Tough Talks: Conversations On Mental Toughness

Do you know what “commission breath” is? It’s a metaphor for a sales rep who’s so hungry for a deal, they will say or do anything just to get it. They crave commission so badly that prospects smell it on their breath a mile away. And it’s repulsive. And popular.   Our guest today, Ian Koniak, is an established badass in the world of Enterprise Sales. He was the #1 Strategic Account Executive in the Enterprise Select Division of Salesforce.com. That’s a big deal. And the product of a lot of big deals.   In our conversation, Ian takes us through the shifts he made from being OK (and addicted to several substances and vices) to being The Best by getting ALL IN and making the DECISION to get “In Alignment” and to prioritizing other’s success over his own.   More about Ian:   Website: https://www.iankoniak.com  LinkedIn Personal Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iankoniak/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iankoniak  Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gPczOP  YouTube: www.

Why did Alan Alda always jump around all over the place before going onto the set to record a scene for Mash?   What is "The Yips" and can you get "Life Yips"?   Why do some of us choke when it comes time to shine and some of us don't?   Mental Toughness or Mental Integrity?   The Zone or Brain Synchronicity?   These are some of the fascinating questions and distinctions that our esteemed (Legendary!) Sport Psychology Consultant and Entrepreneur, Dr. Debbie Crews, adresses in our latest episode of Tough Talks.   Dr. Crews has appeared on countless TV shows including NBC Dateline, The Golf Channel and Scientific American Frontier with Alan Alda discussing all things mental about golf and life.   Debbie is a great example of how excellent we can become at our craft when we stay with it and stay committed to constantly sharpening our saw.  She is brilliant beyond description and is as gracious and humble as they get. I am so happy to be able to share her and

How do you most profoundly want to use the rest of your life?  That's a big question, isn't it?  Our guest on today's episode of Tough Talks helps folks address it head-on and with unprecedented levels of enthusiasm and passion and service.  Leo Pusateri is our guest today. He is the Founder of The Sabbatical Experience. Leo can riff all day on the biggest, most important questions we can be asking ourselves to ensure that leave it all out there, that we show up fully, and leave nothing left in the tank.  His vibe is amazing and his impact is enormous.   More about Leo:   Website: https://www.pusatericonsulting.com/  Business LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pusateri-consulting/about/  Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leopusateri/  Link to the episode:   https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-your-next-big-project-is-you-with-leo-pusateri/  ---  If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notification

Is it possible that all of us are, or were, addicted on some level to the need for approval? Fundamentally, what really IS any addiction? What's the difference between being clean & sober vs. being In Recovery? If you've ever been addicted to substances or behaviors like sex or gambling, were you an addict before you even started "using"?   These are just a few of the fascinating questions that we explore in this episode of Tough talks with guest, Marc Schmallen, Founder/CEO of Choice Recovery Path. This conversation went in an entirely different direction than I had anticipated, and thank God for that.   Marc started using before he was 10 years old. He spent years homeless on the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Now he has done his healing and is in service to those who would benefit profoundly from doing their own.   More about Marc:   Website: https://choicerecoverypath.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-schmallen-29320b183/  View episod

What if I told you that you could choose your mental state from moment to moment depending on which state would serve you right then? What if I told you you could choose which neuromodulators (she'll explain that) to activate at will?  What if I told you that you can become a NeuroNinja? And what if I told you I have THE NeroNinja Extraordinaire as my guest today? Well, consider yourself told!   She's back for round 2 and is going to blow your minds - or maybe I should say teach you how to best USE your mind - and her name is Dr. Alison Arnold (Doc Ali) and I am super pumped to share with you her and her newest research in the field of neuroscience applied specifically to peak performance!    More about Doc. Ali:   Website: http://www.HeadGamesH2H.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/docali/  LinkedIn Business Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-arnold-phd-doc-ali-8463962/  LinkedIn Personal Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-arno

