Winning Without Burnout: Athlete Mindset for Thought Leaders with Justin Kavanaugh

In this episode of the Growth Now Movement, I welcome back my friend Justin “Coach Kav” Kavanaugh for his fourth appearance—a deep dive into his evolution from coaching Olympic sprinters to scaling businesses and acquiring companies. With more than 20 years of elite coaching under his belt, Kav has guided some of the world’s fastest athletes—including Olympic gold medalists and world-record holders—and transformed that experience into a high-impact business model.

We explore how Kav seamlessly integrates high-performance athletic principles from the track into boardrooms and business-building. He shares how he shifted from grueling hours of speed training to intentionally designing businesses that run without constant oversight—because the real win is in time and financial freedom, not just growth.

🎯 What You’ll Learn from Coach Kav:

• How Olympic-level coaching strategies translate into building motivated, high-performing teams

• The mindset frameworks that kept elite athletes winning under pressure—and how you can apply them in business

• Why Gav embraces business acquisitions and transformation, not just organic growth

• How he’s stayed grounded in humility and grit—even while taking cues from mentors like Gary Vaynerchuk

• What real company revitalization looks like—acquire, debug, build, and scale

• Why health, context, and environment matter in entrepreneurship, just like they do with athletes

• Inside scoop on his new show, The Coaches Room, where he blends sports science and business coaching to help top performers elevate their game 

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, coach, athlete, or anyone who wants to win without burning out, this episode delivers actionable insights and frameworks to lead yourself—and others—with clarity, discipline, and purpose.