Intentional Performers

Part strategist, part storyteller, part English-to-English translator, Tamsen Webster helps experts drive action with their ideas. Tamsen honed her trademark Red Thread approach in and for major organizations like Johnson & Johnson, Harvard Medical School, and Intel, as well as with hundreds of individual founders, academics, and thought leaders. She's a former TEDx Executive Producer and current Idea Strategist. She's also author of the upcoming book, Find Your Read Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible. In this episode, we discuss Tamsen’s childhood and upbringing (9:20), why she and her sister are so obsessed with stories and storytelling (10:48), if her partnership is different than that of her parents, as well as more on her life and her sister (14:51), what it was like being her high-achieving sister’s younger sister (22:16), imposter syndrome and her working at Harvard (26:08), hustle (31:04), how she defines success (36:16), being an English-to-English translator (37:28), curiosity, range, innovation, and creativity (42:52), building ideas, as opposed to finding ideas (49:34), why she wrote a book (57:40), the routines and habits she leverages to make sure she’s living the way she wants to live (1:00:56), how others respond to new ideas (1:06:56), and spending valuable time on valuable ideas (1:12:57). I encourage you to follow Tamsen on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also, you can learn more about Tamsen’s new book "Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible" here! Lastly, feel free to send Tamsen an email if you’d like at hello@tamsenwebster.com. Thanks so much to Tamsen 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.

Steve Magness has written three books, which have sold more than 200,000 copies and been translated into 15 languages. Also, Steve is a performance coach. He works with athletes, entrepreneurs, and executives, as well as serving as a consultant on mental skills development for professional sports teams. Additionally, he is a running coach, working with professional runners, including Olympians, national champions, and top finishers at major marathons. He’s also the co-creator of The Growth Equation, an online platform dedicated to the understanding and practice of performance and well-being. In this episode, we discuss Steve’s running journey and how he became interested in running (5:43), his family dynamic at home and their reaction to him seriously pursuing running (9:59), if he fell in love with the cross-country community and was able to make connections with his teammates along the way (13:45), his success in cross-country (15:11), why he feels his cross-country peak was in high school despite training harder afterwards (16:25), how he treated rest (18:38), if he truly loved running (21:25), passion + persistence = excellency (24:52), commencement speakers (26:50), how to create routines and habits without overdosing into addiction (28:29), how he gets people to push through while still being aware (32:56), if he still runs competitively (36:03), if he misses running competitively (36:24), if he’s more like his mom or his dad (39:24), if he ever felt any pressure from his dad to go into orthodontia (40:29), the link between passion and process, as well as the link between passion and suffering (43:36), what he’s most passionate about right now (45:13), balancing talking about what he’s already done with what he’s currently working on (49:05), writing multiple books at the same time (51:23), what he’s working on now (53:36), being and becoming (56:07), the process of writing both solo and with a second author (1:00:39), and nurturing nature, stress + rest = growth, and how those concepts play out in his daily life (1:09:17) and The Growth Equation (1:12:48). You can check out The Growth Equation website here. Additionally, you can follow Steve on Twitter and Instagram @SteveMagness. 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.

Kevin Eastman is a corporate speaker and an internationally known basketball clinician who brings knowledge and experience from sports to the business world. He speaks on various topics, including championship culture, teamwork, leadership, motivation, and individual success. Kevin has over 40 years of experience in the game of basketball, and he coached basketball at all levels, including 13 years in the NBA. While he was in the NBA, he was the top assistant for Doc Rivers when they won the NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Most recently, Kevin served as an assistant coach and Vice President of Basketball Operations with the Los Angeles Clippers. Kevin has worked with and coached an impressive number of current and future NBA All-Stars, both as a coach and as a Nike Basketball Director of Player Development for the nation’s elite college and high-school players. He continues his work with young, elite players through USA basketball and speaking to Nike audiences. In this episode, we discuss what Kevin’s upbringing was like and how he became himself (6:20), his relationship with his stepmom (11:30), parenting (12:56), if he’s gone back later in life to become more educated on his mom and what she was going through before committing suicide (14:50), how he thinks about mental health (17:06), shootarounds and how they’ve shifted in the NBA (24:18), how you get a team to be selfless and buy into something bigger than themselves while still giving individuals the freedom, autonomy, and joy to operate independently (27:48), motivation (29:51), what qualities make an elite leader (35:08), what sports coaches can be doing better to make sure they are healthy, both mentally and physically (40:27), his W.I.L.T journal (45:14), if he’d rather be a head coach or an assistant coach starting tomorrow (51:00), his mindset both as he prepares for and during a speaking gig (52:25), gems he shares with his audiences about leadership and culture (56:37), and what he misses about being in the locker room and on the bench (1:04:46). You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevineastman and on Instagram @kevineastmanspeaking. Additionally, if you’d like to reach out to Kevin feel free to send him an email at kevin@kevineastman.net. Lastly, I’d encourage you to check out Kevin’s website kevineastman.net. Thanks so much to Kevin 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.

