Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

This week’s conversation is with Matt Jacobson, Head of Market Development at Facebook.In this role, he focuses on strategic partnerships that connect people to some of the world's most recognized brands.Facebook may be one of the world’s largest companies today, but it wasn’t when Matt joined as employee number 8 over 13 years ago.He took a leap of faith at the time – he believed in their mission and their founder, Mark Zuckerberg, and began working for no salary, only equity.You could say that bet paid off.What gave Matt the confidence to join Facebook?His intellectual curiosity has been a driving force for him for since he was young.In this conversation, we discuss how that intellectual curiosity has allowed him to stay ahead of the curve, take risks and opened up new opportunities.Matt understands, values, and invests deeply in relationships so it’s no surprise that his philosophy is: “To be the best part of another person’s day.”What a cool thought._________________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 Michael Murphy, co-founder and chairman emeritus of the board of the world famous Esalen Institute, tucked away on the coast of Big Sur, in California.Michael and Esalen have been ground zero for the human potential movement: exploring everything from consciousness, Eastern philosophies meeting Western frameworks, the birth place of Gestalt therapy, to generating scores of mind body interventions.In 1950, Michael was a premed student at Stanford and wandered into a class discussing Eastern and Western philosophies and religions.The miscue changed his life.Soon he was meditating and, after earning a bachelor of arts in psychology and serving in the U.S. Army, he lived on an ashram in India for 18 months.Upon returning to the United States, he and the late Richard Price started Esalen on property the Murphy family owned. Over its 50-plus years of existence, it has been described as a “personal growth think tank.”The organization is focused on personal growth, meditation, massage, ecology, yoga, psychology, spirituality — there was nothing quite like it at the time.Michael is also an author.His work includes: ·     The Future of the Body: Explorations into the Further Evolution of Human Nature, Golf in the Kingdom·     The Life We Are Given: A Long-Term Program for Realizing the Potential of Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul·     In the Zone: Transcendent Experience in Sports·      An End to Ordinary HistoryIt's a gift to laugh with him and learn from Michael, and I'm honored to share our conversation._________________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 Javier Gómez, a Spanish triathlete.Since 2006, Javier has accumulated one of the best records in triathlon history.Javier is a 5x International Triathlete Union (ITU) World Champion, 2x Ironman 70.3 World Champion, a 9 time world ITU number 1, and won a Silver medal for Spain at the 2012 Summer Olympics in men's triathlon.Simply put, he is a legend in the sport.Javier is currently in the final stages of training for the Ironman World Championship, which will take place on October 13 in Kona, Hawaii. You can learn more about Javi's pursuit to win Kona here.For those unfamiliar with the Ironman, it consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile marathon run.No matter how you slice it, this endurance event is rugged, and that’s why I was so excited to talk with Javier about his experience preparing and training for it.Last year’s winner completed the race in just over 8 hours.That’s a lot of time for your mind to wander if you aren’t disciplined - and it’s something we discuss in this conversation.Javi shares how he manages positive and negative thoughts, his process for remaining calm, and how he overcomes intense pain during competition.So much of what goes into training and succeeding in endurance sports is applicable to other aspects of life.It requires persistence, an appreciation for the process, and a willingness to play the long game._________________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. Mark Goulston, a seasoned psychiatrist with over thirty years in psychotherapy, sheds light on suicide prevention and the importance of empathy. He discusses alarming global suicide statistics, revealing one person dies every 40 seconds. Goulston emphasizes active listening and compassion as vital tools to support those in distress. Innovative crisis intervention strategies are shared, highlighting how empathetic engagement can foster hope and healing. The conversation encourages community support and actionable steps to help those battling suicidal thoughts.

This week’s conversation is with Mark Healey, a professional big-wave surfer, award-winning spear-fisherman, free-diver, photographer, filmmaker, and part-time Hollywood stuntman.Mark’s made no shortage of major achievements in his career as a waterman.Earning his first surf sponsorship at age 13 and going pro at 17, the 31-year-old has racked up victories at big-wave events like Todos Santos and—in 2008—nabbed the Spearfishing World Cup.While he’s encountered his share of close calls—from shark attacks to blackouts—Mark thrives on the elements of danger inherent to his work.And that is a central part of this conversation.We discuss embracing challenges and why it’s important to face adversity head on rather than run from it.When you get to that edge, that point where you’re uncomfortable, that’s where you really learn what’s possible for yourself.Mark is wise beyond his years and I can’t wait for you to learn from 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.

