The Mindset Experience®

Former 6x All-American gymnast Olivia Karas shares her journey of overcoming 'rushy-itis' through imperfect moments. She reflects on the mental toughness displayed by Olympic champion Kerri Strug and emphasizes being comfortable with discomfort. Olivia highlights the importance of controlling controllables, resilience in the face of adversity, and embracing discomfort for personal growth in gymnastics and life.

Kate Parker is a mother, wife, former NCAA D1 athlete, Ironman, TEDx speaker, professional photographer and New York Times bestselling author whose first book “Strong is the New Pretty” garnered support from the Spice Girls, David Beckham, Drew Barrymore, Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman and Emma Watson. Her work has been featured in several major magazines and her clients include REI, Verizon, Athleta and American Express.   Growing up, she was known for being loud, driven and perfectionistic which might be associated with “being strong” but typically not “pretty.” Like many female athletes, as she became more competitive in her sport, she started emphasizing being skinnier. However, a coach helped her reframe her body image and in turn her internal view of strength and beauty.  As a mother and photographer, she uses her critical eye to point out perception vs reality while capturing powerful emotions to help us realize that exuberance needs no apology. In her newest book, “Force of Nature” she shows us why “too much” is actually the right amount.  @katetparker, katetparker.com

Olivia Bray is a current member of the University of Texas Women’s Swim Team and majoring in Business Management. She is a 17-time All-American, two-time National team runner-up, 18-time Big 12 champion, four-time member of the Big 12 commissioner’s honor roll, and two-time CSCAA scholar All-American. She is passionate about mental health. In 2020, she put her life on hold and entered an eating disorder treatment center to battle something that was controlling her. By prioritizing herself and investing in the process, she was able to redefine her relationship with food and return to her sport with a different mindset. This 3x campus captain for The Hidden Opponent continues to advocate for mental health and eating disorders by being authentic and appreciating the grind. @oliviaabray

Alan Stein Jr. discusses the importance of mastering basic skills like Kobe Bryant, embracing failure for growth, controlling controllables, embracing integrity in daily choices, and continuous self-improvement for success.

As the son of a lacrosse legend, Tom Schreiber was given a stick “immediately” and taught the value of hard work, sacrifice and “practice after practice.” His foundation put him ahead of his peers physically, so he chose to invest in his development mentally as his main competition was, “me vs. me.” This process allowed him to win almost every award possible including 2 gold medals for team USA, a PLL championship, 3X MVP, 4X pro lacrosse Midfielder of the Year Award, 9X professional all-star, a two-time Tewaaraton Finalist, a three-time 1st Team All-American, and a two-time Donald MacLaughlin Award winner as the nation's top midfielder. In 2023, fresh off a record-breaking season, he found himself in an emotional slump requiring him to analyze what gives him true meaning and motivates him to keep growing. The answers to these questions translate directly to his personal life off the field. As the spouse of an elite athlete and father of two young children, Tom prioritizes the concepts of sacrifice, teamwork, self-accountability, establishing high standards to leave a legacy so his kids will thank him one day just like he did with his own father. @tom_schreiber26, @pll, 

Shannon Will, owner of Will Power PT is among the best sports physical therapists in the area and recipient of  Baltimore’s Best Physical Therapy in 2022. Dr. Will has extensive experience in treating professional athletes (NFL, CFL, NBA , PLL, MLS, MLB, MMA) and Division I collegiate athletes in sports including lacrosse, football, soccer, basketball, track & field, gymnastics, field hockey and boxing. In addition to physical therapy, Dr. Will is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Certified USA Olympic Weightlifting Coach (USAW) and Sports Performance Specialist (XPS). She considered herself an average athlete at many sports but found her passion in athletic training as a college student. She focused on learning and the more she knew, the more she realized what she didn’t know.  By focusing on her personal growth through gaining knowledge, she laid a foundation that would set her apart from others as a professional. As a PT, her practice model is based on availability, communication, and relationships. By choosing a mindset that prioritizes her own mental and physical wellbeing, she can offer personal experiences and guidance that helps each athlete reach their full potential well beyond their initial injury. @will_power_pt

