

Performance Intelligence Podcast
Andrew May
There's IQ. There's EQ. Introducing PQ. All things human performance with PQ founder, Andrew May, exploring the latest in human performance with an all-star cast of subject matter experts covering physical and psychological wellbeing, performance psychology, sport, business, entertainment, the performing arts, leadership, and science.
Learn valuable lessons that can be applied to optimising performance in your personal and professional life. Performance Intelligence applies to the way we turn up in relationships and the way we turn up at work, it applies to the way we perform in front of 10,000 people and the way we perform in front of one.
Learn valuable lessons that can be applied to optimising performance in your personal and professional life. Performance Intelligence applies to the way we turn up in relationships and the way we turn up at work, it applies to the way we perform in front of 10,000 people and the way we perform in front of one.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 23, 2025 • 1h 30min
147 The Science-Based Formula to Creating World-Class Teams | Dr Scott Goldman
What happens when elite athletes need elite mental skills? Enter Dr Scott Goldman - sports psychologist to some of the world’s top teams including the NBA champion Golden State Warriors.Andrew and Scott explore what it takes to shape a winning mindset, how team culture is re-built every season, and the lessons learned from locker rooms that don’t lie. From overcoming fear conditioning to coaching through chaos, Dr Scott unpacks the psychology behind performance under pressure, why social media doesn’t serve him, and how “every team, every year, is a new team.”In this episode, Andrew and Dr Scott talk about:00:30 Is Dr Scott elusive on social media by design, not having to apply to work with sports teams because they come looking for him and being part of the Golden State Warriors NBA championship winning team.6:05 Embracing cool moments like his first time on a stadium pitch, Dr Scott’s friendship and connection to Michael Gervais and Michael Gervais is on a quest to change the world whereas Dr Scott is more focused on the individual.11:55 The first moment Dr Scott realised what he wanted to do, culture is a state of being, not a state of doing and how Dr Scott is able to work with so many teams at one time.19:55 Leveraging his work with multiple teams to cross-pollinate skills across different sports, what Dr Scott does when he first enters a new teams environment, and the idea that every team every year, is a new team.29:30 Teams can be brutal and the locker room doesn’t lie. Does Dr Scott have a big elaborate plan or does he just wing it in his programs and what makes coach Steve Kerr such an amazing coach from Dr Scott’s perspective?40:05 How Dr Scott teaches people to deal with their fears, fear and phobias can be imprinted in our DNA and how we can overcome our fear conditioning.51:05 Post-traumatic stress can come in different forms and at different levels, not being involved in social media because it doesn’t give him enough space to talk about what he wants and preparing athletes to accept the outcomes of a game whether they are positive or negative.1:02:30 Preparing to accept uncertainty, no athlete wants to get screwed and no coach wants to screw over an athlete and using AIQ to successfully measure the athletic intelligence of people across the world.1:15:10 Andrew and mental skills coach Aaron Walsh’s reflections on the podcast.Find out more about AIQ: https://aiq.team/Connect with Dr Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottgoldmanphd/Listen to the episode with Michael Gervais: https://performanceintelligence.transistor.fm/episodes/140-dr-michael-gervais
Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/ Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at support@performanceintelligence.com today with your story and contact details. Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

Jul 20, 2025 • 14min
Bite Size: Why Only Preparing for Success Can Break a Team | Dr Michael Gervais
What happens when a team trains for success but doesn't plan for failure?In this Bite Size from episode #140, world-renowned performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais reflects on one of the toughest moments of his career — the Seattle Seahawks' heartbreaking Super Bowl loss.Michael shares the raw, behind-the-scenes story of how that single moment sent shockwaves through the team, mentally and emotionally. His biggest lesson? If you only prepare for winning, the cost of failure can be devastating - and long-lasting.This is a masterclass in mental resilience, recovery, and leadership when everything falls apart.You can find Dr Michael at his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaelgervais/Listen to the Finding Mastery Podcast: https://findingmastery.com/Listen to the podcast with John Schneider: https://findingmastery.com/podcasts/john-schneider/Watch the Interview with Willie McGinest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtS2w6XRKrYYou can find JC at his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-clarke-1152a065/?originalSubdomain=au
Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/ Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at support@performanceintelligence.com today with your story and contact details.Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

5 snips
Jul 16, 2025 • 12min
Bite Size: The Secret Weapon Elite Athletes Use That Costs Nothing | Prof Adam Nicholls
Discover how mental imagery can transform athletic performance by activating muscles and sharpening focus. Prof. Adam Nicholls shares insights into how elite athletes visualize success, leading to measurable gains. Hear fascinating stories of mental rehearsal techniques that boost confidence in high-pressure moments. Learn about the intersection of healthy choices and tailored wellbeing strategies, emphasizing the importance of mental state for peak performance across different sports. This powerful mental tool could be the key to turning good efforts into winning moments!

