

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

Jun 18, 2025 • 1h 7min
144 Why Most Corporate Presentations Suck | Tony Bulmer
Why do most corporate presentations suck? 🤔 We sat down with one of Australia's leading Presentation Coaches, Tony Bulmer, to rip apart everything you think you know about a great presentation.Invest time to listen to this episode and you'll hear:- How to cut your prep time in HALF by focusing on messaging FIRST.- How to embrace your nerves and turn them into power!- The 5 simple steps to deliver a seriously good presentation.- Why storytelling is key to building rapport with your audienceIn this episode Andrew and Tony discuss:00:15 What Tony would say to people hesitant to break away from traditional presentations, corporate comms have become worse over time, and still getting nervous after hundreds of presentations.4:40 Embrace your nerves to channel them productively, rehearse a presentation before you present it for real and break your preparation into the content and the messaging.8:25 You can cut your preparation time in half if you start with messaging, have your presentation at least 80% done without a focus on perfection and get out of your own head to enjoy your presentation.13:35 Learning to play to your audience from Michael Gerber, creating a non-presentation-based program to help people find themselves, and where you can begin training your presenting.22:25 Tony using his own slides as his notes, the 5 steps to delivering a kick ass presentation and don’t confuse being professional with being serious.27:55 Showing a bit of vulnerability to get your audience on your side, the struggle of getting people to play to their strengths and a large amount of Tony’s work can just be undoing other coaches work.37:15 The number 1 block to people being able to present better, learning to enjoy virtual presentations and being able to engage with your audience in any format is key to enjoying your presentation.48:30 Getting out of “pitch mode”, use social media as a starting point but don’t copy it directly and why Tony is so passionate about teaching others to present.54:30 Make sure you set your stories up to tell the whole thing during your presentation, Tony’s example of why storytelling is so powerful and telling your own authentic stories.1:02:55 The message of a story is the most important part, building rapport isn’t just about finding common ground and where you can find Tony.You can find Tony at his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybulmer/?originalSubdomain=auOr at his website: https://www.bulmergroup.com/Read the paper Tony mentioned: https://performanceintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ITS-A-MATTER-OF-TRUST.pdfWatch the video from Tony: https://shorturl.at/MToDzWatch the video with Vinh: https://shorturl.at/4cj7ELook at the Barbara Minto pyramid model: https://performanceintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/maxresdefault.jpg
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 15, 2025 • 14min
Bite Size: Breaking the Imposter Syndrome Cycle | Josh Piterman
Josh Piterman was the leading actor in some of broadways biggest theatre shows In this Bite Size from episode #129 Josh shares his experience of imposter syndrome and how how he was able to eventually redirect it his after years of performing on the biggest stages in the world. Josh also shares the nerve-wracking story of his voice giving out in what was at the time his biggest on stage performance yet. Josh walks us through what he went through in his mind and how he was able to stop catastrophising and get back to work. Listen to Josh's podcast here:https://shows.acast.com/behind-the-maskYou can find Josh at his website:https://www.joshpiterman.com.au/Or at his Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/joshpiterman/?hl=en
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 11, 2025 • 54min
143 How to Disrupt Yourself, Before the World Disrupts You | Andrea Clarke
