Intentional Performers

Dan Simons is the Co-Owner of the innovative Farmers Restaurant Group — majority owned by American family farmers — with a mission to earn farmers a larger share of the food dollar while delivering thoughtfully-sourced, scratch-made food, and exceptional hospitality. Farmers Restaurant Group operates 7 restaurants and 1 distillery throughout the DC, MD, VA, and PA area, and most recently pivoted their business model to include a Founding Farmers Market + Grocery- selling everything from prepared dinners and hand sanitizer made in their DC distillery, Founding Spirits to homemade chocolates and bottled cocktails. Passionate about the health of the planet, Simons founded the non-profit Our Last Straw, a business-led coalition working to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics, and is on the Advisory Board of Conscious Capitalism DC. In this episode, we discuss past failures and successes (7:18), more on success (8:53), conscious capitalism (10:54), if he loved wrestling (13:40), what it was like competing in an individual sport that also had a team component, and how that impacted the way he sees the world (15:15), what he thought his future would be while in college (16:68), his family history’s impact on his life (19:56), parallels between wrestling and business (22:25), where he gets peace of mind in his life (24:50), 168 hours in a week (28:12), discipline (31:20), how to say no (32:59), saying yes (41:50), the restaurant industry as a business (45:13), what he loves about the restaurant business (47:17), how the pandemic has affected his business (50:49), company constitutions (54:15), if the pandemic changed the company constitution (56:20), partnership (57:35), if others have replicated his model (1:00:34), mental health in the workplace (1:01:56), getting people back to work from the pandemic (1:06:27), and dining in at restaurants (1:09:18). You can check out Dan’s website here! You can also follow him on Twitter @DanSimonsSays. Thank you so much to Dan for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Dr. Kensa Gunter is a licensed psychologist & a Certified Mental Performance Consultant based in Atlanta, GA. She provides services to individuals, teams, & organizations and describes her work as being at the intersection of mental health, mental performance, culture and sport. Dr. Gunter also currently serves as the President of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. In this episode, we discuss the symbolism in Dr. Gunter’s “tree of life” (6:37), how she uses that metaphor with her clients (9:26), gratitude (10:49), if she makes a distinction between spirituality and religion (12:14), if her connection to Christianity has changed over time (13:11), her favorite quote (15:53), perfectionism (18:57), if there is a dark side to striving for excellence that can bleed over to a client’s overall wellbeing (21:58), what she would tell her 12-year-old self (26:05), how to preach patience in a sports world that is so transactional (32:52), how she’s worked to be patient and present over the past year (35:23), what can get in the way of performers (38:48), growth mindset (42:18), what she’s struggled with over the past year and a half (45:10), psychological safety and security (52:02), navigating her career in the world of sport psychology (58:59), what advice she would give to people looking to break into the field of sport psychology (1:03:59), the gifts that exist alongside being unique (1:08:19), being an entrepreneur (1:12:10), the transition to private practice (1:18:00), the future of sport psychology (1:21:56), where she sees herself in 10 years (1:24:59), what she intentionally does to make sure she’s at her best (1:26:54), and being dauntless (1:29:38). You can check out Dr Gunter’s website here! You can also follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn by searching for Dr. Kensa Gunter. Thank you so much to Dr. Gunter for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Steve Mesler is the Co-Founder and CEO of Classroom Champions, a non-profit that brings together children and the world’s best athletes to mentor and teach kids the skills they need to succeed in and out of the classroom. After winning an Olympic Gold Medal in the 4-man bobsled at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, Steve was inspired to bring the values, lessons, and experiences he and his fellow Olympic and Paralympic athletes had gained through sport into classrooms. Since creating Classroom Champions in 2009, over 200 athletes have taught more than 1 million students about goal setting, perseverance, and teamwork to support their mental health, wellness, and academic achievement. Steve has written for or been featured in the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, Inc, NBC’s Today Show, and dozens of other news, sports, and education outlets. Steve is a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), was a finalist for the International Champion for Peace award, and was named one of Sports Illustrated “Athletes Who Care.” He is a sought-after presenter at education and other conferences around the world, including Dubai, Sochi, Tel Aviv, Guatemala, and across the U.S. and Canada, and has collaborated with the likes of TED, Big Think, and others to increase awareness of the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) in young students In this episode, we discuss dual citizenship (6:52), Americans training in Canada (8:26), what it was like flying on an F-16 plane (11:08), a champion or hero Steve looked up to as a kid and why (18:44), the