The Growth Project

Each year millions gather to watch the cultural phenomenon that is the Super Bowl. Beyond the spectacle of the game itself, there are often compelling stories linked to the big game that highlight important principles that apply to life beyond the Super Bowl. Drs. Drew Brannon and Cory Shaffer explore the biggest stories of Super Bowl LVI featuring the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, including the youngest head coach matchup in Super Bowl history and the limitations of defining success solely on winning the NFL's top prize.

What does it take to create a high-performing team with an excellent culture? Reflecting on their experiences working with teams in collegiate sports in recent years, Drs. Milt Lowder, Drew Brannon, and Cory Shaffer share the key ingredients that led to these teams successfully reaching the ultimate goal of becoming national champions, specifically Clemson Football for the 2016 and 2018 seasons and Clemson Men's Soccer and Georgia Football for the 2021 season. As is always the case with sports, the lessons learned transcend the game and can be applied to help enhance life, both personally and professionally.

Hit NBC television show The Office was must-see TV during its run from 2005 to 2013 and continues to stay relevant thanks to streaming, its timeless humor, and relatable characters. One of the main characters in the show, Michael Scott - played by Steve Carell, is the often inappropriate, yet affable branch manager of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Michael certainly has his quirks, but he applies some real and important leadership principles that can be applied to your own teams. Dr. Cory Shaffer and Dr. Katie Nichols explore how, in his own unique way, Michael Scott may actually be the World's Best Boss.

Baseball season is on the horizon, so we thought it was fitting to have a conversation with a veteran in the baseball world, Mike Martin Jr., Florida State University Head Baseball Coach. Dr. Cory Shaffer talks with Coach Martin about Mike's experience growing up around FSU baseball his entire life, what he learned from his father - legendary FSU Baseball Coach Mike Martin, and how his philosophy and values have come to life as a head coach today.

What does it mean to have grit? How do you bounce back from adverse events? Dr. Katie Nichols explores these ideas with Dr. Lea Walsh, soon-to-be Lieutenant Commander Select and OSCAR psychologist for the United States Navy. They discuss the key distinction between grit and resilience, the role culture plays in developing growth-minded Marines, and what we can learn about post-traumatic growth.

Successes are often shared and highlighted in the media, and for good reason - it's inspiring and motivating to hear about the path to achievement. However, it's often the less-glamorous and unmentioned moments of failure that act as the key catalysts for personal growth, paving the way to future successes. In this episode, Dr. Cory Shaffer is joined by Dr. Kimberly Shaffer, program coordinator and professor of sport psychology at Barry University in Miami - one of the top programs for sport psychology in the United States - to share personal stories of failure and discuss how their responses to these missteps and setbacks have shaped their development journeys.

Turning the page to a new year is a natural time to reflect and create new goals. With 2022 underway, the AMPLOS team discusses their personal approaches to year-end reflection, how they learn from previous experiences, and how they strive to make incremental, yet important, changes to ensure each year is a little better than the previous one.

For our 4-part AMPLOS team series, we're shifting the spotlight to our group of psychologists and performance coaches. In the fourth and final episode of this series, Dr. Drew Brannon talks with Dr. Cory Shaffer about Cory's path from a small town in Pennsylvania to the ivy league, the hurdles Cory had to overcome in his journey to become a performance coach, and his desire to maximize his potential and help others reach theirs.

Uniting passion and purpose is typically the ultimate, and often difficult, goal in achieving a fulfilling career and life. Dr. Drew Brannon and Furman University Men's Basketball Head Coach, Bob Richey, discuss Bob's path to finding clarity in his career, his commitment to developing a unique program within the college basketball world, and a focus on building a culture that aligns with his values.

What does it feel like to finally achieve a long-term, meaningful goal and, once you reach it, what does it feel like in the afterglow of that euphoric moment? Clemson Men's Soccer Goalkeeper and Captain, George Marks, and Dr. Cory Shaffer, who regularly works with the team as their performance coach, reflect on the Clemson Men's Soccer team's path to becoming 2021 National Champions, the legacy George hopes to leave behind, and the importance of growth and balance in all facets of life.