Work futurist, author, and speaker. Andrea Clarke is an expert in helping leaders and learners navigate the complexities of change and build future-ready mindsets. With a fascinating background as a former television news reporter and foreign correspondent in Washington, D.C., she brings a unique perspective to her work. Through writing, foresight reports, and keynotes, Andrea guides people to engage with signals, anticipate disruption, and shape intentional futures. Andrea is author of the global best-selling book Adapt. Andrea Clarke, welcome to the studio. In this episode Andrew and Andrea discuss:00:15 Being let go from a job for whistleblowing, not being able to turn a blind eye to something morally wrong and losing a job in a foreign country with 10 days to find a new one.6:15 Resilience is a doing word, you never know who your true friends are until you go through a tough time and showing up to the worst day of someone’s life as a reporter.12:25 Dealing with chaos every day in the new room, it takes active effort to break the sameness and the formative story of how Andrea’s dad dealt with a plane engine stalling at 9000 feet with his 3 children in the cab.17:50 3000 hours of practise coming into play to stay calm under pressure, using that experience to gain confidence navigating the unknown and coming back to Australia where corporates are missing the ability to deal with change.24:15 Change is uncomfortable, an example of how you could integrate changes into your team and people only think of the losses that come with change.29:20 Building in a fire break so you are ready when change comes your way, look in unlikely places for the next wave of change that might be coming your way and how to build in a bit of exploration and exploitation to your day.39:45 Why Andrea sold several properties that were causing unneeded stress on her life, you know you’ve made a good decision when you feel relief and removing attachments from your life that you don’t need.44:10 Everyone will need more energy for the changes coming, Andrew’s keynote summary and where you can find Andrea.You can find Andrea at her website: https://www.andreaclarke.com.au/Or at her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaclarke2020
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 8, 2025 • 15min
Bite Size: What Sitting 8 hours a Day is Costing You | Dr Tom Buckley
In this Bite Size from episode #137 Andrew and Dr Tom talk about why recent studies have shown that not only is sitting not good for your health but it has a very similar effect on mortality rates as smoking over long periods of time. Dr Tom also explains that not only is this effect limited to sitting but lying down for long periods can have a similar effect, including when you sleep!You can find the resource mentioned by Dr Tom here: https://app.box.com/s/vjd3uan18inklqvli17cz0digud1tmam
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 4, 2025 • 1h
142 How Australia’s Top Coach Maintained an 81% Win Rate | Lisa Alexander
Lisa Alexander is one of Australia’s greatest sports coaches. From leading the Australian Diamonds to global netball impact, this isn't just about netball; it's a masterclass in coaching and leadership. Hear Lisa's journey, from her early coaching days to achieving an 81% win rate with the Diamonds, winning gold at the Commonwealth Games and World Cup.In this episode Andrew and Lisa discuss:00:20 Lisa is one of the most underrated coaches in Australia, having a chip on your shoulder and the best coaches usually weren’t the best players.6:40 Staying grounded and being open to learning, reaching out to Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy and getting her learning outside of school and university.10:45 The 2 books Lisa could potentially write, how Lisa was able to study, work and raise a child and being achievement oriented to try and impress her dad.16:45 Why coaching and teaching work so well together, creating teams in the classroom and spending a year following the Australian netball coach around.21:45 The ability to be self-aware is the most important, Lisa’s biggest influences and Lisa’s advice to people who want to get into coaching.32:45 Craig Harper working for Lisa for 10c an hour, focusing on the person first and the athlete second and you have to have a bit of ego as a coach, but not too much.37:25 The introduction of “Sisters in Arms” at The Diamonds, falling in love with rugby union at Twickenham and respecting the culture of the country that you are coming in to.44:30 Money can lead to mediocrity, encouraging players to do coaching courses as they are playing and getting perspective outside your own environment.49:00 Family first is a key tenant of Lisa’s philosophy, Lisa’s work with corporate teams and where you can find Lisa.You can find Lisa at the TGI website: https://tgisport.com.au/talent/lisa-alexander/Or the Celebrity Speakers website: https://www.celebrityspeakers.com.au/speakers/lisa-alexander/Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-alexander-am-a83bb378/?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.

