
Raise Your Game Show with Alan Stein, Jr.
In this season, I’ll revisit my favorite conversations with my favorite podcast hosts (from when I was a guest on their shows).
Latest episodes

Oct 26, 2022 • 1h 6min
Season 13, Ep. 7: Behind the Scenes with an NBA Coach (David Adkins)
In today's episode, I go behind the packed arenas, behind the NBA TV broadcast, and behind the dancing cheerleaders with my longtime friend, mentor, and someone who has had a profound impact on my life, Coach David Adkins. DA, as he is affectionately known, is the new Director of Player Development for the Portland Trailblazers. After holding similar positions with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers, he has 30 years of elite coaching experience at every level. Having been an integral member of the coaching staffs at Montrose Christian, Damatha Catholic High School, and the University of Maryland's women's basketball team, Coach Adkins is the best in the business at his craft, and it's not by accident, it's not by luck, it's because he puts in serious work during the unseen hours. I first met Coach Adkins in the summer of 2002, where he was pivotal in opening the door for me as the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Montrose Christian, something I will be forever grateful for.This season I’m exploring what high performers do behind the scenes. I’ve been enjoying fascinating conversations with professional stand-up comedians, magicians, actors, rappers, dancers, YouTubers, athletes, coaches, and everything in between to find out exactly what they do behind the curtain – when the cameras are off and the arenas are empty – to work towards mastery of their craft and to prepare themselves to perform at a world class level. I hope you find their insights, perspectives, and personal strategies as helpful as I do and use what they share to continue to Raise Your Game.Warning: this episode contains the occasional use of adult language – words like BLEEP and BLEEP and quite possibly some nudity… so please be advised. Thank you so much for investing your time with us. I hope we helped you Raise Your Game and provided useful insight on how you can maximize your time and effort. If you found this episode helpful, would you be open-minded to supporting the show? Would you be kind enough to share it with a friend or colleague? Would you take 30 seconds and leave us a rating and review? Those two things help support the show’s mission and message more than you know. And don’t ever forget, a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.comPlease make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com. Lastly, if I can ever be of service to you or your organization, please visit AlanSteinJr.com and StrongerTeam.com for a variety of speaking and coaching resources.

Oct 21, 2022 • 28min
Rewind: Season 1, Ep. 7: NY Times Best Selling Author James Clear
If you’re new to our show, each of the previous 12 seasons have had a different theme, a different format, and a different approach to unpacking and dissecting both individual and organizational performance.These Rewind episodes take a look back at some my favorite shows in case you missed them the first time around… or in case you’d like to give them a second listen.I hope you enjoy, and more importantly, I hope this Rewind episode helps you Raise Your Game!You may know him as a world-renowned expert on improving habits and the author of the NY Times Best Selling book, Atomic Habits, but did you know James Clear was an elite baseball player until he suffered a catastrophic, freakish injury that left him completely debilitated with brain damage. He had to learn how to do everything all over again – even the most basic of functions. This is where he formed a strong bond, respect and appreciation for habits, systems and processes.Here are several isolated responses from an in-person conversation we had with James Clear, at a PGC Snaps event in Dallas, TX – back when I was a co-host of the Hardwood Hustle. We discussed the origin of his fascination with habits/systems/processes, what a Keystone Habit is (and why they are so important) and how doing a series of little things 1% better will create monumental changes.What makes the best the best? Ultimately the best are where they are because of the mindset, habits, and rituals they have—both in their respective “arenas,” but also in private, during the unseen hours. Success isn’t something that happens to you. It's something you attract and you create. Successful people do the little things better than everyone else because they know all the big things arise from them. The highest performers in all walks of life have taken full ownership. They got to where they are and have stayed there because they have chosen to establish, tweak and repeat positive habits. They understand that you can’t be selective when it comes to excellence, that how we do anything is how we do everything.Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.comPlease make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com. I’ve been in the lab the past several months reorganizing and revamping my content. The result? Four standalone keynote programs that address four separate audiences:INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR GAME)LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE (RAISE THEIR GAME)ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE OUR GAME)SALES PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR SALES)For more information on each program, please visit AlanSteinJr.com or reach out directly to Michelle Joyce (my amazing Director of Events): Michelle@MichelleJoyce.com or 704.965.2339