Josh Linkner is somebody with lots of range who wears a lot of different hats and is not afraid to step into these different parts of himself. He calls himself a “creative troublemaker.” He passionately believes that all human beings have incredible creative capacity. He’s on a mission to unlock inventive thinking and creative problem solving to help leaders, individuals, and communities soar. At his core, Josh cares deeply about helping, impacting, and influencing people in a positive way, and he does so through speaking and writing. He’s written 4 books, he’s a keynote speaker, and he’s been the founder and CEO of 5 tech companies (which have sold for a combined value of over $200 million). He’s invested in and/or mentored over 100 startups and is the founding partner of Detroit Venture Partners. Josh is passionate about his hometown and it’s influenced him in a variety of ways, including how much he’s obsessed with, and interested in, and loves jazz. Today, Josh serves as Chairman and co-founder of Platypus Labs, an innovation research training and consulting firm. He’s twice been named Earns and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award. In this episode, we discuss Josh’s upbringing and the role of music in his life (5:45), what it was like being exposed to so many cultures through jazz in Detroit (7:44), what it was like for him having his parents get divorced when he was very young (9:00), his siblings (9:53), when business became something he was interested in (10:31), if he’s more like his mom, his dad, or someone else in his life who nurtured him and helped to shape him (11:50), if there is a downside to saying “I’ll show you” when someone says they don’t believe in you (15:51), what motivates him today (16:44), how to unlock creativity in people (18:41), his favorite techniques to unlock creativity (20:15), how constraints can drive creativity (23:51), nurturing creativity in children (26:56), if he had 24 hours to live, what he would do to fill that day (34:11), why he continues to be involved in the business world and what his relationship is with business (35:31), what he looks for when he’s hiring people (36:45), what he looks for when investing in people and companies (40:28), arrogance (43:22), what he’s learned about writing and what his process is like (48:43), what he does to set his mind before going on stage for a speaking event (51:43), what makes a good mentor (53:06), why he’s so passionate about Detroit (54:49), and how he makes sure he’s setting his mind to be the best version of himself every day (57:28). You can check out Josh’s new book, “Big Little Breakthroughs,” as well as his full website here. Additionally, feel free to send him an email at josh@joshlinkner.com. Thanks so much to Josh 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.

Andy Friend is the Head Coach of Connacht Rugby based in Ireland. We will talk about his experience and his journey, as well as what it’s like to set the culture at that club and how he thinks about leadership. This conversation is also about Andy’s journey, which has spanned over 26 years and 21 homes, and what he’s learned along the way. He has travelled all over the world to places like England, Japan, Australia, and now Ireland. Andy is someone who thinks deeply about leadership and how he cannot just have the best leadership for himself, but also how he can develop leaders within his club and within his organization. Andy is very intentional about how he can use transformational leadership to help his club be the best that they can be. In this episode, we discuss what life was like for Andy as a kid (6:46), what the relationship was like with his brothers growing up (9:33), what he learned from moving between 3 different cultures and countries (11:34), if moving around so much helped him gain skills in emotional intelligence that still help him today (14:58), what character traits he possesses in a large group setting (16:42), how he balances teaching people the basics while also letting them go out and discover for their own (19:04), how he thinks about parenting and consequences (22:34), why he fell in love with rugby (28:28), his wife (31:42), what has led to he and his wife having a strong partnership (35:55), if it’s harder to make new memories and excitement during Covid (41:14), his coaching journey (43:58), sport science in Australia (46:49), what it was (and is) like to be an Australian coaching in Japan and Ireland (50:43), if he had to adjust his coaching style to each of the cultures he was in (56:26), what he does to develop relationships with and develop the athletes he works with (57:48), staying connected on a one-on-one level to his athletes (1:00:50), how he maintains a transformational leadership style in a transactional world (1:03:41), how he develops leaders on his team (1:06:03), leadership (1:07:37), how he empowers his staff to do the work that he’s not able to do or that they are better than him at doing (1:13:52), and how he thinks about culture with his team (1:16:15). You can follow Andy on Twitter @andyfriend2011. Thanks so much to Andy 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.

