Finding Mastery: Conversations With Michael Gervais

On May 27th, 2016, Colin broke two mountaineering world records; he claimed the speed records for both the Seven Summits (132 days) and the Explorers Grand Slam (139 days), climbing the tallest mountain on each continent and skiing the last degree of latitude to the North and South Poles. In This Episode: -Embracing growing up in a mixed family -Putting in just enough effort to get by in his early life -The transition from doing something for fun to doing it as a profession -Adapting to a new environment at Yale -Traveling the world after college -The moment that changed his life – a severe burn in Thailand -Fulfilling his goal of competing in a triathlon -The meaning of Beyond72 -The intensity of the journey to the South Pole -Summiting Everest under harsh conditions -Consistency as a key to breaking the record -Why mental fortitude is so important -Being flexible when chaos ensued

Jimmy Smith, Founder and CEO of Amusement Park Entertainment, is a creator, who has faced down adversity and celebrates both the humanness and spirituality of people. He has earned countless awards for his work as a Writer and Creative Director for Nike at Wieden + Kennedy, Executive Creative Director at BBDO and most recently, Gatorade’s Group Creative Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day LA. In This Episode: -Striving for diversity within Amusement Park -The story behind Nike Freestyle -Putting the “G” in Gatorade -Identifying the right people to work with -How Nike lost out on Space Jam and what it says about risk taking -Clients not actually wanting to take the risks they claim they are willing to -Heaven sent with Luke Aikens and why he’s comfortable with what’s at stake -Why he listens to others even when he disagrees -Belief as a word that cuts to the center of himself -Why living his live in uncomfortable spots allows him to deal with his inner critic

Jimmy Smith, Founder and CEO of Amusement Park Entertainment, is a creator, who has faced down adversity and celebrates both the humanness and spirituality of people. He has earned countless awards for his work as a Writer and Creative Director for Nike at Wieden + Kennedy, Executive Creative Director at BBDO and most recently, Gatorade’s Group Creative Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day LA. In This Episode: -Enduring racism as a child and how it shaped him -Why he doesn’t have hatred in him -Refusing to take no for an answer -Where he developed confidence from -Racism in the ad agency world -How he filters through what a great idea is -Figuring out what he was good at -His 1st ad campaign -The importance of having African-American role models to look up to -Working through his relationship with God -Stresswood as a defining moment in his life

This conversation is with Nicole Davis. Nicole represented the United States at the 2008 Olympics and 2012 Olympics, helping USA to a silver medal both times. She was also part of the US team that won the 2014 World Championships. In This Episode: -Learning the hard way about the appropriate time to confront a coach -Focusing on what is controllable -Enduring a difficult family dynamic growing up -The impact domestic abuse had on shaping her as a person -The cost of her competitive edge as a child -The difficulty in embracing the good that comes from constant failure -Finding the thing that makes sense to you -Her ability to pick up a new skill quickly -The lonely journey that separates an Olympian from other athletes -Why it’s ok if something is difficult -Her approach to practicing mindfulness -The pressure of the Olympics and how she responded -Importance of understanding where confidence comes from

Michael Gervais holds a "State of Finding Mastery" to distill some insights from the podcast so far and explain what's he's excited for going forward.

The conversations we have with ourselves either facilitate or slow down the pursuit to understand potential. It is not the external obstacles that determine one’s path, rather, the process of working with the challenges that accompany all of us who want to “go for it” in life. Nicholas McCarthy was born in 1989 without his right hand and only began to play the piano at the late age of 14. In This Episode: -Overcoming a late start to playing the piano -The confidence his parents instilled in him from early age -Visualizing the thing he was told he couldn’t do -His process for embracing challenge -Using imagery as a guide for performing in new venues -Why he loves the piano -The transition from amateur to pro -The meaning behind anything is possible -How he deals with his inner critic -Belief as a word that cuts to the center of what he stands for -Creating a relationship with his fans through music -Exercise as a method for staying mentally strong

