The High Performance Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Free Solo Legend Alex Honnold: What Conquering Fear Actually Looks Like (E280) Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

This week, the world’s attention is fixed on Alex Honnold as he prepares for his most public and high-stakes challenge to date: Skyscraper Live on Netflix. This Friday, January 23rd, Alex will attempt to become the first person to free solo the 1,667-foot Taipei 101 in Taiwan, scaling the 101-story landmark live in front of millions.

Alex joins us to deconstruct the mindset required to perform when the stakes are literally life or death. He challenges the common perception of his "fearlessness," explaining that his mastery isn’t the absence of fear, but the result of a decade of meticulous preparation. Alex dives into the "mental switch" required to transition from the grind of training to the total surrender and trust required during a performance.

Key Topics Discussed:

The 10-Year Rule: Alex explains why he spent 10 years training for El Capitan, ensuring that by the time he stepped onto the wall without a rope, he felt prepared rather than reckless.
Managing Fear: A masterclass in differentiating between founded and unfounded fear, and the process of making "scary" feel "comfortable" through practice and visualisation.
The Feeling of Mastery: What it truly looks like to perfectly execute a high-performance task
Preparation and Visualization: Alex reveals his process for visualising failure in graphic detail to ensure he is emotionally prepared for any outcome.
Legacy and Life Cycles: Now a father of two, Alex reflects on how his upbringing and perfectionist roots shaped him, and how he balances his pursuit of extreme moments with his responsibilities at home.

Alex offers an honest look at what it takes to do the thing you’ve always wanted to do and answer the question: "What's to lose?".

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Haas F1 Boss: How the Smallest Team in F1 Plans to Shock in 2026 (E387) Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

Ayao Komatsu is the Team Principal of Haas F1 Team, and one of the most quietly influential leaders in modern Formula 1. Known for his calm authority and clarity under pressure, Ayao has built his career on trust, accountability, and the belief that how you respond to failure matters more than the failure itself.

In this episode, Ayao reflects on witnessing Romain Grosjean’s Bahrain crash, and what it taught him about survival, perspective, and living fully in the present. He shares his philosophy on developing drivers, handling conflict, and why tough conversations only work when trust comes first.

Ayao also speaks to Jake about what leadership really looks like when things go wrong. From the shock of starting a season as the slowest car on the grid to rebuilding belief inside the team, he explains how transparency, open communication, and clear direction helped transform Haas from a fractured environment into a unified, high-performing group.

From being written off as a child to leading at the top of motorsport, Ayao offers grounded, practical wisdom on resilience, discomfort, and growth, a masterclass in leadership forged under extreme pressure.

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Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-au

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Prince Naseem Hamed: Boxing's Greatest Entertainer Who Broke Every Rule (E386) Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

Prince Naseem Hamed is one of boxing’s most electrifying figures - a world champion, cultural icon, and a true original who didn’t just win fights, but ripped up the manual on how to box. From flying-carpet entrances to impossible knockouts from backwards angles, "Naz" captivated the world with a style and confidence unlike anything the sport had ever seen.

In this episode, Prince Naseem sits down with Jake and Damian for a deeply personal and revealing conversation that goes far beyond the highlight reels. He opens up about his greatest regret, the unresolved rift with his legendary trainer Brendan Ingle, and the pain of never being able to reconcile before Brendan’s passing.

He also explains where his famous self-belief truly came from, sharing how his Islamic faith, daily prayer, and unwavering connection to God formed the foundation of his confidence both in and out of the ring. He breaks down the mental edge that made him unstoppable, from intense visualisation, “seeing it twice” before it happened, to the razor-sharp timing that led to 31 knockouts in 37 fights.

This is a rare, raw, and powerful conversation about faith, redemption, identity, and legacy, from a man who didn’t just change boxing, but showed the world that greatness can come from anywhere.

'GIANT' is now in cinemas, click here to watch the official trailer 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUYO2kk1Fek&t=5s

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Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-au

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How Giving Up Alcohol Transformed Everything, with Dr Alex George Jan 09, 2026

Show notes

This special episode is brought to you in partnership with Fora Space.