Cara Brookins built her own 3500 square foot house by using YouTube tutorials. The impetus for her decision to build that house with her four kids came after surviving domestic violence. When that occurred, she was faced with the stark challenge of providing for her children but with no means and no one to turn to but herself. In desperate need of a home, but without the means to buy one, she did something incredible: she built one from scratch. And when I say built from scratch, she built it using her hands, using her kids, they built it together. She was the electrician, she was the plumber, she was the contractor. And she in turn helped to rebuild her family and help them develop confidence and ultimately thrive. Cara’s story went viral in more than 75 countries and has been viewed more than 2 billion times. She’s appeared on many networks and done amazing interviews all over the world, but this conversation is going to be about more than just building a house. Cara is extremely vulnerable and real in telling her story and some of the challenges and hardships that she’s gone through in her life, and yet how she still remains optimistic, a creator, an innovator, and a mom. In this episode, we discuss what life was like for her as a kid (6:14), her relationship with her brother (7:55), how old she was when she started caring for him (8:38), what it was like losing her mom (9:29), what her relationship was like with her parents (14:04), which parent she is more similar to (15:49), what led to her parents getting divorced (16:53), if she is religious (18:41), how she thinks about the relationship between conviction and curiosity (19:56), her experiences with marriage and domestic violence (27:08), how she trusts others, especially men, when factoring in what happened in her three marriages (36:21), her advice regarding safety (42:35), what was underneath her desire to undertake the project of building a house (50:28), “getting out” of an unsafe community (54:07), what the reaction from others in her community was when she said she was going to build a house (58:14), what the last year has been like for her in the pandemic (1:02:27), what “being” looks like for her (1:06:10), why the story of building her house with her kids was so popular (1:08:22), if she has a philosophy that guides herself around creativity (1:16:55), and what she learned about herself going through the process of building the house (1:19:48). You can find everything you need to know about Cara on her website, carabrookins.com. Thanks so much to Cara 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.

Gregg Berhalter is the Head Coach for the United States Men’s National Soccer Team. Before that, Gregg was the Head Coach for the Columbus Crew in the MLS. He also worked in Europe, where he was the first American to be a Head Coach of a European soccer team. Gregg also played for the US National Team from 1994-2006, also playing with the under-20 National Team in 1993. He played professionally in the MLS and all over the world, spending a lot of his time overseas. In this episode, we discuss why Gregg likes cooking (5:50), if he finds it to be an escape from constantly coaching (6:55), if his cooking style is analogous to his coaching style (8:28), what it was like to grow up with Carl Yastrzemski in the family (9:23), why he didn’t pursue baseball (10:11), if he thinks growing up around Yaz gave him an advantage over his peers in thinking about what’s possible (10:40), the values passed down to him through his family (11:21), how he would set his mind for gameday as a player (13:07), if he ever was an overthinker as a player (14:42), how he helps bring his players more clarity as a coach when they are stuck or cluttered (16:02), if there was a coach that really impacted him and influenced how he coaches and how he played (17:25), why he took notes as a player and how that has helped him as he’s progressed (18:46), what he loves most about soccer (19:41), how being a coach is different than being a player, as well as what it was like to have to “pause” during the pandemic (21:48), how he organizes what he wants to accomplish (23:49), how he develops people and makes sure they’re heading in the right direction without using “young” as a crutch or an excuse to not compete right now (25:47), what sort of environment and culture Gregg is creating (27:06), his scoring system in training and how he’s trying to create a competitive culture (28:43), how he stays process-oriented in a results-oriented business (32:04), going towards challenge and skepticism (34:02), what it was like to be the first American head coach in Europe (34:58), how he maintains relationships with players no longer on his team (37:08), what his offer to players to come play for the US is (38:17), some things he focuses on from a player development perspective (39:25), how club teams are developing their players (41:26), what’s changed in the develop of soccer players in the last 20 years that’s led to the birth of so much young talent on the US team (43:43), how he thinks about home-field advantage versus playing on the road in a hostile environment (46:30), how he addresses playing at home versus on the road with his players (48:31), how he balances the data and the measurement tools with his instincts and gut feelings (51:46), talent selection (53:55), clarity in goals (56:19), what he intentionally does to make sure he’s healthy and well in the midst of his stressful job (58:44), if there’s a book that’s changed how he sees the world (1:00:00), Ted Lasso (1:00:47), and leading with authenticity (1:02:24). Thanks so much to Gregg 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

