TOUGH TALKS: Conversations on Mental Toughness

Do you know what “commission breath” is? It’s a metaphor for a sales rep who’s so hungry for a deal, they will say or do anything just to get it. They crave commission so badly that prospects smell it on their breath a mile away. And it’s repulsive. And popular.   Our guest today, Ian Koniak, is an established badass in the world of Enterprise Sales. He was the #1 Strategic Account Executive in the Enterprise Select Division of Salesforce.com. That’s a big deal. And the product of a lot of big deals.   In our conversation, Ian takes us through the shifts he made from being OK (and addicted to several substances and vices) to being The Best by getting ALL IN and making the DECISION to get “In Alignment” and to prioritizing other’s success over his own.   More about Ian:   Website: https://www.iankoniak.com  LinkedIn Personal Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iankoniak/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iankoniak  Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gPczOP  YouTube: www.youtube.com/iankoniak  Link to Episode: https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-check-your-alignment-and-be-relevant-with-ian-koniak/  ---   If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.   Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it.   ---  https://christopherdorris.com/lists

Why did Alan Alda always jump around all over the place before going onto the set to record a scene for Mash?   What is "The Yips" and can you get "Life Yips"?   Why do some of us choke when it comes time to shine and some of us don't?   Mental Toughness or Mental Integrity?   The Zone or Brain Synchronicity?   These are some of the fascinating questions and distinctions that our esteemed (Legendary!) Sport Psychology Consultant and Entrepreneur, Dr. Debbie Crews, adresses in our latest episode of Tough Talks.   Dr. Crews has appeared on countless TV shows including NBC Dateline, The Golf Channel and Scientific American Frontier with Alan Alda discussing all things mental about golf and life.   Debbie is a great example of how excellent we can become at our craft when we stay with it and stay committed to constantly sharpening our saw.  She is brilliant beyond description and is as gracious and humble as they get. I am so happy to be able to share her and her wisdom with you.   More about Debbie:   Website: https://myoptibrain.com Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/optibrain1/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opti.brain/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/opti_brain/ Link to episode: https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-getting-in-the-zone-in-sport-and-life-with-dr-debbie-crews/ ---   If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.   Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it.   --- https://christopherdorris.com/lists

How do you most profoundly want to use the rest of your life?  That's a big question, isn't it?  Our guest on today's episode of Tough Talks helps folks address it head-on and with unprecedented levels of enthusiasm and passion and service.  Leo Pusateri is our guest today. He is the Founder of The Sabbatical Experience. Leo can riff all day on the biggest, most important questions we can be asking ourselves to ensure that leave it all out there, that we show up fully, and leave nothing left in the tank.  His vibe is amazing and his impact is enormous.   More about Leo:   Website: https://www.pusatericonsulting.com/  Business LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pusateri-consulting/about/  Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leopusateri/  Link to the episode:   https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-your-next-big-project-is-you-with-leo-pusateri/  ---  If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.   Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it.   ---  https://christopherdorris.com/lists

Is it possible that all of us are, or were, addicted on some level to the need for approval? Fundamentally, what really IS any addiction? What's the difference between being clean & sober vs. being In Recovery? If you've ever been addicted to substances or behaviors like sex or gambling, were you an addict before you even started "using"?   These are just a few of the fascinating questions that we explore in this episode of Tough talks with guest, Marc Schmallen, Founder/CEO of Choice Recovery Path. This conversation went in an entirely different direction than I had anticipated, and thank God for that.   Marc started using before he was 10 years old. He spent years homeless on the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Now he has done his healing and is in service to those who would benefit profoundly from doing their own.   More about Marc:   Website: https://choicerecoverypath.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-schmallen-29320b183/  View episode: https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-we-are-all-addicts-with-marc-schmallen/  ---  If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.   Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it.   ---  https://christopherdorris.com/lists

What if I told you that you could choose your mental state from moment to moment depending on which state would serve you right then? What if I told you you could choose which neuromodulators (she'll explain that) to activate at will?  What if I told you that you can become a NeuroNinja? And what if I told you I have THE NeroNinja Extraordinaire as my guest today? Well, consider yourself told!   She's back for round 2 and is going to blow your minds - or maybe I should say teach you how to best USE your mind - and her name is Dr. Alison Arnold (Doc Ali) and I am super pumped to share with you her and her newest research in the field of neuroscience applied specifically to peak performance!    More about Doc. Ali:   Website: http://www.HeadGamesH2H.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/docali/  LinkedIn Business Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-arnold-phd-doc-ali-8463962/  LinkedIn Personal Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-arnold-phd-doc-ali-8463962/  ---  https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-how-to-become-a-neuroninja-with-doc-ali/ ---   If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.  Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it.   ---  https://christopherdorris.com/lists