impact his parents had on he and his sister (22:16), how he thinks about education differently than his parents did (26:30), his parents’ reaction to him pursuing bobsledding (31:35), the thinking as he transitioned to bobsled (36:06), the first time he got into a bobsled (37:05), his relationship with fear while bobsledding (41:58), if he loved bobsledding (44:35), if he loved track and field (46:47), loving sports (49:56), the various psychological tolls sports can take on an athlete (53:50), mental health (1:03:47), your profession being a part of who you are (1:08:08), if he still competes (1:11:08), learning how to become a leader in his new role (1:13:10), and Classroom Champions (1:17:21). Make sure to check out Steve’s website and also to check out his content on Medium, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Additionally, you can check out Steve’s blog here, as well as the Classroom Champions website and the Willie documentary website. Thanks so much to Steve for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Brant Menswar is a best-selling author, performance coach, named one of the country’s “Top 10" speakers in motivation and CEO/Founder of bookstarPR. His books and Top 200 podcast (Thoughts That Rock) expand on his ground-breaking work around values-based leadership described as “disarmingly simple and incredibly powerful.” He has helped to change what’s possible for industry-leading organizations like Netflix, Verizon, Anthem, SunTrust, Microsoft, ESPN, Hilton, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and dozens more. In this episode, we discuss when Brant first picked up a guitar (6:08), if difficulty can stunt creativity (10:30), his past job and what led to him pursuing his dream of becoming a Rockstar (11:58), when faith came into his life (14:23), baseball (16:11), what he was like academically (20:06), what he struggled with when he was younger (21:18), polarity within himself (25:39), unique contributions (30:25), why he didn’t continue to just play music (31:22), what it was like to first hear his son had cancer and what it’s been like the past few months since his son passed away (33:08), what he learned from his son (35:35), what he’s been doing creativity-wise the last couple months (39:30), his relationship with faith today (42:25), what sparked the importance of values in his life (46:59), living your values (50:27), professional vs. personal values (55:27), black sheep values (1:03:52), security (1:16:00), what he intentionally does every day to ensure his values are actionable (1:24:10), You can check out Brant on social media platforms @brantmenswar. Also, feel free to visit Brant’s website here! Thank you so much to Brant for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

WRITER. SPEAKER. HUMAN. Julie Lythcott-Haims believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto How to Raise an Adult which gave rise to a TED Talk that has more than 5 million views. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. A third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, is out now. Julie is a former corporate lawyer and Stanford dean, and she holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. She serves on the board of Common Sense Media, and on the advisory board of LeanIn.Org, and she is a former board member at Foundation for a College Education, Global Citizen Year, The Writers Grotto, and Challenge Success. She volunteers with the hospital program No One Dies Alone. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over thirty years, their itinerant young adults, and her mother. In this episode, we discuss why she got into each of her three careers (7:12), the values her parents taught her as a kid as she felt “otherized” in society (11:35), naming blackness but not whiteness (17:00), the idea of the “other” (24:19), how she figures out when to be curious and when to be convicted (28:10), what changed between her two Ted Talks (31:58), if she’s experienced any imposter syndrome and how she’s handled it (35:27), what she misses about being Dean (39:16), inspiration (42:15), her identity (43:38), writing (47:03), if she prefers writing poetry or not (51:46), where the line is as a parent between commitment and over commitment (54:35), fostering independence in your children (1:01:16), adulting (1:03:44), and what she intentionally does to make sure she feels alive (1:07:00). You can check out Julie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additionally, when posting about her new book, make sure to use the hashtag #YourTurnToAdult. You can visit Julie’s website here and can purchase her new book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, here! Thank you so much to Julie for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Jay Wright has become a mainstay in the world of College Basketball. He was recently inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, he’s won 2 National Championships (one in 2016 and one in 2018), and he took a team to the Final Four in 2009, becoming one of the all-time greats when it comes to college basketball. He’s led Villanova, the team he coaches, to 6 Big East Conference Championships and 14 NCAA Tournaments. In this episode, we discuss what it has been like for Jay to coach Brandon Slater (7:31), what he looks for in leadership (11:00), dealing with, managing, and developing defiant players (15:31), his experience with PeacePlayers in Israel (19:33), attitude’s impact on Villanova’s culture (23:57), how he thinks about his own identity (27:06), Father Rob and Jim Brennan’s impact (29:18), how he makes sure his emption is helpful and not harmful (33:47), what he does pregame and how he makes sure he’s where he needs to be (37:19), the difference between players and actors (40:53), and how he thinks about legacy and what’s next for him (46:22). Thank you so much to Jay for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