Oct 19, 2022 • 58min
Season 13, Ep. 6: Behind the Scenes with a Professional Actor (Gabby Bourne)
In today's episode, I go behind the camera with my new friend Gabby Bourne. Gabby is an acclaimed actor and producer, having been a guest star on NCIS, a recurring star on Animal Kingdom, which by the way, is one of my all-time favorite shows, and she will be in the upcoming movie about Nike and it's efforts to sign Michael Jordan to an endorsement deal in the early eighties, which also stars Hollywood elite, such as Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, and Marlon Wayans. In addition to her acting degree from the University of Southern California, Gabby has previously trained professionally in London and New York City, and is currently enrolled in a masterclass with Keith Bogart at Parallax Studio. As you will see, despite her success, she continues to relentlessly work on her craft during the unseen hours. I met Gabby and her incredible husband, Tri Bourne, who just so happens to be one of the top men's beach volleyball players in the world at the Myrtle Beach Open last year.This season I’m exploring what high performers do behind the scenes. I’ve been enjoying fascinating conversations with professional stand-up comedians, magicians, actors, rappers, dancers, YouTubers, athletes, coaches, and everything in between to find out exactly what they do behind the curtain – when the cameras are off and the arenas are empty – to work towards mastery of their craft and to prepare themselves to perform at a world class level. I hope you find their insights, perspectives, and personal strategies as helpful as I do and use what they share to continue to Raise Your Game.Warning: this episode contains the occasional use of adult language – words like BLEEP and BLEEP and quite possibly some nudity… so please be advised. Thank you so much for investing your time with us. I hope we helped you Raise Your Game and provided useful insight on how you can maximize your time and effort. If you found this episode helpful, would you be open-minded to supporting the show? Would you be kind enough to share it with a friend or colleague? Would you take 30 seconds and leave us a rating and review? Those two things help support the show’s mission and message more than you know. And don’t ever forget, a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.comPlease make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com. Lastly, if I can ever be of service to you or your organization, please visit AlanSteinJr.com and StrongerTeam.com for a variety of speaking and coaching resources.

Oct 14, 2022 • 20min
Rewind: Season 1, Ep. 6: ESPN Game Day’s Jay Bilas
If you’re new to our show, each of the previous 12 seasons have had a different theme, a different format, and a different approach to unpacking and dissecting both individual and organizational performance.These Rewind episodes take a look back at some my favorite shows in case you missed them the first time around… or in case you’d like to give them a second listen.I hope you enjoy, and more importantly, I hope this Rewind episode helps you Raise Your Game!You may know him as the face of ESPN’s college basketball, a Duke Basketball Legend and an outspoken advocate for college athletes on Twitter, but did you know Jay Bilas joined the Screen Actors Guild in 1987. He appeared in national television commercials and the feature-length movie I Come in Peace (also known as Dark Angel). He also appeared in an episode of the TV series The White Shadow. Here are several isolated responses from an in-person conversation I had with Jay Bilas, at his summer skills academy at Queens College in Charlotte – back in my day as the voice of the Pure Sweat Basketball Show. We discussed the concept of why we is greater than me, what it really means to be a role player and the foundation of Coach K’s greatness.What makes the best the best? Ultimately the best are where they are because of the mindset, habits, and rituals they have—both in their respective “arenas,” but also in private, during the unseen hours. Success isn’t something that happens to you. It's something you attract and you create. Successful people do the little things better than everyone else because they know all the big things arise from them. The highest performers in all walks of life have taken full ownership. They got to where they are and have stayed there because they have chosen to establish, tweak and repeat positive habits. They understand that you can’t be selective when it comes to excellence, that how we do anything is how we do everything.Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.comPlease make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com. I’ve been in the lab the past several months reorganizing and revamping my content. The result? Four standalone keynote programs that address four separate audiences:INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR GAME)LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE (RAISE THEIR GAME)ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE OUR GAME)SALES PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR SALES)For more information on each program, please visit AlanSteinJr.com or reach out directly to Michelle Joyce (my amazing Director of Events): Michelle@MichelleJoyce.com or 704.965.2339

