The Paul Taylor Podcast | Expert in Hardiness and Mental Fitness

Today's episode is a little different - it's a podcast share with Craig Harper, who interviewed me about my PhD research on his podcast, and it quickly turned into a conversation about performing under pressure, keeping our sh*t together in the mess and mayhem, psychological and physiological responses to stress, the impact of anxiety on skill level, concentration and performance and my  resilience work with the military. It's a little sciencey but I think you'll dig it….If you haven't listened to Craig's podcast before, it's must - check out The You Project on your favourite podcast player or on his website here.Also check out my first ever public program, The Better You Program - run in conjunction with mindset coach Carly Taylor - places are filling up fast and the early bird pricing ends soon too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is one very successful and cool lady. She’s a self-made business icon (the type raised without the silver spoon!) who founded Boost Juice and has gone on to build a number of successful brands (Boost Juice, Salsa's Fresh Mex, CIBO Espresso and Betty's Burgers & CONCRETE CO) and she is a Director of both Retail Zoo and Michael Hill Jeweller. She has been a panel member on the TV series Shark Tank for years and had a very successful crack at Australian Survivor.  She’s also the recipient on many awards, including Telstra Businesswoman of The Year and is a mum to 4 kids.It was a pleasure to chat with Janine Allis about as we explored the ups and downs of business and valuable life lessons learnt on her journey and bringing up kids in a bubble within a bubble.You can read more of Janine's story, watch videos, order any of her books, listen to her podcast, or book her for a keynote talk at her website www.janineallis.com.au and follow her on Instagram @janine_allisDon't forget to check out our first public course - the Better You Program, which starts Monday the 29th March. You can win a free place by leaving us a great podcast review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify by the 22nd March  (just add your name at the end so we can call you out).Here's what we discuss and when:4:25 -  You’ve had a non-traditional route to being successful business woman – tell us about your journey.10:37 - You’ve hired many people in business – what’s more important; talent or character?12:39 - What have the low points & lessons been?16:00 -  Have you ever suffered from imposter syndrome?18:18 -  WRT women & equality – are you a fan of equality of opportunity or equality of outcome?25:55 - What’s your advice to a budding entrepreneur?27:54 - How do you keep yourself in balance?31:37 - What was the Shark Tank experience like, your best investments & one that got away?33:30 -  Discussion on the survivor experience – best bits, worst bits?33:34 - Bringing up Kids  ‘in a bubble within a bubble’ – how do we help them to be resilient & successful See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode I interview the super-knowledgable Cognitive Psychotherapist and Stoic Philosophy expert Donald Robertson, author of the excellent book How To Think Like A Roman Emperor , as well as 5 other on Philosophy, Psychotherapy & Psychological skills Training. Donald takes us on a journey through ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, from Socrates to the Emperor  Marcus Aurelius, exploring the Virtues of the Stoics and how we can apply them to our own lives to help us navigate the challenges of modern life. Donald is a founding member of Modern Stoicism and his own website contains online courses on Stoic Philosophy as well as lots of free videos and articles - it's an absolute treasure-trove of information. He is also a committee member for https://modernstoicism.com/ and one of the organisers and speakers  of the Stoicon-x Military conference, exploring Courage, Honour & Stoicism.If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave us a review on your podcast player as they really help.We are also delighted to announce the, called The Better You Program. It’s comprehensive 8-week, Better You program, with 8 weekly interactive webinars with myself and mindset coach Carly Taylor, a partner app and a whole heap of exercises and tools to help you become a better version of yourself – whatever that means for you. It launches on the 29th March. If the sound of this floats your boat,  click here to find out more.Below are the episode highlights:Start: Donald's journey into Stoic Philosophy & Psychotherapy7:20 -  The female connection with Stoicism9:47 -  Zeno, the founder of Stoicism18:18 - The link between Philosophy and Psychotherapy21:55 -  Seneca The Younger & Epictetus26: 44 -  The upbringing of Marcus Aurelius31:16 -  The background to the 4 Cardinal Virtues of Stoic Philosophy34:54 -  The Virtue of Wisdom (based on reason)41:41 - The Virtue of Courage44: 50 -  The Virtue of Temperance (self-discipline)45:54 - When self-discipline becomes a vice48:30 -  The Virtue of Justice (social morality)51:42 - The Therapy of the Passions57:15 - The practical application of Stoicism to modern life1:05:35 - The View From Above technique  release of our first public courseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is one sharp cookie. Barbara Horowitz is a Cardiologist and Professor at UCLA, Professor of Medicine at Harvard and Professor of Evolultionary Biology at Harvard. She’s also a trained Psychiatrist for good measure Today we discuss her recent focus on species-wide patterns in development in critical periods of life and her books Zoobiquity & Wildhood.  