This past weekend, in the NFL playoffs, one game featured quarterbacks aged 37 and 43. The other game featured quarterbacks aged 24 and 25. Quite a stark difference, huh? In this episode of the Growth Equation podcast, Brad and Steve dive into the relationship between peak performance and age. They draw upon the latest research and their own coaching experience to introduce a simple framework for thinking about aging and peak performance: two curves that eventually meet—one for raw talent and quickness; the other for wisdom and experience. They discuss how these curves are unique for different pursuits and different people, and they offer advice on planning and executing a career or craft over time. This conversation is a good one; it combines conceptual nerding out with practical tips.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Tom Brady and the Relationship Between Peak Performance and Age appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Resilience is the capacity to bounce back when you get knocked down and to persevere during challenging times. It is a timeless quality, but also one that feels particularly timely. In this episode of the Growth Equation podcast, Brad and Steve discuss what they refer to as the factors of resilience, or the attributes and practices that help people to cultivate this important quality. Per the usual, they draw on the latest research, historical patterns, and their experience coaching individuals through dark times. In all, there are nine factors of resilience. Each is helpful on its own, but their power is fullest when they are applied collectively. In this hour, Brad and Steve walk you how through how to do just that.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Factors of Resilience appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over 70 percent of New Year's resolutions fail in the span of just a few weeks. Yikes. In this episode of the Growth Equation podcast, Brad and Steve discuss what the latest science says on making change that sticks. They touch on the habit-forming cycle of trigger, behavior, reward, and discuss why so many people follow it and still fail. They offer additional frameworks and practices that are proven to drive meaningful and sustainable change, and they discuss their own personal challenges with the topic too.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post The Secrets of Lasting Change appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well, 2020 was a long and challenging year. It's over! But just because the calendar flipped doesn't mean everything is suddenly fine. In this episode of the Growth Equation podcast, Brad and Steve discuss an interesting behavioral science concept called the “fresh start effect,” which says people tend to start aspirational behaviors on Mondays, the first day of a new month, and certainly at the beginning of a new year. From there, they talk about the importance of tempering expectations in the now while, at the same time, being optimistic for the future. For example, with COVID-19, though everyone is (rightfully) excited about vaccines, the truth is that we just got to mile 20 of a marathon. This is not the time to celebrate; it's the time to dig in, knowing the celebration is down the road. Finally, they conclude by discussing individual goals for 2021 and various insights, self-talk strategies, and practices that can help you stay on the path and achieve them.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post We Finally Made it to 2021—Now What? appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Growth Equation podcast, Brad and Steve discuss the evidence-based, do-it-yourself methodologies to improve day-to-day mental health and well-being. They explore movement, meditation, and other ways to create space between a situation and your response to it. There is a whole lot of noise when it comes to this sort of stuff, and in this episode, Brad and Steve focus in on signal, aka, the stuff that actually works.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post How to Make Your Brain a Better Place appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor Swift just released her latest album, Evermore. It is wonderful. It is also the second album she's released this year, following Folklore, which is also wonderful, and was released back in July. The crazy thing is this: Swift didn't start working on either of these albums until April of this year. This means that she averaged writing a song about every 7 days for 225 days. Originally, Folklore was slated to come out in March of 2021, and Evermore significantly down the road from there. As context, before this creative burst, Swift put out an album about once every two years.  Yet many critics say these two recent albums, in a span of just a few months, may be her best yet. In this episode of The Growth Equation podcast, we explore Swift's hot streak as a way to better understand the science, and art, of getting into a groove more broadly. We discuss entering a rhythm, maintaining a rhythm, and exiting a rhythm; as well as the common cycle of mastery: from simple, to complex, to simple but different.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Taylor Swift and the Principles of Hot Streaks appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few weeks ago, Zappos founder and CEO Tony Hsieh tragically died in a house fire. It is unclear whether the death was accidental, if Hsieh was intoxicated at the time, or if he locked himself in a room. What is clear is that during the last few months of his life, Hsieh was spiraling downward into substance abuse (nitrous oxide) and biohacking (starvation and nonsensical sleep schedules), while at the same time latching onto utopian fantasies. This somber but important episode takes Hsieh's devastating story as an inroad to explore how even the smartest, kindest, most optimistic souls can all too easily veer off the path, and how if we are not careful, we can too.Forbes article on Hsieh's “American Tragedy of Self-Destruction” mentioned in the show.Brad's new post on a toxic culture that says you should be happy and healthy always. Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post The Trappings of Unchecked Striving: Zappos and Tony Hsieh's Tragic Death appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2010, the writer Katie Arnold welcomed her second daughter into the world. Three weeks later she lost her father, also her best friend. Dealing with the grief was discombobulating. As she told us in this week's podcast, “I could not talk my way out of it. People could not reassure me the fears I was facing about my own mortality were not true…I tried lots of different healing and therapies, some worked a little, others did not, but really what worked for me was running. Moving on my own two feat through the wilderness.” Arnold followed her drive to run all the way to being the women's champion of the grueling and highly competitive Leadville ultramarathon in 2018. In this fascinating podcast, we discuss everything from running's role in processing grief and other challenging emotions; to the commonalities between Zen, running, and writing; to how instill in children a love of movement and nature. This was a fun conversation, and Katie is full of actionable wisdom. We hope that you enjoy it!Katie's memoir is titled Running Home.