Dr. Alex George joins Jake for an open, deeply human conversation about happiness, mental health, and the quiet changes that can transform a life. He challenges the idea that doing more or achieving more will make us happy, explaining why we put happiness on a pedestal while ignoring emotions like sadness, grief, and frustration, even though every emotion has a purpose.

Dr. Alex also speaks honestly about sobriety, social pressure, and why you don’t need to hit rock bottom to rethink your relationship with alcohol. This conversation also explores grief, therapy, ADHD, and the stigma around men expressing emotion. Dr. Alex reflects on learning to sit with difficult feelings rather than escaping them, why walking therapy helped him process loss, and how cultural expectations can silence people until it’s too late.

This episode offers a powerful, practical episode about choosing awareness over avoidance, and building a healthier relationship with yourself, one step at a time.

Dr Alex's new book "Am I Normal?: Understanding Your Place in a Complex World" is out in January.

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Robert Lewandowski: What Nobody Sees Behind a World-Class Striker (E384) Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

Robert Lewandowski is one of the most consistent goal scorers of his generation, a player who has stayed at the very top of world football not just through talent, but through mindset.

In this episode, Robert sits down with Jake and Damian to explain why he believes mentality counts for more than physical ability, and how players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have sustained excellence for so long.

From losing his father to being released early on, he describes the moments that forced him to build self-belief, resilience, and an uncompromising work ethic. He also talks about adapting as football evolves, learning from different cultures at Bayern Munich and Barcelona, and why even the modern elite, players like Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, can’t escape the need for constant growth.

Lewandowski explains why he avoids social media, how online judgement impacts younger players, and why protecting mental health is his personal “golden rule.” Drawing on lessons from managers like Jürgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, and Hansi Flick, he shares the core values that have shaped his career: honesty, hard work, and never giving up.

This is a rare insight into what it really takes to perform, adapt, and endure at the highest level, without losing yourself along the way.

🚨 Partners

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Heights 👉 Get 20% off your subscription by using Code: HP20 here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp_heights_au

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Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-au

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Micro Habits: The 5 Minute Changes That Actually Transform Your Life (+ Exclusive Audiobook Preview) Jan 02, 2026

Show notes

Happy New Year! Jake and Damian kick off 2026 by revealing their brand new book MICRO HABITS – a game-changing guide built from five years and 400+ High Performance interviews (Buy your copy here)

Forget complex systems and thousand-page textbooks. This episode proves that success starts simple. From Jake's 15-minute alarm shift that transformed his mornings, to Ian McGeechan's "world-class basics," to Rob O'Neill's Navy SEAL wisdom about making your bed – the highest performers all share one secret: tiny, consistent behaviours create extraordinary results.

In this special episode, Jake and Damian share an exclusive listen to the audiobook introduction, then discuss why they structured the book around 48 short chapters (one for each week of the year) covering everything from motivation with Keely Hodgkinson to time management with Shane Parrish. Each chapter takes just 3-5 minutes to read but delivers insights that could change how you do everything.

Whether you're looking to transform 2026 or just curious about what makes elite performers tick, this is your starting point.

MICRO HABITS is available now from all major book retailers.

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The Mind Coach Behind Team GB & Ronnie O'Sullivan on Mental Resilience | Prof. Steve Peters Dec 29, 2025

Show notes

Prof. Steve Peters is one of the most influential minds in performance psychology, best known for The Chimp Paradox and his work with elite athletes, leaders, and organisations around the world. In this episode, Steve breaks down how the mind really works, and why understanding it is the key to unlocking your potential.

The conversation explores self-esteem, core values, and why we so often act against our better intentions, as well as what actually helps us regain control when pressure hits.

Steve also tackles the impact of social media on self-worth, the role of resilience, and how early childhood patterns shape adult habits.

This is a practical, eye-opening conversation about working with your mind rather than fighting it, and building a healthier, more resilient approach to life.

🚨 Partners

Incogni 👉Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code HIGHPERFORMANCE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/highperformance

Simba 👉 Jake believes better performance starts with better sleep. Discover Simba, start your 200-night trial today now:

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End of Year Review: Our Most Impactful Conversations & Our Biggest Guest Responds! Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

As High Performance wraps up its sixth year, Jake Humphrey, Damian Hughes and producer Will sit down to reflect on the moments, conversations, and lessons that defined 2025. In this special end-of-year episode, they revisit the guests and ideas that resonated most, not just in downloads and views, but in lasting impact.