We explore what we can learn from human health and disease from the study of animals, and it’s a fascinating conversation.Here is the link to Barbara's website and you can also click here for her Zoobiquty book and here for her new book Wildwood - both are co-written with Kathryn Bowers.If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave us a review on your podcast player as they really help.We are also delighted to announce the, called The Better You Program. It’s comprehensive 8-week, Better You program, with 8 weekly interactive webinars with myself and mindset coach Carly Taylor, a partner app and a whole heap of exercises and tools to help you become a better version of yourself – whatever that means for you. It launches on the 29th March. If the sound of this floats your boat,  click here to find out more.Start:  How Barbara went from Cardiologist to studying animals5:40 -  The blindfold of human exceptionalism10:26 -  A fascinating whistle-stop tour of evolution (a must-listen!)14:57 -  What studying animals can teach us about diseases in humans26:42 -  Mental health conditions in animals33:34 -  Implications of co-evolved fear circuitry in animals and  humans 38:27 -  The complex biology of stress and inflammation44:45 -  The value of testable hypothesis in evolutionary adaptation49:30 -  Teenagers, risk-taking, impulsivity & peer influences in animals & humans59:27 -  Evolutionary trade-offs in chronic disease1:09:19 -  Barbara's new book Wildhood release of our first public courseHere's the highlights of the show:   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s guest was born with a severe facial deformity and diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at the age of nine, and suffered abuse & misery in and out of his home until he became a personal trainer. He discovered that by redirecting his focus, he could affect positive change in not only in the lives of the people he trained, but his own life as well. Bobby Cappuccio is now a world-renowned speaker, author and behaviour change coach.In today’s episode, we discuss how to change your own behaviour and achieve your goals, both with and without a coach, and explore the elements of good coaching and overall relationship-building. ​You can find out more about Bobby and his coaching and consulting services at https://www.robertcappuccio.com/Bobby also has a podcast called The Self Help Antidote, so check it out on your preferred podcast player.Here is the link to the Decisional Balance Sheet that we discuss.If you’re interested in a coach who uses Japanese Psychology, ACT (Acceptance-Commitment Therapy) and Motivational Interviewing, check out carlytaylorcoaching.com.auHighlights of today’s show:1:59:   Coaching overview4:29:   Coaching is the facilitation of neuroplasticity6:12:   Good and bad coaches9:55:   How to build rapport with people13:04:   The importance of the mirror neuron system in human relationships14:36:   Motivational interviewing – critical skills for coaches, parents & leaders19:54:   Take-home tips for changing your own behaviour (resolving ambivalence)33:39:  Things to look for in a good coach36:20:   The “10X your life” and “Anything is possible” bullshit to steer clear of41:55:   A neuroscience-based model of behaviour change (the DESIRE model)46:37:   Scaffolding your goals51:00:   Negativity bias in the brain and negative self-talk58:30:  Imagery – process vs outcome-based imagery1:03:50:   A Ritual Board to create habits1:09:06:   Setting up your environment for success1:11:06:   Cookies radishes and the neuroscience of discipline1:21:53:   Summing up See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Todays’ episode is a solo affair with yours truly, and it’s all to do with sleep. We are all aware that a poor night’s sleep makes us feel crappy, but in this issue I explore what’s happening in the brain when we sleep and why there are a range of both short and long-term consequences for our physical and mental health as well as cognitive performance if it is compromised.I will then go through a comprehensive sleep hygiene protocol that will enhance anyone’s ability to sleep and another that has been clinically proven to help insomniacs as well.So if you have a brain and you want to optimise it’s performance as well as your overall physical and mental health, this is a must-listen to episode. Here is a breakdown of the episode:Start:   What happens in the body & brain when we're asleep2:20:   The Glymphatic System - the brain's amazing repair process4:08:   Sleep & cognitive performance 6:46:   Short & long-term consequences of poor sleep - including smaller testicles in men!!13:08:   Paul's sleep hygiene protocol & the 10-day sleep challenge27:20:   A clinically proven protocol for insomniacsIf you want to check out the THIM ring, go to thim.ioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is a fascinating character and a real Pracademic when it comes to addiction and rehab. Jack Nagle was a teenager with a promising future in sport until recreational drug use turned into an addiction that spiralled into suicide attempts and a near-death overdose. After going through rehab, he