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post The Zen of Running and Writing appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this week, the New York Times broke a story detailing how the prestigious consulting firm McKinsey and Company “proposed paying pharmacy companies rebates for Oxycontin [a popular opioid] overdoses.” Worse, partners at McKinsey allegedly tried to cover the evidence of their recommendation. In this episode of The Growth Equation podcast, Brad, a former McKinsey consultant himself, and Steve use this moral failure as a jumping off point to discuss ethical creep in high-performance organizations and cultures—from the corporate world, to start-ups, to sports—and what we can do to prevent it in ourselves and those we coach, parent, teach, and lead.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagness(NYT Story on Opiods: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/27/business/mckinsey-purdue-oxycontin-opioids.html)The post McKinsey, Opiods, and The Dark Side of High Performance appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Growth Equation podcast, Brad and Steve dive into an underground classic from the 1980's: Amusing Ourselves to Death, by Neil Postman. The main premise of the book is that the medium via which we consume information is a metaphor for the culture; our brains, both as individuals and as a collective, become what we pay attention to and how we pay attention it. At the time Postman wrote the book, he was concerned about how television news was becoming more and more about entertainment and less and less about serious discourse. If only Postman, who died in 2003, could be alive to see the current information environment. Brad and Steve do their best to update Postman's argument for modern times and share tips and tricks on how you can protect your attention, be a better citizen, and create space for serious and meaningful discussion in a world of nonsense and noise.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show! You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Amusing Ourselves to Death appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rich Roll is a globally renown ultra-endurance athlete, wellness advocate, bestselling author, husband and father of four.  He also hosts the wildly popular Rich Roll Podcast, one of the top 100 podcasts in the world with over 100 million downloads.   On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve welcome Rich.  He shares how his experiences in competitive swimming, law school, and addiction and recovery help him when preparing for his podcast.  He discusses why he made the decision to evolve his podcast from evergreen topics to speaking to matters of the day and how to have meaningful conversations with those with whom we vehemently disagree.  Rich also offers a glimpse into how his family views his successes, failures, and public image.  Finally, the three discuss Rich’s latest book, Voicing Change, which features timeless wisdom and inspiration from the Rich Roll Podcast.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show! You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Rich Roll: The Art of Meaningful Conversation appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A wise professor once told Brad, “Trust is the most important thing there is and all inefficiencies at their core are created by a lack of trust.”  On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve discuss the importance of trust and what it means to trust yourself and to trust others.  They consider what it means to “trust your training” and review the research and science behind how to build trust with others.  The pair offer ways to identify trust gaps in personal or working relationships and reflect on their own relationship to identify their trust gaps and how to bridge them.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show! You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Trust: The Most Important Thing There Is appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this raw, uncut, and immediately uploaded episode, Brad and Steve explore the still-unfolding chaos around the 2020 US presidential election, how we got into this mess, and how we can get out. For the two articles we reference in the podcast:Driven Apart or Coming Together: It's Our ChoiceThe Simple Reason that the 2020 Polls were WrongYou can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Special Episode: Election Madness appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It infiltrates every aspect of our lives and deserves the time for a thoughtful discussion. On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve welcome back friend of the podcast Jojo McDuffie to discuss the topic of race. The three share their different experiences with race growing up in Michigan, Texas and Virginia. They discuss the convergence of racism and mental health and talk about the difference between sympathy (“I see your pain”) and empathy (“I feel your pain”). Steve shares what science says about our subconsciousness and systemic racism and Jojo offers why when it comes to race it’s better to be consciously biased than unbiased.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show! You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post A Discussion About Race with Jojo McDuffie appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month Lebron James won his fourth NBA Championship and once again spurred the question: who is better, Lebron James or Michael Jordan? On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve tackle the question, but go beyond the championships and MVP awards and consider performance and success more broadly. They discuss their differing paths to greatness and how they each managed to sustain their peak performance. Brad and Steve also evaluate the pair based on a variety of other factors, such as whether their motivation comes from, their differing skill sets, the talent pool surrounding them, and their focus and activism off the court.way.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show! You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Defining Success: Lebron vs. Jordan appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Social Dilemma, a documentary on the rise of social media and the damage it has caused to society, is one of the top shows on Netflix and it has us thinking.  On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve tackle the issue of social media and its impact on our health and wellbeing.  They discuss the pros and cons of the most popular platforms, how they hijack our attention, and whether they should be more strongly regulated.  