Alyssa lives fully – thinks deeply – and captures the point of view and insights from people who have chosen adventure as a way of living. She’s trusted by elite action and adventure sport athletes In This Episode: - What defines action sports athletes - Growing up wanting to be Terry Bradshaw - Moving from form to formless - Pitching the “Madden Curse” - How she finds threads to write about - How do people do things that don’t seem possible - The challenges of writing - How she works through the creative process - Dealing with doubt in writing - Practicing the things you aren’t good at / working on your weaknesses - Cost of greatness - Why movement defines her - Writing controversial stories

There are no short cuts on the path of mastery and those that carve a path - that has yet be carved - have much to teach us about pushing the accepted norms of what most people think is possible. Pat LaFontaine has done both. In This Episode: -4 ways you can change people -Working from inside-out -Awareness of your thoughts -Having a deep passion for what you do -Understanding the right time to challenge kids -Finding harmony in life -How his concussions turned into a positive for others -The concept of each person having their own “time-machine” -Companions & Courage -Keeping perspective on what matters in life -A hat-trick of passion in a bottle

There are no short cuts on the path of mastery and those that carve a path - that has yet be carved - have much to teach us about pushing the accepted norms of what most people think is possible. Pat LaFontaine has done both. In This Episode: -Growing up surrounded by a hard working family -Being the youngest on his youth hockey teams -What ignited his love for hockey -His role models growing up - Setting an initial goal of getting a college scholarship -The moment he realized American players could make it -His legendary Michigan youth club team -The impact Canadian hockey had on his drive to become better -Importance of mindset and being even keel -Having no regrets -Why positive self-talk makes a difference -Allowing experiences to pass through you -The dark place concussions brought him to

Dr. Angela Duckworth studies grit and self-control, two attributes that are distinct from IQ and yet powerfully predict success and well-being. In This Episode: -The value of process vs. outcome -How she first came to value grit -Her definition of grit -Impact of self-control on grit -The differences between achievement and mastery -Sunk-cost fallacy -Setting a goal at the right level -Is passion or perseverance harder? -The 3 kinds of character that are most important

When humility, passion, risk taking, mother nature and service collide: Ian Walsh. In This Episode: The purpose of surfing etiquette -Importance of persistence -The moment when everything clicked -Why being able to adapt is the key to surfing -How a vision became a reality -Overcoming a devastating knee injury in Patagonia -A surf trip to Fiji as a turning point in his life -Thriving in the state of discomfort -His process behind making a decision -What “being content” means to him -Why the fear of surfing big waves doesn’t stop him

Coach Pete Carroll has a philosophy. It's clear to him. He's found it to be extremely powerful to help himself and others to become the very best version of themselves: Always Compete. He doesn’t talk about past success. He doesn't become consumed with what is yet to come. He lives engaged in maximizing wherever his feet are. In This Episode: -Why having a chip on his shoulder helped shape him -The importance of being present -How competition fuels him -Why you can’t be afraid of failure -Creating your own reality -Helping others become optimistic -The moment he knew he had a different vision for coaching -Relationship-based approach to coaching -Why he doesn’t need to talk about winning -Dealing with difficult outcomes -The moments between the moments -The importance of the Seahawks culture -How he instills a risk-taking mentality in his players -Getting to the truth of what went wrong when mistakes happen -Why it all comes downs love

As a cultural scientist, passionate traveler and science journalist, Kayt Sukel has no problem tackling interesting (and often risky) subjects spanning love, sex, risk taking, neuroscience, travel and politics. In this episode: -Her fascination with the brain -Applying to college at any early age -Conditioned learning vs. guided discovery -Little movements forward to take you the distance -Working through curiosity -Importance of having freedom to explore as a child -What is it about sex that drives us -Sex vs. love -Ideas on monogamy -Thoughts on risk taking -Common threads risk takers share -Reaching the edge of danger -Neurology of the brain and its relation to risk -Turning off the overthinking part of your brain -Why curiosity guides her life -How people can become better at risk taking -Which mental skills are most important -How the mind reacts to threat -How you can make your kids better risk takers

