

Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement
Sam Webster Harris | Growth Mindset Psychology
Most self-help advice is guesswork dressed up as wisdom. We dig into psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science to find what actually changes lives.
WHY LISTEN?
Over 8 million downloads because we answer the questions that matter: How do I build mental strength? What creates lasting motivation? How can I understand my own mind well enough to work with it, not against it?
This podcast is for curious skeptics who want frameworks backed by psychology studies, not Instagram quotes. Whether you're navigating procrastination, building self-discipline, or designing your own philosophy for a life well lived—we explore the hidden psychology behind real change.
WHAT YOU'LL GET
Mental models and simple techniques from cognitive psychology, positive psychology, and ancient wisdom traditions like Stoicism and Buddhism.
Being a human can be confusing, learning about it doesn’t have to be.
We cover everything from emotional intelligence and habit formation to brain health and the nervous system.
WHAT YOU DON’T GET
No pseudoscience. No oversimplified "hacks." No hustle porn.
Just practical insights on mindset improvement, self-development, and human psychology that respect your intelligence and mental health.
THE APPROACH
Instead of telling you what to think, we explore how thinking works. Armed with psychology studies, social science research, and relentless curiosity, we uncover the mechanics of belief change, attitude change, and personal development.
Success is personal. You might want to leverage your neurodiverse strengths, build a business, or simply discover how to be happier. We provide the mental frameworks to pursue your definition of success with mental strength and self-care that fits your life.
YOUR HOST
I'm Sam Webster Harris—a lifelong learner with ADHD and an obsession with finding answers to hard questions. After launching businesses, traveling the world, and nearly dying a few times, I concluded that psychology and science are where real wisdom lives.
This show is my excuse to dive deep into health and fitness research, behavioral psychology, and cool science while helping you build genuine self-discipline and motivation.
PREMIUM
Go ad-free and access exclusive content, AMAs, and our community Discord.
Growth Mindset Premium
PAST SERIES
Previous guests include Olympians, Scientists, Billionaires, and Sam's Mum.
Past series:
— Psychology vs Stoicism
— Time Management for Busy Mortals
— Independence and Knowing Yourself
— Cognitive Biases and Rational Thinking
— Psychology of Connection and Relationships
— Carol Dweck and the Multiverse of Mindsets
— Addiction and Behaviour Change
— Nervous System Mastery and Polyvagal Theory
— Mental Strength and Self-Discipline
WHY LISTEN?
Over 8 million downloads because we answer the questions that matter: How do I build mental strength? What creates lasting motivation? How can I understand my own mind well enough to work with it, not against it?
This podcast is for curious skeptics who want frameworks backed by psychology studies, not Instagram quotes. Whether you're navigating procrastination, building self-discipline, or designing your own philosophy for a life well lived—we explore the hidden psychology behind real change.
WHAT YOU'LL GET
Mental models and simple techniques from cognitive psychology, positive psychology, and ancient wisdom traditions like Stoicism and Buddhism.
Being a human can be confusing, learning about it doesn’t have to be.
We cover everything from emotional intelligence and habit formation to brain health and the nervous system.
WHAT YOU DON’T GET
No pseudoscience. No oversimplified "hacks." No hustle porn.
Just practical insights on mindset improvement, self-development, and human psychology that respect your intelligence and mental health.
THE APPROACH
Instead of telling you what to think, we explore how thinking works. Armed with psychology studies, social science research, and relentless curiosity, we uncover the mechanics of belief change, attitude change, and personal development.
Success is personal. You might want to leverage your neurodiverse strengths, build a business, or simply discover how to be happier. We provide the mental frameworks to pursue your definition of success with mental strength and self-care that fits your life.
YOUR HOST
I'm Sam Webster Harris—a lifelong learner with ADHD and an obsession with finding answers to hard questions. After launching businesses, traveling the world, and nearly dying a few times, I concluded that psychology and science are where real wisdom lives.
This show is my excuse to dive deep into health and fitness research, behavioral psychology, and cool science while helping you build genuine self-discipline and motivation.
PREMIUM
Go ad-free and access exclusive content, AMAs, and our community Discord.
Growth Mindset Premium
PAST SERIES
Previous guests include Olympians, Scientists, Billionaires, and Sam's Mum.
