The Mindset Experience®

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

Despite her smaller stature as a younger child, Alycea Adams was dominant in confidence through effort, speaking up and maximizing first impressions. As she entered the sport of cheerleading, her ability to bring together her physical work ethic, desire to improve, willingness to learn and skill set of connecting with others enabled her to achieve success in her sport earning her a spot on the UNC-Chapel Hill Cheerleading Program. As a social media influencer, she applies her personal experiences and knowledge gained to her passion for breaking societal barriers for women of color in technology & sports to be a role model for young black women to bring confidence into any space they occupy! Within the past 9 months, her channels on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have grown to nearly 600K! She has had several brand deals with Pantene, YSL Beauty, and Mielle Organics as a natural hair influencer. At Carolina, she is pursuing a B.S. in Information Science and a double minor in Entrepreneurship/Urban Studies & City Planning. In addition to being a UNC Cheerleader, she is also a Carolina Covenant Scholar and an ambassador for the Shuford Entrepreneurship Program. @alycearae

Dr. Hillary Cauthen, a clinical sport psychologist and advocate for mental health in sports, discusses the toxicity of sport culture. Topics include defining mental health, navigating challenges in sports culture, maintaining a competitive mindset, and self-care strategies in sports psychology.

Spencer Horwitz was destined to play professional baseball. His first word was "ball" and he excelled early on earning the opportunity to play in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer league at age 20. However, it was then that he experienced severe anxiety and panic evoking fear that he would never get drafted, and his baseball career and all his dreams would be over. With the support and validation of his family, he began the process of investing into both his physical and mental health. Drafted in 2019, he spent 4 years in the minors and finally made his MLB debut on June 18, 2023, earning his first hit on his very first at bat. Despite this early success, he also experienced early failure striking out in a key moment of an important game. Again, he hit a low spot not knowing when his next opportunity would come. Having struggled before, he knew that things could get low really quick but can also be high just as quick. The very next night, on September 3 he got that chance, reminded himself to "be on time and let it rip" and hit his first major-league home run (a solo shot) in a 7-5 win against the Colorado Rockies! Spencer uses his past experiences as learning experiences and continues to invest in his mind as much as his body consuming positive information, journaling daily, and checking in on those he loves "all the time." While so many athletes operate out of fear, Spencer operates out of love identifying it is the number 1 thing that will overcome fear. @spencer_horwitz

Growing up in Toronto Canada, Kate Allgood learned to skate before she could talk. Her early exposure to hockey, attention to detail and relentless dedication to be perfect led her to become a top-ranked ice hockey player who also burned out by the age of 18. By working with a professional to prioritize her own mental health, she developed the purpose for her own profession. Kate holds two master's degrees in psychology and works as a mental performance coach and CEO of Quantum Performance Inc., a high-performance coaching firm that specializes in mental training for athletes. Kate has worked closely with top athletes in the NHL, NFL, LPGA, Supercross, and other professional leagues. Kate has also assisted military personnel such as Navy Seal recruits in passing both their physical and written exams. Her first book, "Get Into the Zone", became an Amazon bestseller on the subject. She shares ways to create a sustainable flow/rhythm throughout performance and teaches us the necessary tools to build sustainable confidence. @qpathlete, qpathlete.com

Victoria Garrick Browne is a TED Talk speaker, mental health advocate, podcast host and former NCAA Division 1 Athlete who has amassed 2M+ followers across social media where she's known for her unfiltered campaign #RealPost. She first began sharing her story of how she battled and overcame depression and anxiety as a student athlete in her 2017 TED Talk, "The Hidden Opponent" which has been viewed over 500,000 times. She has also been featured in the NY Times', The Player's Tribune, E! News, People, Access Hollywood and is the Founder and CEO of mental health non-profit, The Hidden Opponent which was recognized as a standout resource for athletes by the late Kobe Bryant. In this episode, Victoria addresses the pressures she faced as a student athlete, and her experiences with anxiety, depression, and her eating disorder. She also discusses her introduction to therapy, and the insights that she has gained that motivate her to inspire so many others as she tours the country speaking at universities in hopes of destigmatizing the conversations around mental health and encouraging all people to be their unfiltered selves. @victoriabrowne, @thehiddenopponent, @realpod

Nicole Linn, the 'Below Average Runner,' shares her journey of redefining success in running by embracing the process over speed. She emphasizes the importance of community support, self-care, and finding joy in running. The podcast explores the power of motivational language, knowing when to quit for self-care, and embracing individual progress. By focusing on 'Embracing the Pace,' Nicole teaches us the value of gratitude, resilience, and building a supportive running community.