In this enlightening conversation, Todd Herman, a performance coach and bestselling author known for his work with elite athletes, shares transformative insights drawn from his book, The Alter Ego Effect. He discusses how creating an alter ego can help individuals overcome self-doubt and unlock hidden strengths. Listeners discover the mental strategies Olympic athletes and Super Bowl champions use to perform at their best. Todd also emphasizes the importance of embracing emotions and crafting flexible identities to achieve personal goals and bridge the gap between who you are and who you want to be.
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insights INSIGHT
Follow Your Blisters
The true Joseph Campbell quote is 'follow your blisters' meaning pain leads to bliss and growth.
This reframes struggle as an essential path to recovery and success.
insights INSIGHT
Ambition Sparks Creativity
Ambition often clashes with personal limitations, creating a fertile ground for growth and creativity.
Todd Herman illustrated this with his own athletic aspirations and the birth of his alter ego concept.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Kill Old Persona To Grow
To progress, sometimes you must 'kill' your old persona that's no longer useful.
This deliberate ending creates room for new, better identities to grow.
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In this book, Todd Herman explains how creating an 'alter ego' can help individuals unlock their full potential. Backed by scientific research and real-world examples, Herman shows how this concept, often used by top athletes and executives, can be applied to various aspects of life such as sports, business, career, parenting, and more. The book provides strategies for building and activating an alter ego to overcome self-doubt, negativity, and insecurity, and to empower individuals to become their best selves[2][4][5].
The Power of Myth
Joseph Campbell
This book is derived from a series of television interviews between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers, aired in 1988. It delves into the universal themes and functions of myths across various cultures, highlighting their role in uniting communities, explaining social, cosmological, and spiritual realities, and guiding individuals through life's significant stages. Campbell discusses how myths help people understand common human experiences such as love, death, and the search for meaning. He also addresses the modern world's disconnection from mythological narratives and the consequences this has on individual and societal well-being. The book emphasizes the importance of myths in providing a framework for life, fostering community identity, and helping individuals navigate life's transitions and challenges[1][2][4].
What if the key to becoming your best self… is already inside you—waiting to be activated? In this inspiring episode, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen talk with performance coach and bestselling author Todd Herman about the proven mental strategies used by Olympic athletes, Super Bowl champions, and top executives to crush self-doubt and perform at the highest level. Drawing on decades of coaching experience and insights from his bestselling book The Alter Ego Effect, Todd shares how stepping into a powerful identity—like Kobe Bryant’s “Black Mamba” or Beyoncé’s “Sasha Fierce”—can help you overcome fear, unlock confidence, and tap into your hidden strengths. Whether you’re chasing a big goal or trying to heal from past pain, this episode will show you how to bridge the gap between who you are and who you need to be.
Change Your Brain Every Day 