made it his mission to start real conversations about drugs and he now runs sophisticated rehab programs for addicts, as well as a range of social media initiatives. In today’s episode, we discuss the social, emotional, genetic and epigenetic factors involved in drug use and addiction and explore  a wide-range of novel treatment modalities  - and the politics holding them back.You can find out more about Jack's work and programs at realdrugtalk.com.au,  and connectionbasedliving.com.au as well as on instagram @realdrugtalkIn this episode we discuss a wide range of topics, such as:Start:   Jack's journey into & out of drugs6:07   The ravages of ICE / Crystal Meth12:58   From drug addict to rehab program director14:35   Is addiction a disease?19:06   Your brain on drugs22:30  The role of emotional and spiritual voids in addiction26:40   The pleasureful side of drugs and alcohol29:00   Environmental & genetic influences on risk of addiction35:30   Epigenetics & neuroplasticity44:20   The effectiveness (or lack thereof) of traditional rehab programs50:32   The potential for therapist-guided journeys with psychedellics as a treatment1:04:46   The role of the gut microbiome in treatment 1:07:46   Jack's ultimate rehab program See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is Diana Rodgers, who is a “real food” nutritionist, author and sustainability advocate based in the USA. She runs a clinical nutrition practice, hosts the Sustainable Dish Podcast, and speaks internationally about human nutrition, sustainability, animal welfare and social justice. She’s helped to produce the award-winning short film, Soft Slaughter and is the producer and director of the film and co-author of the bookIn today’s episode we do a deep dive into the health, environmental and ethical considerations around eating meat. It’s an important listen whether you are a meat-eater or meat free.Sacred Cow. You can find out more about Diana, the film and book at the Sacred Cow websiteYou can download the film and watch a trailer on iTunes and buy the book on amazonHighlights from today’s podcast are:Start:  The process of making a documentary/film7:08   What do good and bad types of nutritional research look like13:46   Some consideration and concerns of meat-free diets, especially in kids21:08   Diana’s view of the EAT Lancet study’s dietary recommendations25:11   Why nutrient density is the key component of any diet30:51   The environmental impact of different types of agriculture34:46   The case for regenerative farming39:47   Is meat-free a privileged, first-world position?42:19   Diana’s recommendations for a healthy diet48:52   The ethical argument – no meat or better meat?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest, Michol Dalcourt, is an internationally recognised leader in health and human performance. He is the founder of the Institute of Motion, inventor of ViPR PRO and a former Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco. Michol has given hundreds of international lectures and has been a featured speaker at most of the world’s top fitness conferences, fitness clubs and at many colleges and universities around the world.He also consults with many of the fitness industry’s biggest companies - including Equinox, Microsoft and Nike and is a treasure trove of exercise information.This is part 2 of a 2-part podcast.You can explore some of Michol’s work at instituteofmotion.com and see his product, the VipR Pro, and associated exercises at Vipr.comSee this link for the 3 different 4Q modelsSee this blog for a more in-depth explanation of the 4Q neuromechanical model.Here's what we discuss:Start   Practical take-homes from part 18:19    Michol’s 4Q model for recovery11:10   The surprising benefits of laughter15:21   The different recovery categories17:55   Structuring your recovery21:49   When to use cold recovery – and when not to24:55   Michol’s 4Q neuromechanical model of movement patterns29:21   Practically applying the 4Q neuromechanical model32:33   The science of breathing 39:14   Pre-exercise breathing techniquesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest, Michol Dalcourt, is an internationally recognised leader in health and human performance. He is the founder of the Institute of Motion, inventor of ViPR PRO and a former Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco. Michol has given hundreds of international lectures and has been a featured speaker at most of the world’s top fitness conferences, fitness clubs and at many colleges and universities around the world.He also consults with many of the fitness industry’s biggest companies - including Equinox, Microsoft and Nike and is a treasure trove of exercise information.This is part 1 of a 2-part podcast.You can explore some of Michol’s work at instituteofmotion.com and see his product, the VipR Pro, and associated exercises at Vipr.comIn this episode, we discuss:2:02    Why developmental biology is relevant to exercise 7:27    Pro’s and con’s of traditional weight training9:59    Training for performance vs health and longevity – why they are different14:55 Michol’s 4Q model of training and recovery24:43  Why most HIIT training is not HIIT – it’s HISS34:35  Why some types of exercise & nutrition can shorten longevity and increase cancer risk 45:30 Recommendations for exercise planning using the 4Q modelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.