Past series:
— Psychology vs Stoicism
— Time Management for Busy Mortals
— Independence and Knowing Yourself
— Cognitive Biases and Rational Thinking
— Psychology of Connection and Relationships
— Carol Dweck and the Multiverse of Mindsets
— Addiction and Behaviour Change
— Nervous System Mastery and Polyvagal Theory
— Mental Strength and Self-Discipline
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 5, 2022 • 45min
211: Experience the Art of Healing with Dr. Serena Sterling, PsyD
Dr. Serena Sterling herself experienced miraculous healing from chronic fatigue in which her medical doctor told her that there's no cure and she needs to learn to cope and live with it. She found a doctor who helped her get better through a mind-body stress-reduction technique. Because of that, she wanted to help more people on a one-to-one basis.In this episode, Dr. Serena will let us know how this healing works as Sam experiences the process himself.- - -Connect with SerenaDr. Serena Sterling (https://www.drserenasterling.com/)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenasterlingpsyd/)Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/drserenasterling/?hl=en)Twitter (https://twitter.com/psydserena)- - -Growth Mindset podSam Webster Harris explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create.Watch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset)Mail - GrowthMindsetPodcast(at)gmail.comInsta - SamJam.zen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 29, 2022 • 27min
210: Take Risks, Reach For The Unknown And Dare To Succeed: Igor Volzhanin, CEO of Datasine
Igor Volzhanin Igor Volzhanin is the CEO of DataSine, a marketing business that helps businesses create personalized marketing based on the personality traits of their customers. He has some amazing insights and unusual ideas for how to build a business and a life that one enjoys with some great advice around taking risks. Igor's background in international development is paired with his knowledge in psychology which provides some fascinating theories into happiness and problems facing the world that I think anyone will enjoy. He started DataSine to help businesses make meaningful relationships with their customers by getting greater insight into their personalities, believes, desires and needs. It is only through this understanding can businesses deliver the most value and ultimately fulfil their objectives. - - -Growth Mindset podSam Webster Harris explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create.Watch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset)Mail - GrowthMindsetPodcast(at)gmail.comInsta - SamJam.zen- - -Connect with Igor Datasine (https://datasine.com/) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivolzhanin/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/igor_volzhanin) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 22, 2022 • 39min
209: Amplify your strengths, Complement your weaknesses
Richard Schul shares his journey from entrepreneurship to self-improvement, emphasizing the importance of building a strong team that complements strengths. The podcast delves into the significance of leadership in business success and crafting success profiles for implementers. It also reflects on childhood memories and promotes Unleashed CEO's resources for personal development.

Mar 15, 2022 • 41min
208: Tim Draper - The Master of VC on Predicting and Creating the Future
Tim Draper Tim Draper is a venture capital investor, and founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) (https://www.dfj.com/),Draper University (https://www.draperuniversity.com/), Draper Venture Network (https://drapernetwork.com/), Draper Associates (https://www.draper.vc/) and Draper Goren Holm (https://drapergorenholm.com/). Tim has been awarded and received numerous awards such as Forbes Midas List, Top 100 Most Influential Harvard Alumni, Independent Institute's Tocqueville Liberty Award and a lot more. He is a proponent of Bitcoins and decentralization. His most prominent investments include Skype, Tesla SpaceX, Hotmail, AngelList and more. - - -Connect with Tim LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothydraper/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/timdraper) Twitter (https://twitter.com/TimDraper) - - -Growth Mindset podSam Webster Harris explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create.Watch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset)Mail - GrowthMindsetPodcast(at)gmail.comInsta - SamJam.zen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 8, 2022 • 21min
207: The Abundance Mindset and Secret to Happiness; David Meltzer, Co-Founder of Sports 1 Marketing
David Meltzer David Meltzer is the Co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing and formerly served as CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, which was the inspiration for the movie Jerry Maguire. His life’s mission is to empower OVER 1 BILLION people to be happy! This simple yet powerful mission has led him on an incredible journey to provide one thing…VALUE. In all his content and communication that’s exactly what you’ll receive.David is a three-time international best-selling author, a Top 100 Business Coach, the executive producer of Entrepreneur‘s #1 digital business show, Elevator Pitch, and host of the top entrepreneur podcast, The Playbook. His newest book, Game-Time Decision Making, was a #1 new release, David has been recognized by Variety Magazine as their Sports Humanitarian of the Year and awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. - - -Connect with David David Meltzer Enterprises (https://dmeltzer.com/) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeltzer2/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/davidmeltzer/?) Twitter (https://twitter.com/davidmeltzer) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCflt1OopRWIApMOjVgZyJ6Q) - - -Growth Mindset podSam Webster Harris explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create.Watch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset)Mail - GrowthMindsetPodcast(at)gmail.comInsta - SamJam.zen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 1, 2022 • 37min