Brad and Steve discuss their own challenging relationships with social media, what it would take for them to leave the platforms all together, and the strategies they employ so that they can use (some of) the platforms in a (mostly) healthy and sustainable way.Sloan Sports Analytics Conference: Social Media and AthleticsPlease write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show! You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post The Social Media Episode appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder what Brad and Steve do for the first and last 90 minutes of each day? What their in-home offices look like? What their favorite apps are? On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve take more questions from their listeners. They share how they stay motivated and stay connected to friends and family during the pandemic, how they wind down each day, what they put in their smoothies, who they turn to for advice, and more.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show! You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Listener Mailbag with Brad and Steve: Diet, Motivation, and Home Office Design appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week marks the conclusion of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals and the start of the NBA Finals and MLB playoffs. We've seen (and are sure to see more) spectacular performances and unfortunate collapses. On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve discuss what we can do to be clutch and avoid choking when the stakes are high. The pair discuss what it means to be clutch and how to prepare for high-pressure events — whether on the track, behind the microphone or in the boardroom. Brad and Steve also share strategies to rescue ourselves when we do choke and what sports psychology gets wrong on this topic.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!Resources Mentioned:Setting Goals that Work For You, Not AgainstBeing Clutch Isn't Magic; It's TrainableYou can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post How to be Clutch (and Avoid Choking) appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You asked, they answered! On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve take questions from their listeners. The pair discuss strategies for staying positive when the news is seemingly all negative, how to balance multiple passions, and how to be patient with long-term goals. Steve tackles the importance of pausing training when injury lingers and Brad considers whether sacrifice and suffering is essential to achieve the highest levels of performance. Finally, Brad and Steve offer their book recommendations.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!Resources Mentioned:Range by David EpsteinAntifragile by Nassim TalebMeditations by Marcus AureliusWhy Buddhism is True by Robert WrightOnce A Runner by John L ParkerMastery and The Way of Aikido by George LeonardEscape from Freedom by Erich FrommTo have or To be by Erich FrommThe Art of Loving by Erich FrommGoing to Pieces Without Falling Apart by Mark EpsteinThoughts Without a Thinker by Mark EpsteinAdvice Not Given by Mark EpsteinThe Recovering by Leslie JamisonThe Empathy Exams by Leslie JamisonZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert PirsigRadical Compassion by Tara BrockThe Corrections by Jonathan FranzenDeacon King Kong by James McBrideMiddlesex by Jeffrey EugenidesYou can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Listener Mailbag with Brad & Steve: Routines, Reading, and Suffering appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amelia Boone is one of the most accomplished obstacle race athletes in history, having won the Spartan Race World Championship in 2013 and the World’s Toughest Mudder in 2012, 2014 and 2015. She’s also struggled with OCD and an eating disorder that resulted in hospital and treatment center stays. On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve speak with Amelia Boone about her highs, lows and what she’s learned along the way. Amelia shares advice on recovery (including what to do if you find yourself relapsing) and how to speak to friends or family members suffering from mental illness. She speaks to the power that comes from giving voice to issues and how she reconciles her various identities, including obstacle race warrior and mental health warrior.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255  Amelia's heartfelt blog post on her experience with an eating disorderAmelia on TwitterBrad writes about his experience with OCDMade of millions information page for OCDInformation on suicidal OCDNational Eating Disorders Association Helpline: 1-800-931-2237Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post Amelia Boone: Obstacle Racing and Mental Health Warrior appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She’s back! This week on The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve check in with NYC Marathon Champion, Olympian, coach, and friend Shalane Flanagan. The trio first discuss the challenges that come with transitions. Shalane candidly describes the hard and dark days she faced when transitioning away from being an athlete and how she struggled to see her purpose and meaning. Brad, Steve and Shalane then turn to how to cope with impostor syndrome. Shalane offers tricks such as finding your specific role and putting ego aside. Shalane also shares her thoughts on being one of the only female professional running coaches, what she’s learned about parenting in the past few months, and whether she would considering lacing up to compete at the master’s level.Please write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagnessThe post She's Back! Life with Shalane Flanagan, Marathon Champion, Olympian and Coach appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Growth Equation Principles, Brad and Jojo explore self-compassion, and explain why cultivating it is key to lasting performance and wellbeing even, and perhaps especially, for high-achievers.The post Growth EQ Principles: Self-Compassion appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve offer six hot (and thoughtful) takes on topics related to performance and well-being. They discuss whether it's better to have low expectations and if inspiration can actually help performance. The two debate how much of performance is luck versus skill and how our perceptions change when our knowledge changes. Finally, they turn to why constraints are actually a good thing and how anyone can cultivate courage.Inspiration has limitsChance vs. control. vs. skillConstraintsCourageExpectations vs realityDeep understanding vs. staying on the surfacePlease write a review on Apple Podcasts and help new listeners discover the show!You can find the podcast on:iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherFind Brad and Steve on Twitter: @Bstulberg and @stevemagness  The post Six Hot (and Thoughtful) Takes on Performance appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Understanding that most important things in life are nine-inning games can help support happiness, performance, and satisfaction. On this week's episode of Growth Equation Principles, Brad and Jojo explore patience. The post Growth EQ Principles: Patience appeared first on The Growth Equation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.