performer, coach, author, and longtime podcast host. Entering his third season as an assistant coach and player development coordinator for Stanford’s beach volleyball program in 2026, Billy has already helped guide the Cardinal to a historic success on The Farm.

Outside of coaching, Billy continues to compete on the AVP professional beach volleyball tour. A three-time AVP champion and former member of the USA Beach Volleyball National Team, he represented Team USA for six years on the world stage. Billy is also the co-host of the long-running “Coach Your Brains Out” podcast, where he has interviewed some of the most respected coaches and thought leaders in sport and he is the author of multiple books spanning from coaching to fiction fantasy.

In this conversation, we explore Billy’s perspective on the mental game through both the lens of an athlete and a coach. We discuss what he’s learned from talking with top coaches around the world, how those lessons have shaped his own coaching philosophy, and why ecological dynamics and skill acquisition sit at the center of his approach to athlete development. Billy also shares how his long competitive career continues to influence the way he coaches today.

Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:
[6:20] — The Inspiration for The Inner Knight

[9:40] — Parallels Between Writing and Competing

[12:05] — Diving Into Mindfulness Practices

[13:57] — Benefits from Meditation

[15:58] — Mindful Minutes at Stanford

[22:44] — What He Wishes Coaches Understood Earlier

[25:38] — The Trap of Overcoaching

[30:20] — Own Your 3-Foot World

[32:43] — Lessons Learn from Athletes He's Coached

[35:34] — Learning is a Maze, Not a Ladder

[44:49] — Knowledge Of vs. Knowledge About 

[47:31] — Curiosity is a Superpower

[51:58] — Starting the Coach Your Brains Out Podcast 

[56:55] — Common Patterns Amongst Great Coaches

[1:07:16] — Improv and Partner Exercises for Training Presence

[1:11:05] — Finding Balance Across Different Roles and Disciplines

[1:14:23] — His Resilience and Journey

Learn More About Billy:

• https://www.instagram.com/billyketchallen/?hl=en
• To learn more about the Coach Your Brains Out Podcast, listen to the show using this link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coach-your-brains-out/id1060183650
• To purchase and read Billy's books, check out this link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Billy-Ketch-Allen/author/B07JCJ9Z9T?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=2479b4fb-c143-46fb-b942-0bbcb19c386e

 Learn More About Zach:

• If you’re a collegiate or professional coach striving to win more and live better, I'm offering free discovery calls in December to share resources and offer support for your journey. You can sign up for a call here: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
• For more practical tools and mindset stories, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/

We all love the good days, but our commitments are defined by how we handle the hard ones. This episode reflects on the importance of embracing not only the joyful parts of life, but the difficult ones too. 

• 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/