Win More, Live Better

What if the biggest competitive advantage your team has isn't your talent, but the systems you build around it?

In this episode, I'm joined by Josh Chambers, the Director of Process for the University of Maryland men's basketball program. Josh has spent more than a decade helping build elite college basketball programs alongside one of the game's most respected coaches, Buzz Williams. His journey has taken him from serving as a student manager at Virginia Tech to working with Hall of Famer George Raveling in strategic planning, founding his own creative and recruiting company, and then returning to a coaching seat alongside Coach Williams.

Today, Josh's role extends far beyond basketball strategy. He helps design the systems, processes, and environments that shape leadership, player development, recruiting, communication, and team culture, which making him one of the few people in college athletics whose full-time focus is helping an entire program become more intentional.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• What a Director of Process actually does and why every organization can learn from it.
• Why "culture is how you live, not what you say."
• The difference between intention and execution and how great leaders bridge the gap.
• Leadership lessons from Buzz Williams and Hall of Famer George Raveling.
• How to intentionally design systems that improve performance and strengthen culture.
• Why elite teams obsess over inputs instead of outcomes.
• The mindset shift that helped Josh stop "giving away days."

Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:
[5:52] — Josh's Journey

[10:14] — What is a Director of Process?

[13:48] — Clarity and Urgency Drive Actions

[17:41] — Solving the Gap Between Intention and Execution

[22:58] — Consistency Starts With a Clear Mind

[25:33] — Leadership Lessons from Buzz Williams

[30:42] — Lessons from George Raveling

[35:45] — Culture Is How You Live

[40:17] — Creating Alignment in Year One

[45:57] — Obsess Over Inputs

[50:50] — Using Emotion to Build Culture 

[58:28] — Stories That Stick

[1:06:01] — Developing an Abundance Mindset

[1:18:32] — The Team That Matters Most

Learn More About Zach:

• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.

Would you rather find out what you’re capable of or spend your life wondering what might have happened if you tried? In this episode, we explore British mountaineer Mo Anthoine’s idea of “feeding the rat” which is a symbol for our human desire for testing limits and deliberately choosing meaningful challenges that stretch your current capacity. 

Learn More About Zach:

• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.

Why do some of our best performances feel almost effortless? Using Josh Kerr's recent world record in the mile, this episode explores a hidden paradox of peak performance: The harder we try to force greatness, the more likely we are to create the very interference that holds us back. You'll learn why flow can't be manufactured and how to gain control by knowing what not to control.

Learn More About Zach:

• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.

Reading a book is one thing, but actually applying and living its ideas is another. This episode isn’t a list of my favorite books per se, but it is a reflection on eight books whose lessons continue to influence my coaching, leadership, parenting, and perspective years after I turned the final page.

Learn More About Zach:

• Secure your free seat for my upcoming live masterclass session here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.

You won’t always control which thoughts enter your mind, but you can control what you do next. In this episode, Zach uses an unexpected moment during a rainy run to explain two ways we can respond to unhelpful thoughts: Change their content or change our relationship with them. Learn how athletes, coaches, and leaders can redirect unproductive self-talk when possible and continue taking purposeful action when the thoughts refuse to change.

Learn More About Zach:

• Secure your free seat for my upcoming live masterclass session here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.

Many of the most important investments we make don't produce immediate results. Drawing from a childhood memory of preparing firewood with his dad and a quote from musical artist John Mayer, in this episode Zach shares how small daily efforts accumulate over time and why consistent preparation creates the confidence to perform when it matters most.

Learn More About Zach:

• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.

Every meaningful dream comes with fine print. Whether you're an athlete, coach, leader, entrepreneur, or simply pursuing an important goal, the journey will almost certainly take longer than expected, require greater sacrifice, and test you in ways you never imagined. In this episode, Zach draws inspiration from the recent MLB and NBA drafts and explains why understanding the "fine print" for your dream can help pro athletes (and all of us) pursue excellence.

Learn More About Zach:

• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.

How do you build teams that perform under extraordinary pressure when failure isn't an option?

This week, I'm joined by Dr. Suzanne Bell, an organizational psychologist, internationally recognized expert on team effectiveness, and Lead Scientist of NASA's Behavioral Health & Performance Laboratory at Johnson Space Center. Dr. Bell leads research focused on helping astronauts and mission teams thrive in some of the most demanding environments imaginable, studying everything from teamwork, leadership, communication, behavioral health, sleep, and adaptability to support NASA's future lunar and Mars missions. 

Dr. Bell has also spent decades researching high-performing teams and advising organizations on how to build environments where people can consistently perform at their best.

In this conversation, we explore why a team of experts doesn't automatically become an expert team, what coaches and leaders can learn from NASA about communication and feedback, how great leaders translate vision into daily behaviors, and why readiness, recovery, and self-care are essential ingredients for sustained high performance.

Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:
[4:24] — The Psychology of Space Travel

[8:08] — Core Problems for Space Travel

[11:59] — Expert Teams Aren't Automatic

[15:29] — How Astronauts Live and Work Together 

[18:52] — Your Team Becomes Your Family

[21:58] — Common Breakdowns for Teams

[26:33] — Great Teams Are Designed

[32:00] — Quality Communication and Feedback

[36:37] — Inside NASA's Mars Simulation

[47:59] — Self-Care Makes Better Leaders

[53:10] — Creating Effective Support Systems

[56:06] — Translating Vision Into Daily Behavior

Learn More About Zach:

• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.

We’re halfway through the 2026 year. Before you rush into the next six months, this can be a great time to pause and evaluate your year so far. In this episode, I share a personal mid-year reflection on the lessons and questions that have shaped my first half of 2026 and the halftime adjustments I’m making for the back half of the year.

Learn More About Zach:

• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.

How do you decide what deserves your time and attention when everything feels important? In this episode, Zach explores why identifying your values isn’t enough, you also need to understand how they’re prioritized. This episode offers a practical way to think about your values and ensure your daily choices reflect the life you’re trying to build.

Learn More About Zach:

• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.