Fire in the eyes. What does that thought conjure up for you? Katie Holloway describes it as what she feels like when she's at her best. She outlines how she thinks and trains her mind to advance her abilities to become more resilient in the face of adversity. Katie is a competitor. In this episode: -Growing up with one leg in pain and externalizing her frustrations -Family involvement throughout childhood -Persevering through constant bullying -What strength means to her -Becoming comfortable in her own skin -Finding her purpose -Her burning desire to prove others wrong -The meaning behind “heart” -Inviting stress into her life to grow -What it’s like having one leg -The rewards of embracing who you are -Implementing imagery to improve one’s craft -Surrounding yourself with the right people -Dealing with her inner critic -The ideal competitive mindset -Her biggest fear on the court -Habits that have allowed her to be the best in the world

Congressman Tim Ryan knows how to laugh — and — how to serve. He’s designed his life efforts to help our country be better. I hope you’ll enjoy both in this podcast. In this episode: -Dealing with public skepticism of corruption in politics -How grit helped him win his first election -Defying the odds and taking chances -Inspiring others to work hard with him -Dealing with the heartbreak of a career ending football injury -The meaning of being a leader -Why he cares about politics -Transforming education with a new common core -The importance of new forms of energy -Meditation practices -Why sports lessons can become life lessons

Nate graduated high school unsure about his path in life. Looking for a challenge and to make a difference, he made his way to the Darfur region of Sudan to help in the refugee camps. The experience, coupled with his memories of 9/11, inspired him to enlist in the U.S. Army as a Special Forces candidate, and he became one of 11 from his class of 150 to graduate with a Green Beret. He has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning a Bronze Star for heroism in combat. In this episode: His role in Waterboys Why veterans can make an impact in 3rd world countrie What you can do to make a difference The importance of water Transitioning from military to sports Going for it with the Seahawks Coping with falling short of a goal Why it’s never too late to go after what you want Merging veterans and players for a common cause

Some people think about adventure — and others make their life a living adventure. Nate graduated high school unsure about his path in life. Looking for a challenge and to make a difference, he made his way to the Darfur region of Sudan to help in the refugee camps. The experience, coupled with his memories of 9/11, inspired him to enlist in the U.S. Army as a Special Forces candidate, and he became one of 11 from his class of 150 to graduate with a Green Beret. He has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning a Bronze Star for heroism in combat. In this episode: -Appreciating the Process -Being fueled by negative energy -Why you can’t be afraid to fail -Looking up to his father -Why he got into trouble as a kid -The “Blue Collar” Way -The challenges of giving your children everything or nothing -Embracing change and becoming uncomfortable -What motivated him to go to Darfur -Confidence v. Cockiness -Having a purpose -Why making a difference is important to him -Outworking everyone else -Utilizing self-talk -Tr

John Donahoe served as president and chief executive officer of eBay Inc. from 2008-2015. In this role, he was responsible for growing each of the company's business units, which included eBay Marketplaces, PayPal and Skype. In this episode: -Notion of servant leadership -Being a purpose driven leader -Growing from adversity -Figuring out what’s right for you -The right fit – team ethos -Facing down fear -How success in team sports and business aren’t so different -Emulating his father -Balancing his professional and personal life -Qualities of those who sustain success over time -The importance of grit -The constant process of understanding who he is -Meditation and why “Buddha Nature” is important to him

Liz Wiseman shares her insights and research on the art and science of leadership. She walks us through her journey that has allowed her to understand how leaders can diminish or multiply the genius in others. In this episode: -How her childhood and relationship with her father shaped her -Observing the different types of leadership in the workplace -Creating an environment where people excel vs. shrink -Space between action and intention -Coping with a tough boss and having the grit to overcome it -Courage to leave the corporate world -Defining intelligence -Intelligence as a tool or a weapon -Struggling with “letting go” -Traits of the multiplying vs. diminishing boss -Disciplines of multiplying leaders -The importance of how one leads in the home -Identifying someone’s native genius -Understanding when to be big and small

What allows one man to move from elite sport (NFL) to elite special forces (Navy SEALs) to serial entrepreneurship? Clint Bruce shares his approach toward life and performance, and his search for elite. In this episode: -Transitioning from SEAL team to business -The importance of performance from the neck up -Business as a delayed gratification -The difference between a profitable and provisional business -Clint's three businesses and what they represent -Knowing who he is -Building a team vs. a tribe -Becoming a tribal person -Coping with pain -Why being blessed is a by product of doing well for others -Defining risk -Meaning of gratitude