TOUGH TALKS: Conversations on Mental Toughness

I interviewed my dear friend and mentor, Dr. William Maxwell. We delved into EQ (emotional quotient) and its relevance in predicting success. We talked about the power of thinking and its impact on our lives. Dr. Maxwell shared how he initially became fascinated with thinking and the importance of addressing the falling IQ of children. The conversation touched on the potential for humans to evolve beyond racism and the role of t...

In our latest installment of Tough Talks, we’re going ALL IN! with our awe-inspiring guest - the inimitable Guru Ganesha. Take a deep dive with us into the realm of business challenges and the critical need for innovative solutions. We talk about the dual commitment necessary in the sales process, compelling us to recognize if potential buyers are truly all-in for finding a solution. We’re also delving into the might of personal ...

In this episode of Tough Talks, we have back with us a truly remarkable guest, Jeff Nyce, a retired SWAT team commander and a two-time survivor of terminal illnesses.

Despite being diagnosed with his third terminal illness ALS also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, Jeff continues to choose to live and embrace a positive mindset as he keeps pushing forward.

Jeff's story teaches us that Mental Toughness is about creating fr...

What's the most important trait/skill of a CEO? Why is it so much more important to hire the RIGHT person vs the "best" person for the job? What does it mean to not let perfection be the enemy of good? How does a corporate culture empower its people to feel safe enough to make mistakes? What does it mean to "execute with extreme prejudice"? These are some of the questions we explore with our guest and ...

I'm so thrilled to be able to introduce you to an absolute Powerhouse (in every way). His name is Siavash Fashi. He's the owner of the enormously successful small gym (very very small, and apparently wonderfully high-vibe and chaotic!) in Culver City, CA named SixPax Gym.
Siavash left Iran, where bodybuilding was illegal and where he dealt with cancer, poverty, and political turmoil. After seven years as a refugee in Eng...

"We are on a mission to move minds with mushrooms." That's a quote from his website, www.getumbo.com. His name is Jake "The Snake" Plummer and he is a former NFL quarterback turned mushroom farmer. His new chosen assignment in life is to remind us here in the Western cultures about the profound healing qualities of functional (and hopefully soon-to-be-legalized) psychedelic mushrooms. Join us for a deep ...

His speaking career started at age 8 when his iconic minister father had him speak before a church congregation of thousands in his native Ghana. He himself was ordained a minister at age 14. He didn't ask for any of that. So at age 18 he won a green card in the Ghanaian lottery, followed his intuition, and moved to LA, alone, knowing no one, with $800 in his pocket.

He is now one of the world's most recognized leaders in...

From Physical Therapist to Co-Owner of the Philadelphia 76ers NBA team to Zen Monk, our guest today is NOT TYPICAL! He IS, however, something very few people ever achieve which you can argue is far less likely than any of the above. He is a Philadelphia LEGEND! His name is Pat Croce and I have known about him for most of my life (having grown up in the Philly area and being a Philly sports fanatic). As a serial entrepreneur, Pa...

Who has won MVP of The Super Bowl AND had a movie created about his life story? My latest Tough Talks Podcast guest, that's who. Kurt Warner. Kurt's Cinderella story is easily one of the best in NFL history (that's why they made the movie, American Underdog, about it). Through countless trials and tribulations, Kurt and his remarkable wife, Brenda, continuously chose to believe in his passion and his dream until he p...

Who says that real personal growth and healing need to be gradual?!

Well, not this guest.

Today we have World Renowned Therapist and Best Selling Author, Marisa Peer, on the show. Marisa is the founder of Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT). RTT is a massively disruptive approach to helping people heal and grow. Because it's - well - RAPID!

She explains to us how our suffering arises from weak thinking and the t...

What do you do when the wolf knocks on your door? What if the wolf is already inside??

In light of the mass layoffs rippling through the economy, it's particularly important for us all as leaders, employees, business owners, and coaches to be in the practice of Mental Toughness.

This week my team and I have put together a special highlight reel. This collection of poignant and practical tools from world-class lead...

Have you ever met someone who is perpetually driven by both the creation of excellence AND fun?! Well, whether you have or you haven’t, you’re about to. His name is Reggie Marable and he is a big-time Sales Exec with a fan base larger than the Atlanta Braves! (He's from Atlanta, aka the ATL.)

Reggie truly gets what Mental Toughness means. He has applied Mental Toughness practices to everything he's done in life. He played professio...

Attracting and retaining top talent, helping that talent be and stay clear on their "WHY", maintaining a "healthy paranoia", and demonstrating authentic humility are a few of the most important things that the CRO of Black Swan Data, David Delnero, identifies as keys to success in these challenging times.  

I have had the privilege of watching David ascend in the ranks over the course of the last decade and it came as no surpr...

People in the industry make a pretty convincing argument that the Enterprise Software Industry is the most competitive industry on the planet at the moment. And that means, if you’re interested in creating excellence in that realm, Mental Toughness is mighty handy.  

Just canned my latest episode of the Tough Talks Podcast with guest, Larry Shurtz, Chief Revenue Officer at Confluent.  

Larry is an icon in the industry kno...

Have you ever heard (or said), "There's just not enough time in the day." Or, "I just wish I had more time." Or, "There's a time for work and a time for play."  

Our Tough Talks Guest today, Joe Perrone, Time Wizard (as I like to call him), is here to debunk all of that. Joe made the decision several years ago after a medical emergency to reorganize and reprioritize the way he uses time. Now Joe NEVER complains about not havin...

This week we have put together another highlight reel from 8 more of our amazing guests who blessed us with their presence and amazingness on the show.

Have a look/listen, and take some tools or tips or reminders away from it that can help you continue to strengthen your mind and build more Mental Toughness.

Guests in this Highlight Reel:

Dan O'Brien
John Kriesel
Sam Calagione
Greg Head
Jon Hunter
Jonathan Keyse...

"Demolish what you've created!"

"Demolition is messy!"

"Discover where you suck!"

"Settle into the fact that you're not in control!"

These are just a few of the wisdom bombs that our repeat guest drops for us today.

Welcome back to Jonathan Keyser, Founder of KEYSER Commercial Real Estate. This is JK and CD do Tough Talks 2.0. And in our episode, we discuss how - specifically how - JK reinvented his thriving business in t...

My guest today is Dr. Troy Melendez. Troy and I went to graduate school together and he is easily one of the most intelligent and fascinating people I have ever known. Wizardly intelligent. He is a therapist who helps folks with addiction recovery. Troy, himself, was addicted to painkillers and that addiction escalated to a very serious and long opioid addiction.

Troy had a remarkable experience with DMT (a hallucinogenic drug also...

The Greatest Athlete in the World! That's the title our guest earned himself when he won the Olympic Gold Medal for the Decathlon in Atlanta in 1996. We have Dan O'Brien in the Tough Talks studio today and we get to pick the brain of one of history's greatest athletes on things like mental preparation and how to convert "failure" (epic failure) into, well, literally, gold.

Go search YouTube for Dan and Dave 1992 and you can watch t...