"Hope is lazy!" That's what he said! And I couldn't love it more. He advises us to make a much more intelligent and effective choice - KNOWING. His name is Greg Everett and he's coached elite weightlifters and written some gems of books.   In today's episode of Tough Talks, we unpack his more recent masterpiece, his book, TOUGH: Building True Mental, Physical & Emotional Toughness For Success & Fulfillment. Greg is wizardly smart, is obviously very well-read and studied, and is committed to offering us plenty of practical takeaways that will help us uplevel our Toughness.   ---- More about Greg:   Website: https://shop.catalystathletics.com/collections/books Twitter: https://twitter.com/CAthletics --- https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-hoping-is-lazy-with-greg-everett/ ----   If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.  Please also share this with the people in you

Our guest today was The Naval Commander of the Oliver Hazard Perry Class Guided Missile Frigate. It was a DREAM career. One that he aspired to and worked tirelessly for his entire life. They were deployed in The Black Sea during the 2014 Sochi Olympics directly off the coast of Russia. They were so close to shore, they could see the Olympic Torch - as well as some other Russian "assets" who were clearly interested in their presence there. In one minute he was living his dream. And in literally the next minute his entire life changed - and his entire identity went with it. Until he re-created himself. His name is Dennis Volpe and he's going to share his amazing story of crisis and resilience. More about Dennis:   Website: https://dennis-volpe.com  LinkedIn Business Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadership-research-institute  LinkedIn Personal Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djvolpe/  Additional link Dennis wants to share: https://dennis-volpe.com/severn-r

We got him back! He's back for round 2 (of 3). His name is Steve Sims and he really is the guy who gets shit done. And it ain't just any shit. It's crazy shit. He's a high-end concierge. He pulls off miracles for affluent people. And we have a lot to learn from his level of thinking. Today we unpack my favorite story of his. He managed to get the museum in Florence, Italy that houses the most famous sculpture on Earth, The Statue of David, to shut down in order to host a private dinner for his client at the foot of the statue. That's never been done before. But that isn't even the wildest part. Wait till you see what else he managed to pull off so he could REALLY wow his client! And listen to how simple he makes it all sound - this business of pulling off miracles! Previous episode with Steve Sims: TOUGH TALKS - E076 -  Bluefishing! with Steve Sims: https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-bluefishing-with-steve-sims/ More about Steve: Website: https://www.stevedsims.com/ FB Group: https://ww

What is the ONE thing we do more than anything else in life after breathing? LISTENING. And how much formal training have you had in being a phenomenal listener. Who cares? YOU DO! And in this episode of Tough Talks, Master Listening Instructor, Theresa Campbell, teaches us why we should care and some fundamental practices on how to master the art. When you hear her describe what we're missing with crappy listening, you'll listen closely!!!   --- More about Theresa:   Website: http://herlifeherlegacy.com/  Facebook Personal Profile: https://www.facebook.com/CoachTheresaCampbell  LinkedIn Personal Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachtheresacampbell/  --- https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-creating-from-listening-with-theresa-campbell/  ---   If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.   Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post

We learn as we go through life. Some of what we learn serves us very well, like how to speak, how to write, how to use a computer, how to play a sport or an instrument, or that we stop at a red light. Some of what we learn does NOT serve us, like how to complain, how to doubt ourselves, how to use substances to self-medicate versus doing the deeper healing work, how to judge others and ourselves negatively, or how to be a “Go-Getter.”   Wait. What? What was that last one?  Isn’t it generally agreed upon that being what we call a “go-getter” is an impressive thing? After all, it’s a “dog eat dog world” out there and you have to “look out for #1” right?   Unless it really isn’t, and the actual real laws of success involve the antithesis of that “me-first” mentality.   Well, that’s precisely what we’re exploring here today with our guest, the co-author of the world-famous book/movement, The Go-Giver, Bob Burg.  In this episode of Tough Talks, Bob brilliantly, magically, articulately, bea