Oct 12, 2022 • 1h 10min
Season 13, Ep. 5: Behind the Scenes with a Professional Magician (Adam Wilber)
In today's episode, I go behind the illusions, behind the slight of hand tricks and behind the mind blowing magic with my friend Adam Wilber. Adam is a master magician and corporate speaker and has been captivating audiences both large and small for over two decades. His unique blend of comedy and magic have won him fans from around the world as well as appearances on TV shows like Fool Us with Penn and Teller, whom he fooled by the way, and the Discovery Channel who fittingly called Adam the Real Deal in Magical Entertainment. Adam has been studying and perfecting his craft since the age of six and has logged some serious unseen hours. I met Adam back in 2017 when a mutual friend in the speaking game introduced us and I've enjoyed following his well deserved success.This season I’m exploring what high performers do behind the scenes. I’ve been enjoying fascinating conversations with professional stand-up comedians, magicians, actors, rappers, dancers, YouTubers, athletes, coaches, and everything in between to find out exactly what they do behind the curtain – when the cameras are off and the arenas are empty – to work towards mastery of their craft and to prepare themselves to perform at a world class level. I hope you find their insights, perspectives, and personal strategies as helpful as I do and use what they share to continue to Raise Your Game.Warning: this episode contains the occasional use of adult language – words like BLEEP and BLEEP and quite possibly some nudity… so please be advised. Thank you so much for investing your time with us. I hope we helped you Raise Your Game and provided useful insight on how you can maximize your time and effort. If you found this episode helpful, would you be open-minded to supporting the show? Would you be kind enough to share it with a friend or colleague? Would you take 30 seconds and leave us a rating and review? Those two things help support the show’s mission and message more than you know. And don’t ever forget, a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.comPlease make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com. Lastly, if I can ever be of service to you or your organization, please visit AlanSteinJr.com and StrongerTeam.com for a variety of speaking and coaching resources.

Oct 7, 2022 • 12min
Rewind: Season 1, Ep. 5: 2-Time NCAA Champion Coach Jay Wright
If you’re new to our show, each of the previous 12 seasons have had a different theme, a different format, and a different approach to unpacking and dissecting both individual and organizational performance.These Rewind episodes take a look back at some my favorite shows in case you missed them the first time around… or in case you’d like to give them a second listen.I hope you enjoy, and more importantly, I hope this Rewind episode helps you Raise Your Game!You may know him as the architect to 2 college basketball National Championships for Villanova, but did you know Coach Jay Wright (first name is actually Jerold) is a multiple winner of GQ’s Fashionable Four, an award given to the best-dressed coach in college basketball. Did you know that Jay was a pretty decent baller himself? He once scored 69 points in a high school game and ended up being a 4-year letter winner at Bucknell. Here are several isolated responses from a really quick in-person conversation I had with Coach Jay Wright, in Las Vegas at UNLV – back when I hosted the Pure Sweat Basketball Show. We discussed the 3 traits he values most in assistant coaches, the key to maintaining a championship caliber culture and why relationships have always been and will always be the most important part of coaching. What makes the best the best? Ultimately the best are where they are because of the mindset, habits, and rituals they have—both in their respective “arenas,” but also in private, during the unseen hours. Success isn’t something that happens to you. It's something you attract and you create. Successful people do the little things better than everyone else because they know all the big things arise from them. The highest performers in all walks of life have taken full ownership. They got to where they are and have stayed there because they have chosen to establish, tweak and repeat positive habits. They understand that you can’t be selective when it comes to excellence, that how we do anything is how we do everything.Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.comPlease make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com. I’ve been in the lab the past several months reorganizing and revamping my content. The result? Four standalone keynote programs that address four separate audiences:INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR GAME)LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE (RAISE THEIR GAME)ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE OUR GAME)SALES PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR SALES)For more information on each program, please visit AlanSteinJr.com or reach out directly to Michelle Joyce (my amazing Director of Events): Michelle@MichelleJoyce.com or 704.965.2339

