100. One Decision Away: Resilience, Curiosity & Building a Life of Purpose with Alvin Brown

In this powerful 100th episode, Dwayne Kerrigan sits down with long-time friend and high-performance coach Alvin Brown to explore the mindset, resilience, and relentless curiosity that transformed Alvin’s life. From his early days as a Jamaican immigrant living in poverty, to his evolution as an elite therapist for world-class athletes, Alvin shares the turning points, challenges, and mindset shifts that fueled his journey.

They dive deep into the value of sport as a springboard for confidence and self-worth, the discipline of constant learning, and the life-changing power of creating space between stimulus and response. Packed with raw honesty and hard-earned wisdom, this episode is a masterclass in perseverance, personal mastery, and living intentionally.

Timestamps

00:00 – “Don’t get through it, get from it” – Alvin’s core life philosophy

01:00 – Dwayne introduces Alvin Brown and their 25+ year friendship

02:00 – Alvin’s immigration from Jamaica and early years in poverty

04:30 – Resilience born from cultural shifts and adversity

05:30 – Becoming one of the top massage therapists and constant learning

06:30 – Building The Centre for Healing and Peak Performance & writing his book

07:00 – Role modeling long-term relationships and perseverance

09:00 – Alvin’s early ambitions in wrestling, martial arts, and boxing

13:30 – Lessons from sport: confidence, belief, and self-worth

15:30 – The Olympic dream as legitimacy and identity

18:00 – The chance encounter in Cuba that led to a career in therapy

20:00 – Going from a “D for diploma” student to top marks in massage school

22:00 – Stacking skills: nutrition, acupuncture, energy work, osteopathy

30:00 – The importance of energy, intention, and integrative health

31:00 – Overcoming the “no degree” weakness and earning a psychology degree

33:00 – Studying NLP and the lifelong practice of mindset mastery

35:00 – Curiosity as a driver and eliminating perceived weaknesses

40:30 – One decision away – pivotal moments in parenting and relationships

45:00 – Creating space between stimulus and response to make better decisions

51:00 – The role of introspection and honest mentorship

55:00 – Lessons in ego, business building, and staying true to your gifts

59:30 – Why asking “why” matters – and when it doesn’t

1:02:00 – Understanding that “greatness” is different for everyone

1:03:00 – Preview of Part 2: handling loss and becoming a lighthouse for others

Notable Quotes

• “Don’t get through it, get from it.” – Alvin Brown
• “You’re always one decision away from turning up or turning down the trajectory of your life.” – Alvin Brown
• “Sport gave me confidence, belief, and self-worth—and that became my springboard.” – Alvin Brown
• “The space between stimulus and response is where mastery lives.” – Alvin Brown
• “I don’t seek to be smart; I seek to be wise.” – Alvin Brown
• “Sometimes you’re driving the right vehicle on the wrong road.” – Dwayne Kerrigan

Valuable Resources & Takeaways

1. The Power of Sport – Organized sports teach goal-setting, resilience, teamwork, and how to come back from loss.
2. Stack Your Skills – Keep adding complementary knowledge (nutrition, energy work, mindset training) to create a unique...