Winning Mentality with Daniel Cutright

No interview style today.  Just me.

This is me sharing a story with a simple, but powerful message.  Pursuit of accomplishment often comes with adversity and setbacks.  Rarely is our first plan perfect and the one that gets us where we wish to go.  All of that is part of the journey.  It’s easy to feel discouraged along the way.  But discouragement and setbacks do not have to be final.  You can overcome.  And when you do, the victory will be that much sweeter.

What’s the first thing you say to yourself when you wake up?  Is it positive? Negative?  How about goals or habits you want to create or break?  What does you inner dialogue sound like toward those things?  In this episode, I’m joined for the second time by Licensed Professional Counselor and peak performance coach, Rebekah Vepraskas, to discuss the power of the specific words we choose when talking to ourselves.  Rebekah offers up insights based on decades of research, and her own experiences working with countless teams and individuals.  Simply understanding how we frame our goals to ourselves can be the difference in achieving or not achieving our desired results.  This is such a rich conversation and one that when really applied, can make all the difference in every area of your life, and positively impact those around you.

John and Sarah Toracinta are the founders of the apparel company NOSOLO.  The brand however, represents much more than just trendy threads.  As a couple, they knew they wanted to build something together outside of their full-time jobs, but wanted there to be purpose and meaning.  As mental health is something John and Sarah have both had close experiences with, they decided to start a company where a portion of the profits would go toward supporting mental health initiatives and awareness.  As NOSOLO has grown and evolved, the ripple effect and impact continues to present itself in ways beyond what John and Sarah could have imagined.  

In this episode, John and Sarah talk through the entrepreneurial journey of starting NOSOLO while working two full-time jobs, discuss several different aspects of mental health and what that means to each of us, and share stories of impact that validate why they believe so much in their mission.  You’ll leave this one feeling inspired, empowered, and reminded that none of us go solo…

The term legend is no exaggeration.  In his 44 years as head coach at St. Augustine’s University in North Carolina, the success that George Williams has had is all but unmatched.  Under his direction, his teams won 39 NCAA titles, which is the third most regardless of division or sport, amongst all college coaches in history.  Another 33 times his teams were national runner-up.  He coached 282 individual NCAA champions, over 40 Olympians, was named NCAA Division II Coach of the Year 20 times, was the head coach of the US Olympic Track & Field Team in 2004, assistant coach of the US Team at the 1996 Olympics, coach on multiple World Championship teams, inducted into 9 different Hall of Fames, and most recently received the 2022 USATF Coaching Legend Award.  

What was the driver behind the sustained success?  In this episode George shares his wisdom and stories of how he approached building his program, and what kept him coming back.  While it may be the accolades, wins, and statistics that show on the outside, I think you’ll quickly realize that even greater than all of that is who George is as a person, and the genuine care he has for every person that comes in his path.  It was such an honor to host this episode, and I hope you’ll take the time to listen to one of the all-time greats.

Virtually everyone has at least one behavior they would love to improve or change.  Why is it often so difficult to make changes that last?  Perhaps our focus is in the wrong place?  In this episode, I’m joined by Leighanne Gerstbrein, who specializes in human behavior change, and has worked for several years in the corporate space, and more recently through her own practice to expand her impact.  We dive into the science behind behavioral change, the impact of our habits, and practical tips for more effectively implementing habits to lead to desirable behaviors.  If you want to set yourself up for success to become the ideal you that you’ve been striving for, I’m certain you’ll find value in this conversation.

In 2019, Chris Stockel walked away from the corporate world to act on the idea that would become Mind Body Project.  Having dealt with his own struggles of anxiety throughout life, Chris had always found high intensity exercise and athletics as a great way to cope.  It wasn’t until later however, that he began to insert meditation and mindfulness into his daily routine.  He began to see notable differences not just in his mental health, but in his physical health as well.  These experiences and Chris’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to open the first workout & mindfulness studio of its kind- one combining the best of high intensity training, with mindfulness practice.  This episode not only gets into the mental health side of things, but also the entrepreneurial journey behind Mind Body Project.  

Brittany McGowan has had many incredible opportunities come her way.  To name a couple, she was crowned Miss Nevada in 2015, and also landed a spot as a briefcase model on the hit show, Deal or No Deal.  She has long been involved in the world of modeling, and is always striving to flex the entrepreneurial and creative sides through growing her own photography business and running a successful skincare blog.  Through all of the success and glamour however, this journey led her to also become passionate in the area of mental health.  Through her own experiences and recognizing how many seemingly successful people work through different aspects of mental health daily, she began to use her platform to raise awareness and let people know they are not alone.  This conversation perhaps has the most depth of any we’ve done on the show, and digs deep into topics that can be helpful for everyone.

Daniel Cutright, host of Winning Mentality, is always the person asking his guests questions. But on this episode, Daniel is put in the hot seat! Join us as we dive into his interesting background, discover the inspiration behind his podcast, hear about the unique experiences that have shaped him, and even learn what food he simply cannot live without.

Daniel has interviewed countless guests on his podcast— from former NFL players to pageant queens to entrepreneurs and everything in between. Find out what he’s discovered they all have in common.

It’s Daniel’s winning attitude and contagious zest for life that’ll have you smiling throughout this episode. Let’s get to know the man behind the mic!

When you mention Virginia basketball, you can’t have that conversation without referencing the 1984 Final Four team.  On that team was arguably the greatest college basketball player of all time in Ralph Sampson, but also Jimmy Miller, who was named East Regional MVP in that year’s Final Four run.  Jimmy went on to be drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 1985 NBA draft, and since then has found success beyond just basketball.  He runs a successful firm in the financial services industry, invests time into Piedmont CASA - an advocacy organization for children, and for the last several years has been a broadcasting voice for Virginia basketball.  This conversation is full of great stories and a unique perspective from someone who started from very humble beginnings, and has seen the program up close as a player, and now as an alumni and broadcaster.  

At the end of 2019, Christine Patruno began to put in motion an idea of helping people live better, healthier lives.  Fast-forward to April 2022.  Her idea has grown into a thriving business that has allowed her to walk away from a full-time career in the financial industry.  She is the founder CP Honest Tea, a nutrition & mindfulness coaching platform, offering a sustainable approach to living well.  In this episode, she shares the honest truth about how this all came to fruition and the mindset that helped grow a platform bringing value to so many.  Whether you’re someone looking to launch your own idea, or looking to snag some nutrition & mindfulness tips, this episode has it all.