Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

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Dr. Stephen Rollnick, Motivational Interviewing Co-Founder Mar 13, 2019

Show notes

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 conversation

Motivational 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.

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Cliff Avril, Retired NFL Defensive End Mar 06, 2019

Show notes

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.

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Kevin Harlan, Sports Play By Play Announcer Feb 27, 2019

Show notes

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.

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Soren Gordhamer, Wisdom 2.0 Founder and Host Feb 20, 2019

Show notes

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.

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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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Dr. John Berardi, Precision Nutrition Co-Founder Feb 13, 2019

Show notes

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/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

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matt Brady, Retired U.S. Army Major Feb 06, 2019

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with retired U.S. Army Major Matt Brady.

Matt is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where he was ranked #1 of 940 cadets in leadership for 7 consecutive semesters and graduated in the top 5% of his class overall.

While serving in the Army on active duty, Matt flew over 2,000 hours in the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior (Reconnaissance), MH- 47D, and MH-47G Chinook helicopters (Army Special Operations).

A seasoned combat veteran, he has deployed 12 times to both Iraq and Afghanistan and commanded forces during multiple high stakes/pressure conflicts including the 3rd Infantry Division charge to Baghdad in 2003 and “Operation REDWING,” the tragic SEAL mission depicted in the movie “Lone Survivor.”

His awards include the Air Medal for combat Valor in both Iraq and Afghanistan and the Bronze Star Medal.

Matt retired from the U.S. Army in late 2016 after two decades of service to the Nation.

There is so much to unpack in this conversation.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the “Lone Survivor” story but for those who aren’t, definitely take a moment and look up it.

While Matt was fortunate enough to survive that mission, the decisions he faced that day lived with him for years afterwards.

And that’s a focal point of this conversation.

What was his thought process like in an incredibly hostile situation? One that was near impossible to prepare for?

How did he cope with those decisions after the fact and how did it impact his life?

You may rethink what you deem as a “difficult decision” and the things that are worth “dwelling on” after listening to this conversation.

_________________

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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Suzy Whaley, PGA of America President Jan 30, 2019

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Suzy Whaley, the PGA of America's first female President.

Prior to being elected President last November, Suzy served for two years as PGA Secretary, and two years as Vice President.

She is also the PGA Owner of Suzy Whaley Golf in Cromwell, Connecticut and the PGA Director of Instruction at the Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Suzy is recognized as one of the country’s top golf instructors and has won numerous teaching awards including: Golf Digest Top 50 Instructor, LPGA Top 50 Instructor, Connecticut PGA Two-Time Teacher of the Year, Golf Digest State Teacher of the Year 10 times, and she’s instructed more than 300 children to collegiate golf.

A dual member of the PGA of America and LPGA Teaching & Club Professional division, Suzy was a LPGA Tour member in 1990 and 1993.

She famously qualified and participated in the 2003 Greater Hartford Open, becoming the first woman since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to qualify for a PGA Tour event.

We discuss what that experience was like for her: the pressure that went into competing on the Men’s tour and how she overcame a moment where her nerves got the best of her.

And …. how did that experience prepare her for current role, as she once again finds herself in a similar situation, charting new territory, this time as the leader of a massive organization.

_________________

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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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors Head Coach Jan 23, 2019

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

Currently in his fifth season as head coach, Steve has guided the club through four of the most prolific seasons in NBA history with a list of accomplishments that includes:

Three NBA championships
Four-straight NBA Finals appearances
The NBA’s single-season wins record (73)
An NBA Coach of the Year award (2015-16)
Four of the five winningest seasons in franchise history

Steve, who won five NBA championships during a 15-year playing career, now owns eight championships as either a player or coach, becoming the first to win three NBA titles as a player and three as a coach.

So I think it’s clear – Steve understands winning but he’s searching for something beyond that.

He has made it a point to revolve the Warriors’ culture around joy.

In this conversation, we discuss how Steve went about building the Warriors’ culture, what he’s most hungry for, and his biggest challenge at the moment – finding a way to keep the Warriors motivated and playing with joy after they’ve already experienced so much previous success.

Steve is one of the brightest minds in the game of basketball and I think you’re going to love his insights on not just basketball, but life as a whole.

_________________

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/

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Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine! https://www.findingmastery.com/morningmindset

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Kevin Carroll, Author, Speaker, Creative Catalyst Jan 16, 2019

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Kevin Carroll, an author, speaker and creative catalyst.

It is Kevin’s job to inspire businesses, organizations and individuals - from CEOs and employees of Fortune 500 companies to schoolchildren - to embrace their spirit of play and creativity to maximize their human potential and sustain more meaningful business and personal growth.

He has helped turn creative ideas into reality for organizations such as Nike, Starbucks, Adidas, Walt Disney, Target, Proctor & Gamble, Under Armour, Mattel, the NBA and many others.

The focus of this conversation is much more about how Kevin became the man he is today rather than the “what” of his accomplishments so I want to give a quick rundown of Kevin’s stops along the way.

Raised by his grandparents in Philadelphia, Kevin spent endless hours at the neighborhood playground where he found his calling: a red rubber ball.

His subsequent pursuit of play and his ‘red rubber ball’ took him overseas with the Air Force, where he served as a language interpreter and translator, gaining fluency in Croatian, Czech, Serbian, and German.

After serving in the Air Force for ten years and earning his college degree, Kevin became an athletic trainer at the high school and collegiate levels in Philadelphia.

His expertise in sport performance recognized by the 76ers organization and led to his job as the Head Athletic Trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1995.

While at the 76ers, Nike tapped Kevin to bring his unique experiences to the sneaker giant in 1997.

Although no job “officially” existed at the time, Kevin was directed to create a position at the company that would add value to the overall mission of the brand.

Kevin left Nike in 2004 to create his own company, Kevin Carroll Katalyst, committed to elevating the power of sport and play around the world.

_________________

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.

Herbert Wigwe, Access Bank CEO and Group Managing Director Jan 09, 2019

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Herbert Wigwe, a Nigerian banker, entrepreneur, and the Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank.

He is an Alumnus of Harvard Business School’s Executive Management Programme.

From his early 20’s, Herbert began what would become a successful career in banking and finance, and his first entrepreneurial venture, would be his most successful.

In 2002, Herbert and his long-time partner were presented with the prospect of acquiring a small-scale commercial bank, Access Bank.

Herbert had spent over a decade at Guaranty Trust Bank and was in-line to becoming the Executive Director in charge of institutional banking.

To have even considered such a decision of obtaining what was then ranked the 65th largest bank in Nigeria seemed like career suicide but Herbert seized the opportunity.

In 2016, The Banker Database ranked Access Bank in the top 1,000 banks in the world.

Today, Access Bank is one of the largest Banks in Africa, a feat which is attributable to his ingenuity and expertise.

I was invited to Nigeria to visit Herbert and Access Bank as a part of the work that we’re doing with them at Compete to Create.

It was my first time in Africa and I was amazed by the vibrance of the people there.

When we consider what's at the center of mastery, it’s so valuable to hear from people across the globe, so I think you’ll really appreciate getting to hear from Herbert.

_________________

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.

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