In December of 2019, Sal Ponzio was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the esophagus, liver, stomach, intestines, and lymph nodes. He was given three months to live and was told to sell off his assets and prepare to live the best he could for those 3 months.   After spending one of those months in disbelief, he had an epiphany and he made a decision, "I'm not going out like this." He has been recovering now for about 15 months and things are looking good but he isn't out of the woods.   He uses an American Football analogy. When he was given his diagnosis and prognosis, the rival team (death) was on the one-yard line about to score the winning blow that would seal the game. Now he's turned it around. He stopped them and now he's - as he calls it - in field goal range on second down. If you don't get football, suffice it to say this, that's a hell of a turn-around, AND it's far from over.  Sal talks to us about how he chooses to live now and what he does both physically and mentally to conquer the

"A world without waste." That's what he said in response to what he's creating these days. That was actually only PART of what he said. He said a LOT! And it's all good!   His name is David Katz and he's the founder and CEO of an AMAZING company called Plastic Bank. The company exists to stop ocean plastic and simultaneously improving the lives of those who help collect it. How good is that. Talk about a win/win.   David exists within the abundant mindset. He has clearly done a lot of deeper introspective work and he can bring it. And he brought it. The guy was named one of the world’s most compassionate entrepreneurs by Salt magazine. You're gonna love him.   More about David:   Website: http://www.PlasticBank.com  Personal FB: https://www.facebook.com/david.katz.549  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-katz-4b66178/  ----  https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-a-world-without-waste-with-david-katz/ ---  If you enjoyed this content and you are not gett

This woman has endured unthinkable abuse and trauma. It started when she was an infant and continued on into her adult years. And she makes it abundantly clear that although she was victimized, she is NOT a victim. She had many wounds and now has many scars. And the scars have stories that she uses to inspire people to grow from and create from their own pain.  Her name is Dr. Bridgette Cooper, or Dr. B, for short. She's a self-proclaimed "Practical Pain Rebel" and she's committed to giving us real tools that we can use to convert our tragedies into fuel and live HUGE!   https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-be-a-pain-rebel-with-dr-bridget-cooper/  ---   More about Dr. B: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbridgetcooper/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bridget.cannoncooper Personal FB: https://www.facebook.com/DrBridgetCooper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbridgetcooper/ Links to her most recent (and most powerful) two books: Pain Rebel: https://amzn.to/3

It’s one thing to beat stage 4 ovarian cancer (a less than 5% probability). It’s another thing to choose to leverage that experience to take a deep long look inside yourself, take a bold inventory and then do the real work of healing and transformation. Our guest today, one of the most accomplished actresses in Bollywood history, Miss Manisha Koirala, takes us through both of those healing journeys. --- More about Manisha: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manisha.koirala1970 Link to her book Healed: https://amzn.to/3sztndK --- https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-how-cancer-gave-manisha-koirala-a-new-life/ --- If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list. Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it. --- https://christopherdorris.com/lists --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mental-toughness-podcasts/message

His name is Steve Sims and he's been called "The Real Life Wizard of Oz" and "The Guy Who Gets Shit Done."   There are several things I dig about this guy. First of all, he's just plain cool. He talks about "The Chug Test" with respect to only hanging with people you can see yourself chugging a beer with. He passes my Chug Test with flying colors.   Also, he thinks big. Weird big. Like, way weird big.   Third, he treats the fact that he makes miracles happen appear completely normal. In fact, at one point, he even busts out with, "And, by the way, none of this is complicated..." For example, who else do you know that can get you to sing on stage with your favorite rock star, be serenaded by Andrea Bocelli over dinner at the foot of Michaelangelo's Statue of David in Florence, walk the red carpet at Sir Elton John’s Oscar party, get married in the Vatican, or Dive to the wreck of the Titanic - to name a few?   Steve Sims is the best selling author of the amazing book, Bluefishing: The Art o