Jul 13, 2025 • 15min
Bite Size: The #1 Skill Great Leaders are Quietly Building | Andrew May + Angela Poon
Andrew May breaks down one of the most overlooked yet critical factors of modern leadership: Leadership Capacity.Forget the outdated grind culture - today’s best leaders know it’s not just about pushing harder, it’s about expanding your internal capacity so you can lead with energy, clarity, and resilience — even under pressure.Andrew shares where the concept of leadership capacity comes from, how he’s seen it transform high performers, and why building a bigger “capacity vessel” is the antidote to burnout and fatigue. Plus, real-world examples from coaching leaders who’ve learned how to stretch their limits sustainably.Taken from full episode #133.View the Inverted U model here: https://performanceintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Dynamic-Energy-Model-02-scaled.jpg Listen to the episode with Matt Comyn: https://performanceintelligence.transistor.fm/episodes/94-matt-comyn Listen to the episode with Seibs: https://performanceintelligence.transistor.fm/episodes/128-anthony-seibold Listen to the episode with Ken Robertson: https://performanceintelligence.transistor.fm/episodes/106-ken-robertson Listen to the episode with Shelley Roberts: https://tinyurl.com/ydahb4zc Listen to the episode with Sam Monaghan: https://performanceintelligence.transistor.fm/episodes/111-sam-monaghan
Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/ Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at support@performanceintelligence.com today with your story and contact details.Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

Jul 9, 2025 • 11min
Bite Size: Groupthink is Killing Growth - Here’s How Elite Teams Avoid It | Dan Haesler
High Performance Coach, Dan Haesler, reveals why sometimes the best way to evolve your team is to bring in an outsider. Whether it’s athletes from other sports or experts outside your industry, a fresh perspective can uncover blind spots and fast-track growth.Dan also shares a rare look behind the scenes at the Penrith Panthers, including how he’s helped players develop mental recovery strategies and why the team isn’t afraid to break the mould when it comes to building mental resilience.You can find Dan at his Website:https://danhaesler.com/Or at his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danhaesler/?hl=en Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danhaesler/?originalSubdomain=auBuy a copy of Dan's book: https://www.actofleadership.com/View the image Dan mentions here: https://performanceintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/THIS-ISNT-THE-GOAL.png
Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/ Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at support@performanceintelligence.com today with your story and contact details.Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

Jul 6, 2025 • 13min
Bite Size: Coffee Isn’t the Villain - Surprising Benefits for Your Gut | Dr Tom Buckley
After more than 10 appearances resisting the hype, Dr Tom finally admits coffee might deserve some love - especially when it comes to your gut. In this Bite Size from episode #131, we unpack the surprising ways your morning brew could actually benefit the gut microbiome and, by extension, your overall health (yes, in moderation!).
Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/ Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at support@performanceintelligence.com today with your story and contact details.Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

Jul 2, 2025 • 40min
146 The Psychology of Lasting Change | Andrew May
Change doesn’t happen by accident - it happens when you understand how behaviour actually works. In this solo episode, Andrew May breaks down science-backed frameworks that simplify change and help you create lasting results.You’ll learn: ✔ Why most people struggle to stick with change (and how to avoid it) ✔ BJ Fogg’s Behaviour Change MAP (Motivation + Ability + Prompt) explained ✔ How to use Habit Stacking to make new behaviours feel automatic ✔ The biggest mistakes people make when trying to change ✔ Your next stepsWhether you’re ready to build new habits, boost your energy, improve performance, or finally get unstuck - this episode gives you a clear, practical roadmap to start small and create meaningful change that lasts.In this episode Andrew talks about:00:10 Why Andrew is making this solo podcast.1:30 Andrew’s 2 favourite change models.2:55 Why new years resolutions fail.4:15 The difficulty in implementing large behaviour change programs and why shifting mindset is difficult.6:50 B.J. Fogg’s change map model and simplifying this information to make change easier.9:45 identifying potential barriers to change.10:30 The importance of triggers or prompts to remind you to try a new behaviour and an example of this using mindfulness.12:45 James Clears book Atomic Habits and stacking simple habits.14:35 The stages of readiness model and the 5 stages of change.17:15 The seesaw of ambivalence.18:45 Change takes more than 21 days on a large scale.19:30 Why join a gym if you don’t like going?20:25 Relapsing up to 10 times can be a normal experience in change.21:40 Write down the changes you want to make.23:00 Avoid getting overwhelmed with big changes all at once.24:00 Don’t expect perfection. 25:30 Share your goals to keep yourself accountable.26:30 Keynote participant Peta’s story of making big changes to her life.34:30 Wrap up.RESOURCES: Download: Behaviour MAP: https://performanceintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/model-1.pdf Download: Stages of Readiness template: https://performanceintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/model-2.pdf Study: Do fit kids have fit parents? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33475262/ Study: The Influence of Parental Dietary Behaviors and Practices on Children’s Eating Habits https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8067332/#sec8-nutrients-13-01138 Study: Writing down your goals increases success by 42%: https://kitzu.org/study-highlights-strategies-for-achieving-goals/
Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/ Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at support@performanceintelligence.com today with your story and contact details. Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