Jun 1, 2025 • 15min
Bite Size: Ironwoman Mindset + Mental Skills for Success | Bonnie Hancock
In this Bite Size from episode #92 Bonnie Hancock talks about how she was able to leverage vulnerability with her support crew and friends to keep herself sane and safe on her paddle around Australia 100km out from the shore by sharing when she was scared or in pain and needed some help. Bonnie also talks about how she has used multi-sensory imagery since she was a child to prepare herself for big iron woman events and how she was able to adapt those skills on her world record breaking paddle to help deal with the loneliness every day. You can find Bonnie at her Website: https://www.bonniehancock.com/Or at her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-hancock-0a03a0217/Follow Bonnie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonniehancock/?hl=enOr at her Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonnie.hancock.54
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.

May 28, 2025 • 53min
141 The Power of Preparation to Conquer a Packed Schedule | Andrew May
4 keynotes in a 24-hour period that included over 2,000 attendees, four client industries, across three states. That kind of sprint could leave most people feeling flat, fractured, and f’ing broken. At Performance Intelligence we up-skill elite athletes, sporting teams and people employed in high-stakes environments to perform in key moments, when it matters most – and last week was Andrew's turn to put these science-based tools (and a few decades of experience) into practice. "We don’t rise to the occasion. We fall to our level of preparation."Shannon Frost (Podcast Producer) locked Andrew in the studio to try and understand how the process he followed could apply to her, and to our wider audience. In this episode Shannon and Andrew discuss:00:55 Building up to doing 4 presentations in 24 hours, an in-depth look at the 4 different keynotes and locations, and the 5 performance levers Andrew pulled to deliver at a high standard.7:05 This isn’t a normal occurrence for Andrew and "there’s periods during the year where you need to rise to the challenge" and the metrics (wearable tech) he uses to measure stress and recovery, especially during hectic periods.11:35 Does Andrew exercise because he enjoys it, or is he addicted to it? And does walking help increase physiological capacity?12:30 This 24 hour window was part of a bigger 4-week intensive block of presentations.16:55 Tapping into purpose to push through challenging/testing times, Andrew catching up with himself in the exhaustion aftermath, and a simple way to tap into your personal purpose.21:25 Andrew didn’t find his purpose and clear identity until his 40s, the conversation Andrew and Shannon had that led to her studying counselling, and how she feels about the big shift in her life.27:40 How Andrew’s support team helped him in the 4 presentations, and how the wizard set up for a virtual studio in a new space.31:05 The most important part of Andrew’s support team: his partner Toni, the fighter pilot analogy of working as part of a team and how people without a support team can still use some digital tools to help them be more productive.34:00 How Andrew down regulated after the highs of each presentation, being strategic and recovering in waves, simple ways to micro dose recovery.40:15 The muscle memory that builds up after years of presenting, and still getting nervous after all of these years.46:40 Winging it can lead to being hit or miss, transitioning straight in to a 5th birthday party after the 24 hour block, and what Shannon can took away from the discussion.Listen to the podcast on HRV: https://performanceintelligence.transistor.fm/episodes/65-the-science-of-heart-rate-variability-hrv-and-teaching-the-german-police-force-breathwork-and-how-to-regulate-stress-dr-marc-jarczok-with-dr-tom-buckley
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.

May 25, 2025 • 12min
Bite Size: Menopause + its Overlooked Impact on Sleep | Vincent Walsh
Menopause is impacting your sleep. Prof Walsh reveals how the hormonal shifts and other physiological changes during this life stage can significantly disrupt sleep quality.In this episode, we delve into the challenges of researching menopause and sleep, exploring why it's a relatively under-researched area. Professor Walsh details his work with elite athletes, demonstrating how simple bedroom adjustments—like temperature control and the use of earplugs—can dramatically improve sleep consistency during the menstrual cycle and menopause. He explains the interconnectedness of temperature regulation, sleep cycles, hunger, and satiety, highlighting the hypothalamus's crucial role. The episode provides practical advice for improving sleep during menopause, emphasizing the importance of creating a consistent sleep routine and optimizing the bedroom environment for optimal rest. You can find Professor Vincent at his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-walsh-15187b28/?originalSubdomain=ukGet a copy of the books mentioned in this podcast:https://www.amazon.com.au/Rhythms-Life-Biological-Clocks-Control-ebook/dp/B005LMSKAYhttps://www.penguin.com.au/books/why-we-sleep-9780141983769https://www.amazon.com.au/Take-Nap-Change-Your-Life/dp/0761142908
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.

May 21, 2025 • 1h 18min
140 Dr Michael Gervais - Building a Super Bowl Championship Team at Seattle Seahawks and Doing it Again with Las Vegas Raiders
Dr. Michael Gervais is a high-performance psychologist with a track record of working with Olympic athletes and the Seattle Seahawks, while John Clarke is the head of performance for Manly Sea Eagles. They dive into the importance of being present and self-aware, especially under pressure. Gervais shares his journey with imposter syndrome and the power of mindfulness. The discussion also touches on cultivating purpose within teams, the significance of clear communication, and lessons learned from both the Seahawks and the Raiders in resilience and team dynamics.

May 18, 2025 • 11min
Bite Size: Sean Bell - Extreme Diet of Fastest Person to Run Around Australia
In this Bite Size from episode #113 ultra marathon runner Sean Bell talks about the unusual diet he had to adopt on the run around Australia and why that played a part in the nausea he felt on the entire run. Sean also elaborates on how he was able to keep going mentally by using his why, in this case raising money for sick kids and how he found himself doing a form of moving meditation to keep his mind occupied in the many hours of the run. You can find Sean at his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanbellruns/?hl=enAt his Website: https://seanbellruns.com/Or at his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanbellruns/?originalSubdomain=auSend Sean an email at: sean@seanbellruns.com
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.