Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

Latest Episodes:

Morality, Aggression, and Human Nature with Dr. Richard Wrangham Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

Violence and virtue. The Goodness Paradox. Why are humans capable of being the nicest, but also the nastiest, of all species?

Join host Dr. Michael Gervais as he sits down with Richard Wrangham, biological anthropologist and author of "The Goodness Paradox," to discuss the intricate relationship between violence and virtues, and how understanding this connection can lead to a more compassionate and just society. Dr. Wrangham shares his research on the evolution of human behavior, challenging common assumptions about our species and shedding light on the complex interplay between our inherent tendencies towards aggression and our capacity for empathy and altruism.

Richard’s research has fundamentally changed our understanding of human evolution & behavior, and it was great to learn from him in this conversation.

You might wonder how a talk about humanity’s virtue and violence is relevant to thinking about human performance. Understanding humanity’s roots is fundamental to better understanding how we can reach our potential. There are major forces that guide our daily decisions and actions. Some of them come from our culture, our families, or our friends. Some of them are biological or for the purposes of this conversation – evolutionary.

Understanding the stuff that makes us is key to better understanding our own potential, the potential of those around us, and perhaps even the potential for humankind.

This was a really interesting conversation that took us places I didn’t think we’d go. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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Passion, Therapy, Proving Yourself & More | AMA 5 Vol. with Dr. Michael Gervais Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Mike sits down with actor Michael Rosenbaum to answer YOUR questions on psychological safety, therapy, motivation, passion, and so much more.

I’m really excited about this one. Michael Rosenbaum - a friend of Finding Mastery - has dropped in for today’s AMA. Michael is an actor, comedian, podcaster, and all-around incredible human. He’s famously known for portraying Lex Luthor on the Superman TV series, Smallville, and has recently entered the Marvel Universe - in Guardians of the Galaxy.

He hosts his own podcast, Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum -

In this AMA, we dive into psychological safety, therapy, living with passion, and what to do when your motivation is running thin.

Your questions took us to some fascinating places - and we have some fun at the end when Michael trots out his Adam Sandler impression, reveals why he left Smallville, and walks us through the plot of his dream turned movie pitch, Saving Chris Farley.

As always, feel free to email info@findingmastery.net with feedback or any questions you may have for future AMAs.

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Former Navy SEAL Teaches Team Resilience | Pete Naschak Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

Former Navy SEAL Command Master Chief, Pete Naschak, details what it means to be a resilience shepherd, how high performing teams operate, and the importance of an adaptable mindset.

Pete served for 21 years as a Navy SEAL, where he held various operational & leadership positions and participated in military contingency operations around the world.

Now, Pete has taken what he learned as a leader of one of the most elite & high-performing military units, and founded Performance Activation – a company specializing in leadership development, mission enhancement, team performance, and resilience training for top tier companies, pro sport teams, and individuals.

Pete and I have had the pleasure of working together at companies like Nike, Red Bull, Under Armour, and Microsoft – I’m always fascinated by his insights and approach to helping others thrive.

Most importantly, I have an incredibly high regard for Pete as a human. He is resilient, optimistic, a great teammate, a problem-solver, and truly authentic across any environment. We cover all of that in this conversation, and how these concepts can be applied to building great individuals, great teams and deeply resilient organizations.

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Finding Your Superpower In A World of Adversity | 17-time Paralympic Medalist, Oksana Masters Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

Paralympic athlete and 17-time medalist Oksana Masters shares her extraordinary journey of perseverance and triumph - from a life-saving adoption to winning Paralympic gold - offering insight and inspiration for anyone seeking to overcome obstacles and discover their own superpowers.

Oksana Masters is a 17x Paralympic Medalist.

Oksana has competed in each of the last six Paralympic Games (both summer & winter), and has brought home medals in four different sports – rowing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, and cycling. That is legit.

Following the Beijing Paralympics in 2022, Oksana became the most decorated US Winter Paralympian or Olympian ever.

This conversation could have focused solely on Oksana’s Paralympic triumphs, but that would have missed the true depth of her story - and she has an unbelievable story.

It’s the story of a girl who spent her earliest years growing up in three corrupt and abusive orphanages in Ukraine – a girl who was born with radiation poisoning from Chernobyl and lost both her legs – a girl who was saved by a heroic mom (Gay Masters) – and the story of a girl who, despite so many adversities, has become a remarkable woman living to the upper limits of her potential.

This conversation is so rich. We explore Oksana's journey, how she navigates setbacks and challenges, and the mental skills she uses both in life, and as a world-class athlete. I think everyone will have something valuable to learn from Oksana’s story and insights.

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Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery

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Coaching With A People-First Philosophy | MLB Coach of the Year, Donnie Ecker Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

Baseball America’s MLB Coach of the Year, Donnie Ecker, shares his heart-forward approach to coaching and leadership.

Donnie Ecker is a highly respected and accomplished Major League Baseball (MLB) coach who is entering his second season as bench coach and offensive coordinator for the Texas Rangers.