"Hope is lazy!" That's what he said! And I couldn't love it more. He advises us to make a much more intelligent and effective choice - KNOWING. His name is Greg Everett and he's coached elite weightlifters and written some gems of books.   In today's episode of Tough Talks, we unpack his more recent masterpiece, his book, TOUGH: Building True Mental, Physical & Emotional Toughness For Success & Fulfillment. Greg is wizardly smart, is obviously very well-read and studied, and is committed to offering us plenty of practical takeaways that will help us uplevel our Toughness.   ---- More about Greg:   Website: https://shop.catalystathletics.com/collections/books Twitter: https://twitter.com/CAthletics --- https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-hoping-is-lazy-with-greg-everett/ ----   If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.  Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it.   --- https://christopherdorris.com/lists

Our guest today was The Naval Commander of the Oliver Hazard Perry Class Guided Missile Frigate. It was a DREAM career. One that he aspired to and worked tirelessly for his entire life. They were deployed in The Black Sea during the 2014 Sochi Olympics directly off the coast of Russia. They were so close to shore, they could see the Olympic Torch - as well as some other Russian "assets" who were clearly interested in their presence there. In one minute he was living his dream. And in literally the next minute his entire life changed - and his entire identity went with it. Until he re-created himself. His name is Dennis Volpe and he's going to share his amazing story of crisis and resilience. More about Dennis:   Website: https://dennis-volpe.com  LinkedIn Business Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadership-research-institute  LinkedIn Personal Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djvolpe/  Additional link Dennis wants to share: https://dennis-volpe.com/severn-river-leadership-group/  ----  https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-resilience-with-dennis-volpe/  ---  If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.   Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it.   ---  https://christopherdorris.com/lists

We got him back! He's back for round 2 (of 3). His name is Steve Sims and he really is the guy who gets shit done. And it ain't just any shit. It's crazy shit. He's a high-end concierge. He pulls off miracles for affluent people. And we have a lot to learn from his level of thinking. Today we unpack my favorite story of his. He managed to get the museum in Florence, Italy that houses the most famous sculpture on Earth, The Statue of David, to shut down in order to host a private dinner for his client at the foot of the statue. That's never been done before. But that isn't even the wildest part. Wait till you see what else he managed to pull off so he could REALLY wow his client! And listen to how simple he makes it all sound - this business of pulling off miracles! Previous episode with Steve Sims: TOUGH TALKS - E076 -  Bluefishing! with Steve Sims: https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-bluefishing-with-steve-sims/ More about Steve: Website: https://www.stevedsims.com/ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stevedsims/ FB Personal: https://www.facebook.com/SteveDSims IG: https://www.instagram.com/stevedsims/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdsims/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/stevedsims And his book, Bluefishing, is an absolute masterpiece! https://amzn.to/3y90DwE

What is the ONE thing we do more than anything else in life after breathing? LISTENING. And how much formal training have you had in being a phenomenal listener. Who cares? YOU DO! And in this episode of Tough Talks, Master Listening Instructor, Theresa Campbell, teaches us why we should care and some fundamental practices on how to master the art. When you hear her describe what we're missing with crappy listening, you'll listen closely!!!   --- More about Theresa:   Website: http://herlifeherlegacy.com/  Facebook Personal Profile: https://www.facebook.com/CoachTheresaCampbell  LinkedIn Personal Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachtheresacampbell/  --- https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-creating-from-listening-with-theresa-campbell/  ---   If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.   Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it.   ---  https://christopherdorris.com/lists

We learn as we go through life. Some of what we learn serves us very well, like how to speak, how to write, how to use a computer, how to play a sport or an instrument, or that we stop at a red light. Some of what we learn does NOT serve us, like how to complain, how to doubt ourselves, how to use substances to self-medicate versus doing the deeper healing work, how to judge others and ourselves negatively, or how to be a “Go-Getter.”   Wait. What? What was that last one?  Isn’t it generally agreed upon that being what we call a “go-getter” is an impressive thing? After all, it’s a “dog eat dog world” out there and you have to “look out for #1” right?   Unless it really isn’t, and the actual real laws of success involve the antithesis of that “me-first” mentality.   Well, that’s precisely what we’re exploring here today with our guest, the co-author of the world-famous book/movement, The Go-Giver, Bob Burg.  In this episode of Tough Talks, Bob brilliantly, magically, articulately, beautifully, and also quite humbly guides us through The 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success.    More about Bob:   Bob Burg Website: https://burg.com/  The GO Giver Website: https://gogiversuccessalliance.com/  FB Personal Page:  https://www.facebook.com/bobburg  FB Business Page: https://www.facebook.com/thegogiverway  Link to his book ‘The Go-Giver’: https://amzn.to/3AkxM9z  Link to Steve Chandler’s book ‘ Crazy Good’: https://amzn.to/368XQXn  https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-the-go-giver-way-with-bob-burg/  ---  If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.   Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it.   ---  https://christopherdorris.com/lists