Jun 29, 2025 • 16min
PQ & You: How a FIFA Referee Transfers Sport to the Classroom | Ryan Shepheard
Share your story! We invite listeners of the podcast to share how they've applied the concepts, strategies, and lessons from our podcast to their everyday lives. Whether you’re enhancing productivity, improving decision-making, or fostering better relationships, we want to hear how Performance Intelligence (PQ) has impacted you.In this episode, Ryan Shepheard shares his passion for the intersection of performance in sports and education, offering valuable insights into his journey. Ryan served as a FIFA international futsal referee for 16 years and was part of the AFC elite panel for 15 years. He had the honour of officiating at two World Cups in 2021 and 2024.Join us as we explore these inspiring real-world applications and celebrate the transformative power of PQ in action!
Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/ Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at support@performanceintelligence.com today with your story and contact details.Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

Jun 25, 2025 • 1h 13min
145 The Science of Physical and Mental Recovery | Dr Shona Halson
Wearables claim to know your every move, but are they actually helping you recover? Dr Shona Halson is a renowned expert in sports science and recovery strategies. We get into the nitty gritty of the science and real life strategies you need on Performance Intelligence.Invest time to listen to this episode and you’ll hear:-If screen time can ever count as real recovery-The truth about wearables-How VR and AI are reshaping the recovery game-Why leaders and coaches need recovery just as much as athletes- Easy, actionable tips you can try tonightIn this episode, Andrew and Shona discuss:0:10 Shona’s definition of recovery, training is important,t but you need to recover and the research into mental recovery that led to Shona’s work at the AIS.6:30 How to make physical and mental recovery sound normal to the average person, there’s a lot of magic in the mental side of recovery, and crossing mental and physical recovery.11:00 How Shona measures recovery, is wearable tech all that useful in recovery, and knowing all your stats isn’t always the best thing for some people.16:20 Sleep is the most important factor in recovery. Every athlete is different in how much knowledge you can load them up with in the pre-season, and Shona’s example of how this had played out with a team she worked with.25:30 The strong link between learning and sleep, Simone Biles taking time off and coming back even stronger, and the shorter off-season players have compared to a few years ago.33:10 Some examples of how you can add some recovery to your life, Shona’s role in starting up the recovery centre at the AIS and the concept of a recovery rocket alongside the recovery points system.44:05 Coaches need some recovery for themselves, being tired and fatigued changes everything about your mood and some of the external factors, such as family, can impact recovery.52:00 Getting exercise in the time that works for you, walking to get your brain going, and we don’t understand the effects that screen time has on us.56:40 Video games aren’t recovery, the growing use of VR in recovery, and using AI along with VR to assist imagery.1:03:15 How Andrew gets people to change their behaviours and where you can find Shona.Listen to the Real Science of Sport episode mentioned: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-real-science-of-sport-podcast/id1461719225?i=1000712107079Read the Recovery Umbrella article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34941807/View the Recovery Rocket:https://performanceintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/recovery-rocket-1.pnghttps://performanceintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/recovery-rocket-2.png
Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/ Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at support@performanceintelligence.com today with your story and contact details. Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

Jun 22, 2025 • 13min
Bite Size: How to Be a Leader People Actually Follow | Martin Sheppard
Discover the surprising power of vulnerability in leadership as Martin Sheppard shares the moment that reshaped his approach to leading teams. With insights from former NSW Premier Mike Baird, this episode dives into why every team member brings something unique—and how great leaders unlock that potential. Packed with real stories and actionable advice, it’s a must-listen for anyone ready to lead with authenticity and impact.Connect with Martin at his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinsheppard1/?originalSubdomain=auOr through the KPMG website: https://kpmg.com/au/en/home/contacts/s/martin-sheppard.html
Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/ Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at support@performanceintelligence.com today with your story and contact details.Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.