Oct 5, 2022 • 55min
Season 13, Ep. 4: Behind the Scenes with a New Author (Nicole Kalil)
In today's episode, I go behind the stage and behind the page with my new friend Nicole Kalil. Nicole is an in demand speaker, author of the incredible new book, Validation is For Parking, a respected coach and the host of the This is Women's Work Podcast. Nicole's passion for eliminating gender expectations and redefining women's work is both what keeps her up at night and what gets her up in the morning. She is a former Fortune 100 C-suite executive and has coached thousands of women in business, which has given her a unique insight into what structurally, systematically, and socially is and isn't serving women and leaders within an organization. But gentlemen, make sure you listen closely as the strategies she shares on commitment, courage, and authenticity during the unseen hours directly applies to us as well. This season I’m exploring what high performers do behind the scenes. I’ve been enjoying fascinating conversations with professional stand-up comedians, magicians, actors, rappers, dancers, YouTubers, athletes, coaches, and everything in between to find out exactly what they do behind the curtain – when the cameras are off and the arenas are empty – to work towards mastery of their craft and to prepare themselves to perform at a world class level. I hope you find their insights, perspectives, and personal strategies as helpful as I do and use what they share to continue to Raise Your Game.Warning: this episode contains the occasional use of adult language – words like BLEEP and BLEEP and quite possibly some nudity… so please be advised. Thank you so much for investing your time with us. I hope we helped you Raise Your Game and provided useful insight on how you can maximize your time and effort. If you found this episode helpful, would you be open-minded to supporting the show? Would you be kind enough to share it with a friend or colleague? Would you take 30 seconds and leave us a rating and review? Those two things help support the show’s mission and message more than you know. And don’t ever forget, a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.comPlease make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com. Lastly, if I can ever be of service to you or your organization, please visit AlanSteinJr.com and StrongerTeam.com for a variety of speaking and coaching resources.

Sep 30, 2022 • 19min
Rewind: Season 1, Ep. 4: Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban
If you’re new to our show, each of the previous 12 seasons have had a different theme, a different format, and a different approach to unpacking and dissecting both individual and organizational performance.These Rewind episodes take a look back at some my favorite shows in case you missed them the first time around… or in case you’d like to give them a second listen.I hope you enjoy, and more importantly, I hope this Rewind episode helps you Raise Your Game!You may know him as the most aggressive Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank or as the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, but did you know that Mark Cuban made his way into the Guinness Book of Records in 1999 by making what was then the largest single e-commerce transaction - a Gulfstream V private jet for $40 million. Did you know the NBA has fined Mark more than $2 million over his tenure, for a variety of different infractions. His largest fine - $500,000 - was the result of a remark he made about an NBA referee, "Ed Rush might have been a great ref, but I wouldn't hire him to manage a Dairy Queen.” After making that public comment, Cuban accepted the invitation of a local DQ to work behind the counter for a day.Here are several isolated responses from an in-person conversation we had with Mark Cuban, in his bunker office at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, TX – back when I was a co-host of the Hardwood Hustle. We discussed why the intangibles you develop on the court have high utility in every area of your life, how he is always the most prepared person in any room and the benefits of getting paid to learn.What makes the best the best? Ultimately the best are where they are because of the mindset, habits, and rituals they have—both in their respective “arenas,” but also in private, during the unseen hours. Success isn’t something that happens to you. It's something you attract and you create. Successful people do the little things better than everyone else because they know all the big things arise from them. The highest performers in all walks of life have taken full ownership. They got to where they are and have stayed there because they have chosen to establish, tweak and repeat positive habits. They understand that you can’t be selective when it comes to excellence, that how we do anything is how we do everything.Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.comPlease make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com. I’ve been in the lab the past several months reorganizing and revamping my content. The result? Four standalone keynote programs that address four separate audiences:INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR GAME)LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE (RAISE THEIR GAME)ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE OUR GAME)SALES PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR SALES)For more information on each program, please visit AlanSteinJr.com or reach out directly to Michelle Joyce (my amazing Director of Events): Michelle@MichelleJoyce.com or 704.965.2339