From the strategic thinking of Ian Graham to the raw honesty of Tom Aspinall and Boris Becker, the year was shaped by stories that went far beyond success. Jake and Damian also reflect on why episodes with Carlos Sainz, Triple H, and Steve Peters struck such a chord, and the moments that stayed with them long after the microphones were switched off.

This episode also looks ahead to what’s next. Drawing on insights from conversations with guests like Alistair Brownlee, Roman Kemp, Heston Blumenthal, Stephanie Romiszewski, Sara Pascoe, and Jonathan Haidt, Jake and Damian reflect on the lessons that mattered most, from mental health and sleep to parenting, performance, and perspective, and what they’re taking forward into the year ahead.

Listen to the episodes mentioned:

Gareth Southgate https://pod.fo/e/358861

Callum Wilson https://pod.fo/e/2da5b0

Tom Aspinall https://pod.fo/e/2d3d2e

Ian Graham https://pod.fo/e/2d2c5b

Callum Nicholas https://pod.fo/e/2ac276

Boris Becker https://pod.fo/e/32edab

Triple H https://pod.fo/e/2c762a

Heston Blumenthal https://pod.fo/e/2aa828

Sara Pascoe https://pod.fo/e/2b7c84

Daniel Dubois https://pod.fo/e/2a90bd

Jonathan Haidt https://pod.fo/e/2a4563

Stephanie Romiszewski https://pod.fo/e/2b5370

Simba 👉 Jake believes better performance starts with better sleep. Discover Simba, start your 200-night trial today now: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-simba-au

Surfshark 👉 Go to https://surfshark.com/highperformance or use code HIGHPERFORMANCE at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

Gemini 👉 Get started and grow your portfolio 📈🚀 https://highpfrmc.com/HPP-Gemini-au

Babbel 👉 Learn a new Language and get up to 55% off your subscription at: https://highpfrmc.com/HPP-Babbel-AU

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Why Your Brain Feels Overloaded and How to Fix It, with Dr Tara Swart Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

World’s leading neuroscientists Dr Tara Swart explains why so many high-functioning people feel exhausted, stressed, and out of balance, even when they’re doing everything “right.” She breaks down the hidden cost of being constantly switched on, how chronic stress rewires the brain, and why late-night scrolling is quietly sabotaging your energy, focus, and health.

Dr Tara also reveals how stress can drive weight gain, particularly around the belly, and why modern lifestyles keep the brain stuck in survival mode.

From simple micro-habits that move you from fear to joy, to the science behind nature, attention, and human connection, this episode offers practical, science-backed ways to feel calmer, healthier, and more present, starting with just a few minutes a day.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why You Keep Misreading People | Surrounded By Idiots Author Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

Win a behind-the-scenes experience at a High Performance record day! Pre-order our brand new book Micro-Habits and use code MICROHABITS26 for 25% off before the launch on 1st January to be in with a chance of winning: https://hppod.co/HPComp

Most communication fails for a simple reason: we talk to people the way we want to be talked to.

In this episode, Damian sits down with behavioural expert and Surrounded by Idiots author Thomas Erikson to explore why adaptability, not eloquence, is the habit that defines effective communication. Thomas explains how even highly capable people create unnecessary friction when they rely on their own preferences instead of tuning into the person in front of them.

At the centre of the conversation is self-awareness. Thomas shows how understanding your own behavioural style makes it easier to recognise what others need, whether that’s clarity, reassurance, inspiration, or detail. When that awareness is missing, conversations stall. When it’s present, trust and momentum follow.

In this episode, they discuss:

Why people misinterpret good intentions so often

How different behavioural styles process information and feedback

The cost of assuming others think like you do

Simple ways to adjust your message without losing authenticity

Why asking “How would you like me to go about this?” changes everything

If you work with people, and especially if you lead them, this episode will sharpen how you listen, how you speak, and how you create alignment without unnecessary tension.

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