206: The Future of Funding for Women-Led Businesses - Maddy Bergen, CEO of Angel Alliance NFT
Maddy Bergen Maddy Bergen is in her final year of university studying civil engineering. She has co-founded and the CEO of Angel Alliance DAO (or Decentralized Autonomous Organization) for investing and giving funding to women-led entrepreneurs. Angel Alliance was founded to empower female entrepreneurs with a NFT collection consisting of 6,666 unique female icons designed with real women in mind. They will be releasing the collection on March 26, 2022. - - -More info about Angel Alliance Twitter: https://lnkd.in/gAAayAZw Deck: https://lnkd.in/gFmr7rJsDiscord: https://lnkd.in/g--bZkat - - -Connect with Maddy LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddy-bergen-53a4651a6) Twitter (https://twitter.com/maddyybergen) - - -Growth Mindset podSam Webster Harris explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create.Watch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset)Mail - GrowthMindsetPodcast(at)gmail.comInsta - SamJam.zen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 22, 2022 • 29min
205: TEDx, Dragons Den and Creating Impact - Chris Lovett, Author of 'Discovery of Less'
Chris Lovett Chris Lovett is a minimalist, speaker, career mentor, professional executive coach, podcast host, simplicity coach, disruptive thought leader, and author of the bestselling self sufficiency, green living and business motivation book Discovery of Less. Also retired hip hop & rnb DJ, music geek with big hair and voted 'best legs 1998' at a college 5-a-side football tournament. Chris is one of the UK's only motivational speakers (and kinda hilarious one too) on minimalism and the less is progress lifestyle. His minimalist storytelling and the timing of it resonates deeply across personal and professional lives as he share his crazy story behind selling off, donating, recycling and discarding everything he ever owned and walking away from the security of a 'successful' career. You could say he was consumed by stuff - or stuffocated! Plus he talk about the incredible positive impact and psychology behind decluttering, our relationship and attachment with stuff and the 'always on' mentality. The words of his experiences and teachings have touched thousands of lives in over 50 countries and have been featured on prominent lifestyle platforms such as No Sidebar, Minimalism Life and Optimal Living Daily. He have talked at festivals, wellbeing events, financial institutions and consultancy firms across the UK and beyond! - - -Connect with Chris Less is Progress (https://www.lessisprogress.com) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lovett-29176933/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LessisProgress) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christolovett/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/ChristoLovett) - - -Growth Mindset podSam Webster Harris explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create.Watch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset)Mail - GrowthMindsetPodcast(at)gmail.comInsta - SamJam.zen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 15, 2022 • 36min
204: Less is more
Chris Lovett, a minimalist and motivational speaker, discusses the benefits of decluttering, the psychology behind attachment to possessions, and the impact of simplifying on various aspects of life. He shares personal anecdotes about walking away from material possessions and a successful career to embrace a minimalist lifestyle, emphasizing the importance of understanding one's 'why' and focusing on fewer activities for maximum impact.

Feb 8, 2022 • 45min
203: The Importance of Being Yourself - Alex Dunsdon, Co-founder of Potential Ventures
Alex Dunsdon is a Partner at Saatchi Invest and founder of Potential VC building a generation of impact VCs. Their mission is to find, foster and fund crazy, unusual, and innovative startups helping the world. Alex was also a seed cheque investor into Citymapper, Farewill and Ometria. Alex joins me this week to deliver his ultimate breakthroughs and formula for decisions, whether it is about your career path or your life. Resources The Science of Serendipity: How to Unlock the Promise of Innovation Book by Matt Kingdon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Serendipity-1e-P-Kingdon/dp/111847810X) - - -Connect with Alex Potential (www.potential.co) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexdunsdon) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/alexdunsdon) Twitter (https://twitter.com/alexdunsdon) - - -Growth Mindset podSam Webster Harris explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create.Watch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset)Mail - GrowthMindsetPodcast(at)gmail.comInsta - SamJam.zen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 snips
Feb 1, 2022 • 51min
202: Systems Thinking Applied To Mindsets - Tessa Clarke, CEO of OLIO
Tessa Clarke, CEO of OLIO, is a dynamic startup founder passionate about reducing food waste and fostering community connections. She shares her transformative journey from a corporate career to creating a platform that combats waste by enabling neighbors to share surplus food. Tessa highlights the barriers female entrepreneurs face in fundraising and underscores the power of a promotion mindset for success. Her experiences growing up on a farm taught her resilience and emphasized the importance of meaningful connections in driving positive societal change.


