Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

In this conversation, Jimmy Chin, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and elite mountain athlete, shares his incredible journey from climbing Mount Everest to creating powerful documentaries like 'Free Solo.' He discusses the ethical dilemmas of filming dangerous climbs and how passion intersects with risk-taking. Jimmy reflects on self-discovery through his Chinese heritage and the importance of genuine storytelling in non-fiction. He emphasizes the need for resilience and perspective, revealing how these elements drive both his life and craft.

This week’s conversation is with Alexi Pappas, an Olympic runner and an award-winning actor and writer.A Greek-American, Alexi is the Greek national record holder in the 10,000 meters.She graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College and also ran for the University of Oregon as a 5th year, leading the team to two NCAA victories.Alexi has been profiled on the cover of the New York Times Sports Page, in Rolling Stone, on NPR's All Things Considered, and was also featured on the cover of Runner's World Magazine's 50th anniversary issu, named as one of the two faces of the "new boom" in running.Her memoir-in-essays, "Bravey," with a foreword by Maya Rudolph was just released – and it’s the reason I wanted to have this conversation.Now more than ever – mental health is at the forefront of what so many of us are dealing with.My hope is that Alexi’s story – one of overcoming depression and seeing a grander version of what her future could look like can help you or a loved one get through any challenges of your own.This is not an easy time... but maybe… this conversation inspires you, that you have more inside you, and reminds you that you’re not alone in this._________________Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMasteryGet exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine! https://www.findingmastery.com/morningmindsetFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week’s conversation is with Henry Fraser, a talented artist, who paints stunning landscapes, animals, portraits, and more.There’s one caveat -- he draws using his mouth, as an accident years ago left him paralysed from the neck down.So that would beg the question, how did he learn to paint?He began by using a stylus on his iPad, which he held using his mouth to draw.He then taught himself to use a pencil, and then paint, by fixing the utensils required a stick attached to his mouth.Henry is also an author – he wrote The Little Big Things, which won Non Fiction Book Of The Year by WHSmith.Losing your ability to move from the shoulders down at age 17 – that’s up there with the most difficult circumstances I can imagine someone having to deal with.So with that context, I think you can get an idea of why I wanted to speak with Henry.This conversation is about acceptance, resiliency, and gratitude.It’s about making the best of a situation, no matter how bad things seem on the surface._________________Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMasteryGet exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine! https://www.findingmastery.com/morningmindsetFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week’s conversation is with Jack Kornfield, a PhD, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology.He has trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, and is a founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society, and the Spirit Rock Center.Jack is one of the key teachers to introduce mindfulness practice to the west and has taught meditation internationally since 1974.His 14 books include A Path with Heart; A Lamp in the Darkness; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; The Wise Heart; and No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are.I couldn’t think of better conversation to get us rolling in 2021.We cover all things related to mindfulness — tools for getting better at quieting your mind, managing self-critique, vulnerability and so much more._________________Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMasteryGet exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine! https://www.findingmastery.com/morningmindsetFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week’s conversation is with Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, the Corporate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Microsoft. From thought leadership, to operational execution, to employee engagement, Lindsay leads Microsoft’s strategic efforts on systemic solutions to advance diversity and inclusion guided by a commitment to be mission-driven, outcome-oriented, globally-informed, science-based, and culturally-competent.She spearheaded the publication of Microsoft’s first Diversity & Inclusion Report and shaped the company’s recent action-oriented response to racial injustice.Under her leadership, her global team of human resources and employee engagement strategists are driving the adoption of Microsoft’s Core Priority for Diversity & Inclusion, introducing new solutions to advance inclusive behaviors and habits including Microsoft’s Allyship Program and employee self-identification, and helping leaders embrace their inclusion learning journey.You may have already heard a snippet of our conversation as part of the Decoding Disruptors: Race Forward special episode we published about a month ago but I wanted to release the full conversation here because there is so much more we touch on.And if you haven’t had a chance to listen to Race Forward yet, I would be honored if you would give it a listen.You can learn more about it and explore video clips of it at decodingdisruptors.com/race_________________Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMasteryGet exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine! https://www.findingmastery.com/morningmindsetFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a thought-provoking conversation, Owen Eastwood, a performance coach renowned for enhancing team culture, shares insights drawn from his work with elite groups like the British Olympic team and the All Blacks. He introduces the Māori concept of Whakapapa, emphasizing collective identity and the legacy carried by team members. The discussion covers the significance of belonging in performance, storytelling, and how empathetic leadership fosters unity and resilience. Owen’s unique approach blends ancient wisdom with modern coaching techniques for thriving in competitive environments.