Before his tenure with the Rangers, Donnie was recognized as Baseball America’s 2021 MLB Coach of the Year when he helped lead the San Francisco Giants to a franchise record 107 wins and 241 home runs. However, this is not a conversation about baseball.

Donnie’s expertise is in biomechanics and analytics – but it’s his people-first philosophy and ability to help his players work from the inside out that makes his coaching style so powerful and effective. I love how he’s navigated the tension between taking care of himself and taking care of those around him. Best of all, it’s forged in a great life story. Donnie has skills that we can all learn from and try to implement in our own lives – in business, sport, in our communities, or in our families.

So, whether you're a baseball fan, a coach, a business leader, or someone looking to level up your own performance, I think you’re really going to love this conversation with Coach Donnie Ecker.

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Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery

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Holocaust Survivor Shares How To Live Free and Happy | Dr. Edith Eger Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

"I learned how to live, at a death camp."

Dr. Edith Eger, a Holocaust survivor, clinical psychologist, and best-selling author shares the powerful lessons she learned from surviving Auschwitz and how she inspires individuals to live a life of fulfillment, happiness, and freedom.

More on Dr. Eger:

At the age of 16, Edie and her family were sent to Auschwitz – Edie’s parents were killed not long after arriving… but with bravery and incredible courage, Edie helped keep her and her sisters alive. After persevering through one of the greatest horrors in human history, Edie dedicated her life and career to helping others better understand trauma and overcome their limitations – helping them discover the power of self-renewal and achieve things they never thought possible. Her journey is awe inspiring, and her words of wisdom leave me hopeful and heartened that we can make it through even the darkest of times.

We also have Jordan Engle here today – Edie’s grandson. Jordanis an accomplished storyteller in his own right, having spent the last 20 years working as a photographer and producer. His career has taken him around the world, but his latest adventure has him working right alongside his grandmother to help her tell her story, and spread her powerful message: that our greatest struggles can become our greatest gift.

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Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery

Get 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

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Confidence, Anxiety, Resilience and More | AMA Vol. 4 with Dr. Michael Gervais Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

This week, we’re really excited to share another installment of our Ask Me Anything series. In this episode, we cover confidence, anxiety, resilience, self-talk, the art of feedback, and much more.

For this AMA, we brought in a friend of Finding Mastery’s to help facilitate the conversation — O'Neil Cespedes. O’Neil is an actor, an improv artist, a former member of the Groundlings Sunday Company, and he's got an epic new podcast called 3 Black Guys on a Couch. O'Neil brings a fresh perspective and a ton of energy to this conversation – we had a blast answering your questions together.

I’m super grateful for our community and the opportunity to talk through some of the topics you all are wrestling with. As always, feel free to respond to this email with feedback or any questions you may have for future AMAs. Keep carving your unique path.

_________________

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery

Get 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/morningmindset

Follow 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.

Upgrade Yourself, Upgrade Humanity - Biohacking with Dave Asprey Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Dave Asprey, an entrepreneur & tech innovator, four-time New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and pioneer of the Biohacking movement.

For those of you who have listened for a while, you know I’ve had issues with the term “hacking” – and at the same time, I’m fascinated by folks who create and disrupt. Having devoted decades of his life to elevating human performance and creating significant brands like Bulletproof and Upgrade Labs, I wanted to dig beneath the surface to better understand Dave, the human.

In this conversation, we not only cover his insights about performance and longevity, but also how he’s disrupted an industry, what “biohacking” means to him, and what’s behind his quest to live to 180 years old.

We go to some opinionated places -- it's always fun to hear from different perspectives – and as with any episode, I encourage you to listen with an open mind, and make informed decisions that are best for you.

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Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery

Get 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/morningmindset

Follow 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.

ICYMI: The Evolution of Mastery, with Abby Wambach Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

This week, we’re doing something a little different – we are excited to re-release a fresh version of our 2019 conversation with the US World Cup and Olympic soccer legend, Abby Wambach.

So – why are we re-releasing an episode? And why this conversation in particular? Because transitions are an increasingly prominent part of modern life. As the pace of change accelerates, so does our need to be able to eloquently adapt and adjust. And Abby has demonstrated mastery here.

She is an emblem for doing the inner work – she’s moved from the sport world to the business world with grace while living aligned to her values throughout. So I’m really excited to bring her back to the forefront of our community.

If you heard this conversation when it first came out a few years ago, it’s definitely worth revisiting. If you haven’t… you’re in for a real treat.

We’d love to hear your feedback on this episode re-release. Hit us on social or send a note to info@findingmastery.net. If it resonates, we’d be stoked to bring back some more gems from the Finding Mastery archive.

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Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery

Get 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/morningmindset

Follow 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.

Compassion Can Transform The World | Father Greg Boyle Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

Jesuit priest and founder of Homeboy Industries, Father Greg Boyle, guides us through the Homeboy Way - a life full of love, clarity, and unshakable goodness.

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