Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Antonio Damasio, a Professor of Neuroscience, Psychology and Philosophy, and Director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.Trained as both neurologist and neuroscientist, Antonio has brilliantly captured the complicated Interplay b/t biology and psychology and culture — and doing it in a way that provides the highest dignity between each discipline, through a structurally artistic and rigorously scientific process.His work is built on deep curiosity, deep thinking, and deep contribution to humanity.Antonio has made seminal contributions to the understanding of brain processes underlying emotions, feelings, and consciousness.His work on the role of affect in decision-making has made a major impact in neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy. He is the author of several hundred scientific articles and is one of the most eminent psychologists of the modern era.His most recent work addresses the evolutionary development of mind and especially the role of life regulation in the generation of cultures._________________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.

Paul Rabil, a professional lacrosse player and co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League, shares his journey from athlete to entrepreneur. He reflects on his childhood dreams and the evolution of his motivations in sports. The conversation emphasizes the importance of empathy and mental wellness in both athletic and entrepreneurial pursuits. Rabil discusses managing pressure, navigating identity, and the balance of being versus doing. He also highlights the growth of the lacrosse community and the challenges of building a league from scratch.

This week’s conversation is with Andy Petranek, the co-founder of the Whole Life Challenge.Andy is also a Marine Gulf War veteran and was the oldest participant, at 43, to qualify for the 2009 CrossFit Games.He’s participated in dozens of adventure races that have varied in length from three hours to seven days, and became known for his ability to navigate in the wilderness, carry heavy loads, get through obstacles quickly, and persevere in even the worst conditions.He created the Whole Life Challenge to help people manage real-life challenges; commitments to work and family, time constraints, sleep issues, and stress.The Challenge is a gamified and community-based initiative to help people stay committed to make better choices each day, outside of the gym, where it really matters.It grew from 150 players in 2011 to over 22,000 worldwide in 2017.Now a small, successful start-up company, it has been responsible for changing the fitness, health, confidence, and lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.Andy loves to work on developing and improving himself — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I think you’ll find it interesting to learn exactly why that drives him._________________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 Brenda Tracy, the founder of the national campaign SetTheExpectation which aims to raise awareness around issues of sexual assault and domestic violence -- through the power of sports while also engaging, empowering and educating men as agents for change.Brenda was gang raped by four men in 1998.So heavy.In this conversation, she shares that even though law enforcement collected extensive evidence – including confessions from her attackers – the District Attorney advised against prosecuting her case.She was never advised of her victims’ rights, nor informed when officials destroyed her evidence three years prior to the statute of limitations.Sixteen years later, Brenda came forward publicly, and now seeks to make the world a better place for survivors.Her stance on “men as the solution” has garnered national attention and made her one of the country’s most influential voices on sexual assault.I wanted to speak with Brenda to better understand courage.Where did she find the power to come forward, be vulnerable, and not only stand up for what’s right but also strive for change._________________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.

On the final episode of Season 1 of The Process, Alex and Mike reflect on what they've learned over the course of the past year and discuss which skills will be necessary to succeed in a world where automation could soon be the norm._________________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 Stephen Rollnick, the co-founder of Motivational Interviewing.The Motivational Interviewing style, strategies and skills have been used to address a wide range of challenges, including those very tough conversations in which there seems little hope of making progress in helping people.I doubt there’s many of us that enjoy having these difficult conversations, but what if there was a better approach to getting the outcome you wanted in these moments?Stephen has found that when conversations about change go poorly, it’s because the more you try to insert information and advice into others, the more they tend to back off and resist.Understanding optimal ways to communicate with one another is at the heart of this conversationMotivational Interviewing can be used to enhance your ability to listen with skill in any situation, and to help people, young and old, to adapt and to develop their potential.Its use has spread into health care, criminal justice, education and most recently into sport.I hope it makes a difference for you._________________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 Cliff Avril, a former NFL defensive end.Cliff played college football at Purdue and was drafted in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.He also played for the Seattle Seahawks, where he won Super Bowl XLVIII and made a Pro Bowl.Cliff and I met at the Seahawks and I had the pleasure of catching up with him at the NFL Combine this past week in Indianapolis.He recently retired after a great 10-year run in the league and is searching for what to do next.What’s his purpose now that the craft he’s dedicated more than half his life to is no longer the priority?Transitions can be tricky for all of us so I think you’ll really appreciate Cliff’s honesty, his willingness to be vulnerable, and his overall approach to 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.

This week’s conversation is with Kevin Harlan, a well renowned sports television and radio broadcaster.If you’ve watched just about any sporting event over the last few years, you’re familiar with Kevin’s voice.This is his 34th consecutive season broadcasting the NFL and his 31st season broadcasting the NBA, currently as a play-by-play announcer for the NBA on TNT.Kevin is in his ninth season as the full-time voice of Monday Night Football on Westwood One and recently called his ninth straight Super Bowl for the network.He also currently calls play-by-play for CBS Sports’ coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.Kevin is one of the best in his field yet he’s no stranger to criticism.As someone who works in a very public line of work, he’s constantly hearing it from fans and his peers.We discuss how he manages that criticism – the delicate balance between being open to feedback and caring too much what others think.What stood out to me in this conversation is Kevin’s ability to separate who he is from what he does.Kevin started broadcasting at the age of 14.Typically someone who’s been at it for that long can find it hard to identify as anything other than that “thing” they’ve tied their life’s efforts to._________________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 Soren Gordhamer, the founder and host of Wisdom 2.0.He's a friend, incredibly purposeful with his life efforts, and what he's created is amazing.Wisdom 2.0 brings together leaders in technology, including the founders of Facebook, Twitter, and Paypal, along with wisdom teachers, entrepreneurs, activists and others to explore how we live consciously and wisely in a digital-rich age.Prior to Wisdom 2.0, Soren taught mindfulness programs to a variety of groups around the world, including youth in New York City’s juvenile halls, trauma workers in Rwanda, teachers in Nigeria, and employees at Google.He spent a year walking through parts of the United States, India, Pakistan, and Japan as a part of the Global Walk for a Livable World and he later founded The Lineage Project, a New York City-based nonprofit that offers awareness-based practices to at-risk and incarcerated teens.Soren cares about helping individuals and groups live with greater mindfulness and purpose, especially in our technology rich age._________________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.

Dr. John Berardi is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Precision Nutrition, the largest private nutrition coaching, education, and software company in the world.John has advised top organizations like Apple, Equinox, Nike, Titleist, the San Antonio Spurs (as NBA champions), Sloane Stephens (as US Open Champion), George St. Pierre (as 2-division UFC Champion), and numerous Olympic teams.His work and research has been widely cited in the media, from the New York Times to the Harvard Business Review and he's been named one of the 20 smartest coaches in the world and 100 most influential people in health and fitness.In addition, Fast Company named Precision Nutrition one of the most innovative companies in the world.The focus of this conversation extends beyond nutrition.It’s about the process by which people get better at anything.It’s about what motivates people to change._________________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.