In 2003, Rebecca Powers lost her brother and, as a result, founded Impact Austin, a collective giving organization that brings women and their financial resources together to make a profound impact in Central Texas. To date, the organization has put $7.4M to work helping the underserved. Rebecca has received multiple awards recognizing her leadership and speaks nationally inspiring women to connect their capacity to give with their confidence to do it well. She also mentors women in cities across the US as they form their own collectives. In this episode, we discuss when philanthropy came to be something Rebecca wanted to leverage and focus on (6:16), if she was bitter her brother didn’t go to the doctor sooner to prevent his demise (8:21), the polarity between her anger and inspiration (9:58), the role of faith in her life (11:41), the relationship between faith and philanthropy (13:45), the communal aspect of Impact Austin (16:00), how she went about building Impact Austin (17:24), what she had created and done before Impact Austin (20:02), why she distinguishes between giving to church and philanthropy (22:11), contributions (23:28), how to attract young members (26:05), doing well so you can do good (33:09), why Impact Austin is just for women (34:27), if there are ever people who would prefer to give and donate on their own (38:07), what she’s learned about herself and about leadership while leading this organization (39:17), the challenges she faced when taking on a leadership role (42:35), newsletters (45:44), when she decided she may not be the best person to run things from a systems and organizations standpoint (46:55), what gives her joy now (48:21), writing her book (49:56), her book “Trust Your Cape” (51:57), the city of Austin (55:45), and how she influences people across the country (57:24). I strongly encourage you to check out Rebecca’s content on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as visiting the Impact Austin website here! Additionally, feel free to send her an email: info@impactaustin.org. Thank you so much to Rebecca for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Becky Burleigh is the soon-to-retire head coach of the University of Florida Women’s Soccer Team. She has been at the University of Florida for 27 years, where she started the program. Before that, Becky was the head coach at Berry College in Rome, Georgia at the age of 21. She was the captain of her soccer team, playing defense and goalie, before going on to coach at the age of 21. By age 26, she was in Florida, heading and starting up the program. In four years, at the age of 30, she helped to lead the University of Florida to a National Championship. Becky is an amazing leader who thinks deeply about character and “what drives winning,” which is a question and a statement. Becky is also obsessed with the idea of how do coaches develop and get better beyond the X’s and O’s? In this episode, we discuss why Becky is interested in DJing (6:47), her go to song (9:43), why she transitioned from playing defense her first 3 years at college to playing goalie for her senior year (11:51), where her discipline and desire to go toward the grind came from (14:53), her parents and the impact they had on her (15:41), selflessness and service in partnerships (18:16), perspective taking as a coach (20:28), how to mix the desire to win and challenging players with the idea that her players are ultimately still just playing a sport (23:38), what it was like coaching Abby Wambach as a freshman (26:46), if she treated Abby differently (28:50), where Abby’s alpha mentality came from and what it was like coaching an alpha (31:05), influence (33:26), if she considers herself to be an alpha (35:29), curiosity and conviction (39:27), judgment (42:16), paranoia in sports (45:36), lack of boundaries in sports (47:52), what triggered her transition into retirement (51:52), if there are ways to lessen the sacrifices made in sports (54:36), what drives winning (55:54), how to be a great questioner but also provide guidance and answers (57:15), more about what drives winning and where it’s going (58:58), teaching at Florida and what she’s excited about going forward (1:00:47), You can check out Becky on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @BeckyBurleigh! Additionally, make sure to check out WhatDrivesWinning.com! Thank you so much to Becky for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Muffet McGraw, previously the head coach of Notre Dame Women’s Basketball, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2017. She became just the 32nd women ever to do so, and the 13th female coach. Bringing women out into the spotlight and helping women progress in and beyond sports is a massive mission that Muffet has taken on. As a coach, she’s a 2x National Champion. The first came in 2001, when Notre Dame defeated Purdue. The 2nd came 17 years later in 2018. Coach McGraw was the 6th different Division I coach to win multiple NCAA titles, joining legends like Geno Auriemma, Pat Summit, Linda Sharp, Tara VanDerveer, and Kim Mulkey. She is one of 5 coaches, men’s or women’s, in NCAA Division I history with over 930 wins, 9 final fours, and multiple NCAA Championships. Three times in her career, she was the consensus