After taking a break for summer, “The Process” is back! Alex and Mike discuss the latest with Kairos: how their recent investments have fared and what’s in store for their upcoming K50 event in late November.The K50 program is a global recognition of the 50 most-innovative startups from around the world, with young founders tackling global challenges. Companies are awarded at the top of the World Trade Center in front of 100 of the most influential CEOs, investors, media, and leaders of today. Alex then invites on Michael Wong, founder of Homevest, a company they are considering investing in.Alex wants Mike to get a chance to meet a founder pre-investment and assess whether he has what it takes to execute on his ambitious vision.Homevest is a service helping homebuyers purchase their first home by contributing to the down payment. They don’t lend money - instead they invest with you in a new home, sharing ownership, the mortgage and expenses proportionately. Homevest creates a halfway point between buying and renting. Partnering with Homevest means you just pay what you can afford for the down payment, and buy part of a home first, instead of waiting and saving for years. Homevest buys the other part of the home and rents it back to you. As a co-investor, you can repurchase home equity at any point, and you alone control when to sell._________________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 Aaron Bruno, best known as the founder and lead singer of AWOLNATION.Formed in 2010, AWOLNATION crafted one of the most influential songs in years with the chart-topping, record-breaking track “Sail.”The first single off the gold-certified full-length debut Megalithic Symphony, “Sail” was certified 6x platinum in the US and holds the record for the most weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by an independent artist, the second longest for any artist.Sail had a profound impact on me.We talk about that in the podcast - how his music helped me get the vibe right for a mindset training project that I was working onIt’s amazing how music can do that. The same song can mean so many different things to so many different people.Different emotions, feelings, memories - and that’s something we discuss - why music means so much to Aaron and why he’s so passionate about it coming from an authentic place.It’s clear how much Aaron loves music, but he wasn’t always destined for stardom.He was a member of multiple bands that never made it and reached the point where others around him thought he should give it up.Think about that as you listen to this conversation.How well are you connected to what matters most to you - to the inner ache, that burning ache - and if you are - are you willing to give up just about everything else for it? _________________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 Tom Bilyeu, the co-founder of Quest Nutrition — a unicorn startup valued at over $1 billion — and the co-founder and host of Impact Theory.Why did I want to sit down with Tom?Tom is driven to help people develop the skills they need to improve themselves and the world.It’s not every day that we get to learn from someone who created a billion dollar business.I wanted to understand his mindset, his approach to leadership, and what he’s most hungry for.Tom is very clear about what he wants and what he believes in and that definitely is apparent in this conversation.In Tom’s words, “What I do is with a very high degree of intention. I am very much not stumbling my way through life.”I hope Tom’s clarity inspires you to spend your own time getting clear on what you want and what you stand for, if you haven’t done so already._________________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 Michael Rosenbaum, actor, producer, and comedian.The diverse actor has worked in over twenty films, such as Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, Hit and Run, Urban Legend, Sweet November, Bringing Down The House, Pool Hall Junkies and Sorority Boys.Michael has worked with everyone from Bradley Cooper and Sylvester Stallone to Christopher Walken and Clint Eastwood.He portrayed Lex Luthor on the smash hit Smallville for seven years and voiced The Flash on the hit animated series The Justice League Unlimited.In this conversation Michael shares the highs and lows of being an actor in Hollywood – how he’s had to work on caring less what others think and focus on getting to the center of who he truly is and what matters most to him.I appreciated Michael willingness to show vulnerability._________________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 Erik Vendt - a 3x USA swimming Olympian.He won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2004 Summer Olympics in the 400-meter individual medley. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Vendt won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. 4×200-meter freestyle relay team.This is a fantastic conversation that shines light on some of the core themes that have emerged from Finding Mastery.Erik grew up loving swimming - so much so that he pushed all his chips in - and was determined to become an Olympian.And while he did in fact achieve his "goal" there was a cost to it.When swimming was over he felt void of passion and purpose - something all too familiar for many athletes when they reach the end of their playing days.For anyone who's gone through difficult transitions in life - I'm sure you'll be able to relate and for those currently facing a transition in your life - this is definitely a conversation worth your time.Erik's quest to find a new passion and purpose in life ultimately led him to WHOOP.In his role as Director of Performance, Erik works predominantly with the special forces community, specifically within a program called PTOF (preservation of force and family) focused on building a more resilient and ready war fighter._________________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.