This week Brian shares his reflections on the past year. He shares his struggles, how he's experimenting, and what he's been grateful for during the pandemic.  As we move forward, in a post-pandemic world, how can we better support ourselves and each other?  If you want to connect and chat more and share your experience feel free to reach out via Twitter or Linkedin @Brianlevenson or email Brian at Brian@strongskills.co.

Suneel Gupta teaches at Harvard University and is the author of BACKABLE – exploring how to get people to believe in your ideas. The book is rooted in Suneel’s journey from first-time entrepreneur to being named “The New Face of Innovation” by the New York Stock Exchange. Suneel’s ideas have been backed by firms like Greylock and Google Ventures, and he served as an Entrepreneur in Residence inside Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. He has personally backed startups including Impossible Foods, AirBnB, 23&Me, Calm, and SpaceX. In 2019, Suneel established the Gross National Happiness Center of America in partnership with the Kingdom of Bhutan. In this episode, we discuss Suneel’s mom and his family story (5:59), what the communication was like between Suneel and his parents when he was a kid as it related to dreams (8:33), where he and his brother got their performance skills from (10:48), what his relationship was like with his brother growing up when factoring in the age gap they have (12:28), how he has evolved in thinking about fame and being recognizable (15:17), why every great speech should include “I,” “you,” and “we” (20:19), what he would do if his ideas were getting shut down and what makes a backable circle of people (27:21), when he feels most alive and when he has needed to shift from a place of boredom to a place of being alive (34:20), how he balances being in a niche while also focusing on trying to be alive (39:48), who he wrote “BACKABLE” for (43:36), what inspired him to run for office (45:48), his future political aspirations (50:09), curiosity and conviction (52:59), and what’s inevitable for Suneel right now (1:03:38). You can follow him on Twitter @suneel, on Facebook and Instagram @suneelgupta, and on LinkedIn @suneelkgupta. Additionally, make sure to order and check out the website for Suneel’s new book “BACKABLE” at backable.com. Thanks so much to Suneel 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

Kyle Korver is one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in the history of the NBA. He’s 4th most all-time in 3-point field goals made and 3rd highest on the all-time list for 3-point field goal percentage. But Kyle is so much more than a shooter. He was an all-star in 2015 and he played in the NBA for 17 seasons. Kyle also won the sportsmanship award in 2015. In this episode, we discuss misogi and its role in Kyle’s life and career (6:34), if he’s always embraced challenge and adventure (11:13), how misogi helps him navigate COVID (16:09), how he thinks about perfectionism and adaptability in relation to his gameday mindset (18:25), how he expanded his game to be more than a shooter as he got older (22:40), what he would do mentally to prepare on game day, before practice, and in the offseason (26:28), what he would do during the game to bring himself back if he got off kilter (29:27), if he would talk to himself (30:55), his upbringing, what it was like to be around his father who was a pastor, and the role of religion in his life (32:30), the values his parents instilled in him and his brothers (34:33), what it was like going from LA to Iowa (36:17), how he got his love for basketball (39:25), how much of shooting is nature and how much is nurture (42:26), where his eyes tend to go when he’s watching a basketball game on TV (43:46), how the tragedy with his younger brother has impacted how he thinks about life (44:39), his experience with therapy (46:53), race relations in the US and being a part of walking off the court with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA bubble (51:46), what he did that intentionally led to his success both on and off the court during the 2015 season (56:51), if he considers himself to be a leader and what makes a good leader (59:20), what he has learned from his wife and how she has influenced him (1:02:34), and raising kids intentionally (1:07:20). Thanks so much to Kyle 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