Sep 28, 2022 • 1h 4min
Season 13, Ep. 3: Behind the Scenes with a Professional Actor (Devan Long)
I go behind the camera with my new friend, Devan Long. Devan is a multifaceted character actor in both TV and movies, and is currently a series regular on CBS's hit comedy Ghosts. He is a former football star at the University of Oregon, played briefly in the NFL, but didn't catch the acting bug until his playing career was over. Devan has such a unique acting skill set that he's been able to portray such an eclectic array of characters from vicious assassins to lovable superheroes. The first time I saw him on screen was during an episode of Bosch, which is one of my all time favorite detective shows. I met Devan through his wonderful wife, Jesse Golden, whom I met at a wellness retreat in 2017. Here's my conversation with the incredibly handsome and statuesque Devan Long.
This season I’m exploring what high performers do behind the scenes. I’ve been enjoying fascinating conversations with professional stand-up comedians, magicians, actors, rappers, dancers, YouTubers, athletes, coaches, and everything in between to find out exactly what they do behind the curtain – when the cameras are off and the arenas are empty – to work towards mastery of their craft and to prepare themselves to perform at a world class level. I hope you find their insights, perspectives, and personal strategies as helpful as I do and use what they share to continue to Raise Your Game.
Warning: this episode contains the occasional use of adult language – words like BLEEP and BLEEP and quite possibly some nudity… so please be advised.
Thank you so much for investing your time with us. I hope we helped you Raise Your Game and provided useful insight on how you can maximize your time and effort. If you found this episode helpful, would you be open-minded to supporting the show? Would you be kind enough to share it with a friend or colleague? Would you take 30 seconds and leave us a rating and review? Those two things help support the show’s mission and message more than you know. And don’t ever forget, a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.
Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.
Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.com
Please make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.
Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com.
Lastly, if I can ever be of service to you or your organization, please visit AlanSteinJr.com and StrongerTeam.com for a variety of speaking and coaching resources.

Sep 23, 2022 • 18min
Rewind: Season 1, Ep. 3: Boston Celtics Coach Brad Stevens
If you’re new to our show, each of the previous 12 seasons have had a different theme, a different format, and a different approach to unpacking and dissecting both individual and organizational performance.These Rewind episodes take a look back at some my favorite shows in case you missed them the first time around… or in case you’d like to give them a second listen.I hope you enjoy, and more importantly, I hope this Rewind episode helps you Raise Your Game!You may know him as the brilliant head coach of the Boston Celtics, but did you know after his standout career as a Division III basketball player, Brad Stevens became the director of basketball operations at Butler in his early 20’s, a position that paid a mere $18,000 a year. Unfazed, he spent 14 hours a day logging, categorizing and editing game tape and quickly earned a reputation as a relentless worker that valued the process.Here are several isolated responses from a brief in-person conversation I had with Coach Brad Stevens, in Las Vegas at the USA Basketball Fantasy Camp – back when I was the host of the Pure Sweat Basketball Show. We discussed why winning as a part of a team is the ultimate fulfillment, how he structures his practices with priority and urgency and how surrounding yourself with great people is the key to success.What makes the best the best? Ultimately the best are where they are because of the mindset, habits, and rituals they have—both in their respective “arenas,” but also in private, during the unseen hours. Success isn’t something that happens to you. It's something you attract and you create. Successful people do the little things better than everyone else because they know all the big things arise from them. The highest performers in all walks of life have taken full ownership. They got to where they are and have stayed there because they have chosen to establish, tweak and repeat positive habits. They understand that you can’t be selective when it comes to excellence, that how we do anything is how we do everything.Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.comPlease make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com. I’ve been in the lab the past several months reorganizing and revamping my content. The result? Four standalone keynote programs that address four separate audiences:INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR GAME)LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE (RAISE THEIR GAME)ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE OUR GAME)SALES PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR SALES)For more information on each program, please visit AlanSteinJr.com or reach out directly to Michelle Joyce (my amazing Director of Events): Michelle@MichelleJoyce.com or 704.965.2339