Miki Barber is an American sprinter who competes in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash. She is an Olympian, World Champion and 5x World Championship team member. As an NCAA athlete, she was a 20x All-American, 5x NCAA Champion, 2x Scholar Athlete of the year and made the Olympics as a sophomore. In 2015, she was selected to the University of South Carolina Hall of Fame. Miki knew early on that she wanted to be a professional athlete. Along with her twin sister to compete alongside her, support her and ensure they were having fun, “The Barber Twins” both won numerous world titles and participated in numerous ad campaigns including BMW, Nike, Adidas, and ESPN Magazine. Through faith, persistence, and desire to challenge incorrect assumptions, she has competed at the highest level for the past 20 years. Despite having two foot surgeries that paused her career, she chose a never give up mindset that enabled her to rehab herself back on top where everyone could notice her big hair, glossed lips and ink gloves. Her philosophy has always been, “when you look good, you feel good.” @mikimango    

In his 14th year as the head lacrosse coach at Penn State University, Jeff Tambroni has coached 44 All-Americans, 8 USILA Scholar All-Americans, and 47 all-conference award winners. Prior to PSU, his resume also includes Cornell, Loyola and Hobart.  He is a 2X Big 10 Coach of year, 2X CAA Coach of the year, 2009 D1 Coach of the year, and member of Hobart HOF class 2018. As a player, he was fortunate to have coaches who instilled a “hard love” mentality which created a level of success that he wanted to emulate. As a coach, he focuses on transformational relationships developed through connection, trust, vulnerability and mutually beneficially partnerships with his athletes.  Much of his perspective and approach is shaped by a single tragic moment in March 2004 when one of his players (and a team leader), George Boiardi, died after ball struck his chest in a college lacrosse game. This experience changed the trajectory of his life as a coach, father, and spouse. He is inspired to live each day like George by subscribing to the motto, “Well Done is Better than Well Said.” @pennstatemlax  

Akeem Shannon’s story demonstrates how a fear of failure means a fear of trying and less effort means missed opportunities. Despite earning a full tuition scholarship to Howard University to earn a chemical engineering degree, his mindset of fear caused him to lose his scholarship, drop out and go into a really dark place. Bathing in his failure, he faced his high achieving parents and was surprised to learn their disappointment was not in his setback but rather in his inability to ask for help. This “rock bottom” experience motivated Akeem to redefine his relationship with failure, improve his overall awareness, shift his creative energy, embrace his sense of self and go all in holding nothing back. Instead of living a life full of regrets, he is living a dream that includes connecting with world famous rappers Sean “P Diddy” Combs, Snoop Dogg, and landing a deal on Shark Tank. As CEO of Flipstik (now sold in over 3000 retailers including Target, Best Buy, AT&T, T-Mobile, and QVC), Akeem's story is currently featured at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History’s “Cellphone: Unseen Connections” exhibition in Washington D.C. and he is featured in INC Magazines top 50 fasting growing consumer product companies in 2023. @getflipstik, @akeemshannon  

Initially exposed to the goalie position because her sister thought it would be funny, Kait Devir found enjoyment in the game to stop balls from going into the net. As her lacrosse experience grew, so did her mindset to excel, leading her to invest in her effort by always doing 1% more, reaffirming her preparation for big moments, and taking initiative to vocalize her needs. Her focus on the details to succeed as a player have translated over to her attention to detail as a sports photographer. Her approach to progress over perfection as an athlete have also enabled her to focus on growth in her visual art. She is known for her ability to capture unique and special moments of celebration and gratitude. Kait believes that “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” She has personally lived this mantra by leaving one of the top women’s lacrosse programs in Boston College to attend University of Southern California allowing her to pursue her creative passion as a student athlete studying cinema @kaitdevir