The Growth Project

Midway through the year is an ideal time to take a step back and measure progress in achieving annual goals. Are you taking the necessary steps to reach your goals and become the person you aspire to be? In addition to goal setting and reflection, Drs. Milt Lowder and Cory Shaffer emphasize the importance of building habits and creating change at the identity level, which results in long-lasting, internalized growth, opposed to superficially checking the box of a desired goal.

Few can say they were the first person ever to do something that's never been done. For Milwaukee Buck's play-by-play announcer, Lisa Byington, it has become a norm in her professional journey as she has opened doors for women in college basketball, football, and professional sport organizations. Lisa joins Dr. Katie Nichols to discuss the type of mindset and approach she's embraced that has helped her become successful at the highest level. She shares her experiences as a professional broadcaster and provides insights on how to perfrom well and stay in the moment in the face of criticism and the unexpected.

Colin Powell was an American army officer and politician who served as the first African-American Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. His book, Colin Powell's 13 Rules of Leadership, serves as the backbone for this conversation between Dr. Drew Brannon and Dr. Katie Nichols who breakdown five of his thirteen principles, including share credit, perpetual optimism is a force multiplier, and remain calm and be kind.

Brand new research from Hoffman et al., (2022) has provided valuable insight into the relationship between organized sports and the mental health of children and adolescents. Dr. Milt Lowder and Dr. Cory Shaffer use this research as the framework to discuss how being part of a team often positively impacts mental health and leads to lifelong well-being, and how participating solely in individual sports can come with the stress and pressure that can negatively impact mental well-being in children.

Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, which means longer days, relaxing vacations, and, hopefully, more time to recharge and simply enjoy life. Dr. Drew Brannon and Dr. Cory Shaffer discuss how summer is a natural mid-year point to reflect on annual goals and how, if approached deliberately, the summertime can be very beneficial to our overall well-being.

There is merit in both leading from the front, or taking an active and visible role in running a team, and leading from the back, which is best summarized by Nelson Mandela: "He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind." Dr. Milt Lowder and Dr. Cory Shaffer examine both styles, share examples of leaders who embody these leadership styles, and provide action steps to apply these principles with your own teams.

This was a noteworthy year for the Kentucky Derby because Rich Strike, this year's winner, was officially added into the race only a day before the big day and was racing at 80-1 odds. Dr. Drew Brannon and Dr. Katie Nichols discuss key lessons learned from Rich Strike's historic win, including the importance of running your own race, strong performance doesn't happen on paper, and the significance of seeing your goals all the way through.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so Dr. Milt Lowder and Dr. Drew Brannon, both licensed psychologists, explore and highlight the ways we can better understand the impact of mental health on personal well-being. They discuss how we view mental health as a society, the impact it can have on performance outcomes, and why there's a stigma that still exists surrounding mental health.

Who would you pick to be on a Mount Rushmore of coaches? Dr. Cory Shaffer and Dr. Katie Nichols explore this question and each select four legendary coaches who they feel are worthy of being immortalized as the four all-time greats. Their discussion not only reveals characteristics and leadership styles they personally value, but also highlights many common, overlapping qualities found among strong, long-lasting leaders.

Life is filled with obstacles, but those who find a way to leverage life's inevitable setbacks often ultimately find themselves at the top of their respective fields. Spencer Strider, a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, exemplifies the importance of growing and building from difficulties to reach success at the highest level. Dr. Cory Shaffer and Spencer walk through Spencer's fascinating journey to the MLB, including lessons learned along the way, how he has grown from adversity to improve as a player, and how he conducts science experiments on himself in his pre-game routine to optimize his performance.