This week’s conversation is with James Clear, a writer and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement.He is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits.His work has appeared in Entrepreneur magazine, Time magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and on CBS This Morning.His website, jamesclear.com, receives millions of visitors each month and hundreds of thousands subscribe to his popular email newsletter.So why do habits matter?We all have tons of habits, things like signing your name or knocking on the door, ringing the doorbell, tying your shoes or unplugging the toaster after each use... but how do we build more important or meaningful routines around things that really matter to us?For James, it starts with choosing what you want to optimize for and the type of identity that you want to reinforce, the type of person you want to become.So in this conversation, we dive into some best practices for habit development and how to create a system that is organized toward the outcome you desire._________________Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMasteryGet exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine! https://www.findingmastery.com/morningmindsetFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week’s conversation is unique – it’s with Lauryn Evarts Bosstick and Michael Bosstick, our first husband and wife duo on Finding Mastery and it definitely doesn’t disappoint! Lauryn and Michael host a top podcast called The Skinny Confidential: HIM & HERMichael is also the CEO and Co-Founder of the Dear Media Podcast Network, the first and leading podcast network focused on female voices, audiences, and narratives.Before they had the podcast, Lauryn simply had a passion for beauty, wellness and no-censor advice.It all started as a small blog and today their podcast, The Skinny Confidential: HIM & HER, has over 75 million downloads.I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest on their podcast twice – you can check out my latest episode here.So this time, we decided to turn the mic’s on them and in my opinion the timing couldn’t be more perfect.Lauryn just had a baby, Michael is running a rapidly growing business and they’re stuck at home just like the rest of us.We talk about how to maintain a healthy relationship with a significant other – especially during times like this and how to turn your passion into something that can actually be a revenue generator._________________Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMasteryGet exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine! https://www.findingmastery.com/morningmindsetFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week’s conversation is with Sergey Young, a longevity investor with a mission to extend healthy lifespans of at least one billion people.Building on his investment expertise, which spans over 20 years, Sergey founded the $100M Longevity Vision Fund to accelerate life extension breakthroughs and to make them affordable and accessible to all.The investment focus of Longevity Vision Fund includes technologies, products, and services that extend healthy human lifespans and mitigate the negative effects of aging Sergey also manages a $2bln private equity fund and heads Peak State Ventures, a US-based fund with a focus on new technologies in real estate, digital healthcare and the Future of Work. He’s an Innovation Board member at XPRIZE Foundation, Development Sponsor of Age Reversal XPRIZE, and a Forbes Tech Council member.In this conversation, we discuss which breakthrough technologies Sergey is investing in to help people live longer.For Sergey, what’s possible from a technological standpoint is exciting, but that’s not all that matters.Kindness, optimism, resiliency, and doing the little things to take care of your body are all fundamental to living a longer and happier life._________________Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMasteryGet exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine! https://www.findingmastery.com/morningmindsetFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The events of this summer plunged us into a period of racial reckoning and soul searching. Waves of protests and demonstrations across the globe pushed race to the center of our social discourse. People are hopeful that this complex, fraught moment is the beginning of a real meaningful movement towards racial equality.But change starts within. The beliefs, attitudes, and stories that we carry shape the lens through which we see other, and ourselves. I had a series of conversations with friends inside out community who are deeply engaged in the struggle for racial equality. The purpose -- to explore how we can build the internal skillsets to create the change we want to see in the world. I’m honored to be doing special episode of the Finding Mastery podcast in partnership with Microsoft. I hope you appreciate the lived experiences and applied insights of these remarkable leaders as much as I do.Joining me for this podcast:Baratunde Thurston, Activist, ComedianTianna Bartoletta, Olympian, 3-time Gold Medalist, competing in 2021 Games.Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, Chief Diversity Officer, MicrosoftSelema Masekala, TV Host, musician, former face of ESPN action sportsShea Serrano, journalist, authorResmaa Menakem, Therapist, Author, Expert on Racialized TraumaGary Tyler, Wrongfully Imprisoned, 41 years, Angola State Prison, Louisiana_________________Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMasteryGet exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine! https://www.findingmastery.com/morningmindsetFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.