ABRACADABRA! Do you know what that word actually means? I didn’t either until our guest broke it down for us in today’s “Magical” conversation.  His name is JP Morgan. He’s a Philosopher. Yeah, you heard it. A Philosopher. When’s the last time you met a Philosopher?   Has anyone ever told you to, “Watch your mouth!”?? JP is going to tell you to do that in a way that you have NEVER been told before. And you’re gonna LOVE it!   --- More about John:   Website: jpmorganjr.com   Personal FB: www.facebook.com/jpmorganjr   Business FB: www.facebook.com/jpmorgancreating   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpmorganjr  Twitter: https://twitter.com/jpmorganjr  Access JP’s free training to learn how to create great clients and grow your income without marketing: http://creating.studio/bcm  --- https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-abracadabra-with-john-patrick-morgan/  ---   If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts,

WOW! What a special treat! We get the complete insider's perspective on what it's like to prepare for, execute and learn from a 100 mile Ultramarathon from the RaveRunner, Ultramarathoner, Ryan Lange!   --- Ryan is back for a sequel on Tough Talks but this time we don't just talk ABOUT his experience with these absurdly long runs - we join him IN it!   --- We break it up into two segments. First we discuss he preparation routines and his pre-race mentality. Then he color commentates 6 video clips that were filmed of him DURING the race at his rests (Aid Stations). And walks us through, in detail, the elements of his physical, mental and tactical preparation, how he dealt with the demons, the lessons he learned from it, how he will apply those moving forward (next race is 200 miles around Lake Tahoe - one that defeated him last time!) and how all of this applies to the rest of us mortals.  This is gold, Folks!   --- https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-an-inside-look-at-

We got him back! Live and in-person this time! The infamous, internationally acclaimed coach, author, and speaker Devon Bandison.   This time we are discussing a topic that Devon has really been diving very deeply into recently – Normalizing the Miraculous. Here’s what that means…   You could argue that pressing a button on a remote control and having the result be that a channel changes on the TV across the room is miraculous. But we are so used to it that we don’t really think of it as very miraculous. It really is quite amazing – the technology – when you slow down enough to think about it. Which we don’t do. Ever.   Now, what if we were able to view life in such a way that the things that matter FAR more to us than being able to effectively change a channel on the TV could become equally “normal?” Like, the creation of our biggest visions and dreams for ourselves just became pretty normal. That’s just what we do. We have huge desires, and then we simply go create them into reality.   T

When Helen Appleby was a kid her dad told her, "girls can do anything boys can do." But what he didn't tell her about (because he didn't know - because he was a man) were all the unwritten rules about being a woman in leadership.  She's here to educate us upon those rules and what women in leadership roles, or who are aspiring to be, need to know in order to navigate their own leadership journeys.  And, by the way, this ain't just for women. Us men have plenty to learn here as well!   More about Helen: Website: https://www.theunwrittenrules.com/ FB Personal: https://www.facebook.com/helen.appleby.543 FB Pro: https://www.facebook.com/HelenApplebyTheUnwrittenRules IG: https://www.instagram.com/helenjaneappleby/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenappleby/ Her book: https://amzn.to/3l7XoiQ Podcast: https://www.theunwrittenrules.com/podcast-1 --- https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-the-unwritten-rules-of-womens-leadership-with-helen-appleby/ --- If

Play this one in slo-mo, Folks. Really. Endless mic drops. I couldn’t take notes fast enough. I asked him to repeat himself about 15 times but wanted to do so about 45 times. Brian Bogert is our guest today and he teaches us how to be moved by tragedy into profound action AND how to avoid suffering by embracing pain. Buckle up! --- More about Brian: Website: https://brianbogert.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/brian.bogert.3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbogert/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/bogertbrian/ YouTube: https://bit.ly/3a6fBcC Free No Limits Guide: https://www.nolimitsprelude.com/ --- https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-using-powerful-perspective-to-turn-tragedy-into-mastery-with-brian-bogert/  ---   If you enjoyed this content and you are not getting notifications of new posts, then I invite you to sign up to my list.  Please also share this with the people in your world that would also dig this post and benefit from it.   ---  https://christopherdorris.c