National Coach of the Year. Seven times she was the Conference Coach of the Year. She’s won 11 Conference Tournament Championships and she’s made 373 appearances in the AP top-25 poll. Muffet is the all-time wins leader among single sport coaches in the history of Notre Dame athletics. In this episode we discuss what life was like for Muffet as a kid (6:57), how she defines competitiveness (7:56), her family dynamic and where her competitive drive came from (8:56), parenting advice for raising competitive women (11:03), why getting gifts for kids is more based in gender than getting toys for pets (13:26), what allowed her to run with her competitive spirit and embrace sports (15:25), any memories of her dad saying anything to her that let her embrace this side of herself as a woman (16:20), how to teach sportsmanship while also saying winning and losing is part of life (17:57), where she gets her competitive fix from now that she’s not coaching (19:27), if she competes on the golf course (19:57), what golf does for her while she’s playing and why it’s something she enjoys (21:20), how losing a brother impacted her life and helped to shape how she sees the world (22:36), the values she learned from her mother (23:31), managing keeping others safe while also empowering them (25:39), polarity and paradoxes within her identity (28:19), her relationship with Catholicism (30:23), how to blend the best in our traditions with the most progressive ways to make our society better (33:15), when she began championing feminism (36:20), male advocates for feminism (40:17), if women are often more hesitant to share (41:36), what she’ll talk about with regards to unshakeable belief in oneself when she’s coaching (43:33), arrogance (46:34), if she is healthier mentally now that she isn’t coaching and worrying about a bunch of different things (48:11), why so many college coaches are transitioning right now (49:39), what changed for her so that retirement made sense for her at the time that she did it (51:19), the factors she noticed amongst her best teams (53:23), respect (55:45), the quote “what you will allow is what will continue” (58:08), timeouts speaking to a coach’s values (59:37), why she catastrophized on gameday (1:01:12), what advice she would give to coaches about catastrophizing on gameday (1:02:44), satisfaction vs. complacency (1:05:27), the side of her that only appeared off the court (1:06:53), the differences between teaching and coaching (1:07:15), and how important legacy is to her (1:08:44). You can check out Muffet on social media @muffetmcgraw. Additionally, I strongly encourage you to check out Muffet’s book, Expect More: A Guide for Women on Reaching their Potential. Thank you so much to Muffet for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Brenda Frese has become an absolute legend, as she has built a juggernaut of a program with Women’s Basketball at the University of Maryland. On the court, she is a 2x National Coach of the Year, including this past season. In 2006, Brenda led the team to the National Championship. With Brenda at the helm, Maryland has made 3 NCAA Final Fours, 6 NCAA Elite Eights, 8 Sweet 16 appearances, and has 13 conference titles. Over the last 20+ years, she has helped lead amazing programs. But really, at the University of Maryland she has left her mark and created a legacy that will live on far beyond her time there. In this episode we discuss Brenda’s upbringing and childhood with her 5 siblings, if faith played a big role in her house growing up (9:18), 6-on-6 basketball (11:39), the benefits of 6-on-6, as well as what that experience was like (13:10), when and why she decided to focus in on basketball (14:16), the values her parents passed down to her (15:30), how she thinks about retirement in her future (17:08), some of the hobbies she’s enjoyed doing over the last year that she doesn’t typically have time for during a “normal” season (19:17), parenting advice, as well as the experience of having her son diagnosed with cancer and what she learned from it (21:59), if there were any actions of friends that really stood out during this difficult time in her life (26:22), what it was like for her playing college basketball at Arizona (29:22), kids (35:18), if her twins are more similar or different (36:41), what it was like coaching while pregnant and after having kids (37:36), when she decided she wanted to pursue coaching (39:25), the core values of her high school coach, her parents, and the University of Maryland Women’s Basketball Team (42:10), what she does to make sure she’s at her best while also carrying the weight of worrying about her players and staff (45:22), how often she thinks a call will be “good” when she receives one from a parent (45:54), how it makes her feel when she hears about all of her accomplishments (48:30), how she thinks about putting her staff together (51:16), what has led to misalignment between Brenda and some of her staff members who haven’t worked out (53:03), how she decouples team success and performance from her own value (58:41), how to not let results dictate who she is (1:01:51), Stu Singer (1:06:10), character (1:09:36), and what she does to make sure she’s in a good place mentally (1:12:44). You can check out Brenda on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram @BrendaFrese. Additionally, I strongly encourage you to check out Brenda’s book, Overtime is our Time. Lastly, you can check out the University of Maryland Women’s Basketball Team website here. Thank you so much to Brenda for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian