The same instincts that make a great lawyer can be the exact thing keeping them from asking for help.

In this encore episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Brian Cuban, an attorney, author, and long-term recovery advocate, for a raw account of the depression, eating disorder, and addiction that nearly ended his life, and the moment he finally chose to fight for it. Brian pulls back the curtain on what drives so many lawyers toward substance abuse in silence, and why the legal profession's culture of strength makes it one of the hardest places to ask for help. This is a candid look at what recovery actually requires, and what it means to build a profession where struggling colleagues don't have to hide.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why lawyers face a higher risk of addiction, and why the profession makes it so hard to admit it
• How to spot the early warning signs before they become a rock-bottom moment
• What it takes to build a compassionate community that helps colleagues before they have to hit bottom

Brian walked back from the edge. His story is here for anyone who needs to know it's possible.

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:04:05) A childhood shaped by shame
(00:14:55) Choosing law school to hide
(00:27:04) His brother steps in to help
(00:33:38) Trading tickets for cocaine
(00:41:23) His first 12-step meeting
(00:43:58) Writing The Addicted Lawyer
(00:47:23) Addiction's toll on lawyers
(00:53:43) Why compassion matters most
(01:00:00) Careers rebuild, lives can't

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Links & Resources:

• Brian Cuban
• The Addicted Lawyer: Tales of the Bar, Booze, Blow, and Redemption by Brian Cuban
• Mark Cuban
• Texas Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP)
• 2016 ABA/Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation study on lawyer well-being
• Karen Carpenter

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Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

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Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

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If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 469. How to Turn Your Darkest Failures into Unstoppable Drive with Ken Rideout
• 412. Why Doing Hard Things Is the Ultimate Advantage with Joe De Sena
• 141. David Goggins - Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within

In this AMMA episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill dig into why most law firm owners plateau not because of talent or effort, but because they've outgrown the peers around them. From honoring the commitments you made when you were clear-headed to seeking out rooms where friction and accountability are features (not bugs), this conversation is a blueprint for the kind of consistency that compounds over years, not weeks.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why the commitments you make when motivated can't be renegotiated when you're not
• How to identify and seek out high-friction environments that attract higher-caliber peers
• What it takes to build systems that outlast motivation and make consistency automatic

If you've been coasting on talent and wondering why results have flatlined, this episode will help you level up.

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:01:39) The Power of Consistency
(00:05:57) Systems Over Motivation
(00:07:29) Nine Years of Daily Journaling
(00:09:13) Q1: Outgrowing Your Peer Network
(00:12:09) High-Friction Environments Win
(00:14:04) Q2: What's New at the Summit
(00:16:24) Q3: How to Keep Growing as a Leader
(00:18:54) Curiosity as a Practiced Skill

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Links & Resources:

• BoJack Horseman
• Conor McGregor
• EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization)
• Tiger 21

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Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

----

Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

----

Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

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If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 488. AMMA: Controversial Leadership Opinions That Will Make Your Firm Better
• 468. AMMA: Why Dark Energy Becomes Dead Weight Over Time
• 375. AMMA: Stop Being The Bottleneck: Lead Your Firm Without Being Needed

Winning a hand doesn't mean you played it well. Losing one doesn't mean you didn't.

In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Annie Duke, former professional poker player, World Series of Poker bracelet winner, and best-selling author of Thinking in Bets and Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away, to talk about why a great decision can still end in a loss, how confirmation bias hides behind our smartest instincts, and what it actually takes to know when to walk away.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why a good decision can still produce a bad outcome, and a bad one can still win
• How confirmation bias convinces smart people they've already got it right
• What it takes to know the difference between grit that pays off and grit that's costing you

Good decisions and good outcomes are not the same thing. This episode will help you tell them apart.

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:02:33) Why Annie returned to finish her PhD
(00:04:48) How Annie built a $4M poker career
(00:14:56) Why good decisions can have bad outcomes
(00:20:16) Inside Pete Carroll's controversial call
(00:27:29) Why confirmation bias feels so good
(00:35:16) Why smart people have bigger blind spots
(00:37:17) Why waste is a forward-looking problem
(00:40:22) When grit stops being a virtue
(00:42:59) How mental time travel aids decisions

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Links & Resources:

• Annie Duke
• Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke
• Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• Grit by Angela Duckworth
• Confirmation bias
• Pete Carroll

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Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

----

Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

----

Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

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If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 443. Poker Face: The Framework for Navigating Professional Uncertainty with Tiffany Michelle
• 334. Dr. Benjamin Hardy - From Limiting Beliefs to Limitless Potential: A Guide to Personal Growth
• 161. Joe De Sena - The Spartan Mindset: Embracing Discomfort and Unleashing Mental Toughness

Some of the most useful things a leader will ever hear are the ones nobody says to their face.

This greatest-hits AMMA episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast pulls together six of the questions firm owners struggle with most, and Michael and Jessica Mogill answer each one with the candidness that comes from experience. The underperformer you keep protecting. The high-stakes call you can't seem to make. The endless learning that never turns into action. The anger that built your firm and now runs it into the ground. These are the takes most leaders only wish someone would tell them.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why the hardest conversation on your calendar only gets more expensive the longer you delay it
• How to make a high-stakes call with 70% of the information instead of waiting for certainty that never comes
• What it takes to trade spite-driven hustle for a vision that actually lasts

The advice most leaders need isn't complicated. It's just hard to hear.

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:01:33) When to let a bad hire go
(00:04:21) Making decisions at scale
(00:05:56) A framework for tough calls
(00:07:45) Decision quality vs. outcome
(00:10:45) Why you're the last to know
(00:12:33) Setting rules of engagement
(00:13:39) The information consumer trap
(00:15:54) Why knowledge isn't power
(00:18:32) The team member who drains you
(00:22:07) Setting boundaries that work
(00:22:47) When anger stops fueling you
(00:27:09) Playing the infinite game

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Links & Resources:

• The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
• Mark Manson
• Roger Federer’s 2024 Dartmouth Commencement Address
• John Morgan
• Nike, "Just Do It"
• Star Wars

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Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

----

Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

----

Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

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If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 468. AMMA - Why Dark Energy Becomes Dead Weight Over Time
• 432. AMMA - When Loyalty Backfires: The Hidden Cost of Tenure
• 247. John Morgan - Fortune Favors the Bold: How to Build a Legal Empire

What if the real reason your best people leave has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with the first 100 days?

In this encore of episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill welcomes Joey Coleman, client experience expert and New York Times bestselling author of Never Lose an Employee Again, to break down the 8 phases every team member moves through and what it actually looks like to build a workplace people refuse to leave.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why "new hire's remorse" kicks in seconds after someone accepts your offer (and how to counteract it)
• How to make a team member's first day so remarkable they can't stop talking about it when they get home
• What separates firms with true advocates from those who can't even get an internal referral

If your onboarding still looks like a binder and a benefits form, this is your playbook for something better.

(00:00:45) Introduction
(00:02:49) Joey Coleman returns to the podcast
(00:04:28) Why new hires quit in the first 100 days
(00:07:05) Show, don't tell: proving you care about your people
(00:08:27) The 8 phases of employee experience
(00:15:45) The ROI of remarkable onboarding
(00:17:34) Job postings that actually stand out
(00:22:14) Notre Dame's legendary offer letter
(00:29:51) Creating a remarkable first day (the JAM example)
(00:35:14) Coworkers vs. colleagues
(00:44:29) The 2-minute video challenge

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Links & Resources:

• Never Lose an Employee Again by Joey Coleman
• Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman
• Tribute
• Yoko Co
• Bonusly
• Jim Kwik

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Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

----

Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

----

Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

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If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 220. Excellence Wins: Become the Best in a World of Compromise with Horst Schulze
• 162. Radical Candor: How to Be a Kickass Boss with Kim Scott
• 7. Ditching the Drama & Creating a Culture of Excellence in Your Law Firm with Cy Wakeman

You can do anything. But you can't do everything all at the same time. So why do so many firm owners keep trying?

In this AMMA episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill tackle questions that all circle the same problem: spreading yourself too thin and expecting elite results. From personal brand building that never seems to pay off, to years that vanish on autopilot, to firm initiatives that stall because no one can focus long enough to finish them. The through line is clear: the fastest path to growth is doing fewer things with far greater intensity.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why building a personal brand with the intent to monetize it immediately almost always backfires (and what to do instead)
• How to break out of "NPC autopilot mode" using weekly reflection prompts that force honest self-assessment
• Why the best results in business come from serious, singular commitments rather than surface-level effort across five priorities

If you want to see results faster, stop adding and start subtracting.

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:07:10) Show rec: Dark on Netflix and the case for deep commitment
(00:09:07) Surface-level investment, surface-level payoff
(00:12:30) Three types of GCA episodes
(00:13:13) Q1: When does personal brand work start paying off?
(00:15:22) The "high school club collector" trap
(00:16:29) Doing fewer things with higher intensity
(00:17:42) Q2: Where did all the time go?
(00:18:41) The NPC autopilot phenomenon
(00:20:28) Weekly reflection prompts to stay intentional
(00:22:24) Q3: Why you can't run three major initiatives at once

Links & Resources:

• Dark (TV series)

Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 450. AMMA - When Hiring Smart People Makes You Dumber
• 349. AMMA - The Leadership Shift: Building a Firm That Doesn't Depend on You
• 288. AMMA - The Art of Being Decisive

What if the very thing that made you a great lawyer is the thing preventing you from building a great firm?

On this special mashup episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Justin Chopin of Chopin Law Firm, Alex Limontes of Hurst Limontes LLC, Lawrence LeBrocq of Garces, Grabler & LeBrocq, and Charlyn Ho of Rikka Law Group. Together, they share how they stopped trading time for dollars and built scalable, multimillion-dollar firms on their own terms. From ego checks and data-driven marketing to AI adoption and community-first branding, these law firm owners reveal the mindset shifts and systems that set them apart.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why removing yourself from day-to-day operations is the fastest path to firm growth
• How data-driven marketing and strategic community activation outperform gut-feeling ad spend
• What proactive AI adoption looks like (and why firms that ignore it risk extinction)

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:02:44) Justin Chopin: Betting on Yourself and Building a Firm from Scratch
(00:09:38) Growing Through Leadership, Hiring, and Team Culture
(00:18:45) Leading Through Crisis and Investing in Your People
(00:29:42) Alex Lamontes: Building a Mission-Driven Brand
(00:42:10) Scaling with Data, Partnerships, and Community Impact
(00:56:31) Lawrence LeBrock: From Trial Lawyer to CEO
(01:07:35) Creating a High-Performance Culture Through Accountability
(01:13:26) Embracing AI and Leading Organizational Change
(01:20:36) Charlyn Ho: Building an AI-First Law Firm
(01:35:26) The Future of Legal Innovation and Entrepreneurship
(01:45:44) Final Thoughts and Takeaways

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Links & Resources:

• Justin Chopin, Chopin Law Firm
• Alex Limontes, Hurst Limontes LLC
• Lawrence LeBrocq, Garces, Grabler & LeBrocq
• Charlyn Ho, Rikka Law Group

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Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

----

Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

----

Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

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If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 477. Mike Brown - The Nitty Gritty of AI
• 431. Rory Baden - Branding Secrets Your Firm Needs to Scale
• 451. Firm of the Year Winners - Growth Secrets From the Best of the Best

What if the quality your team calls "intimidating" is the same thing responsible for every result you've ever produced?

In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill tackle three listener questions about the uncomfortable truths of firm leadership: what to do when anonymous feedback calls you intimidating, how to stop letting partner consensus paralyze decisions, and why the partner who drives accountability always ends up labeled the villain. This conversation draws a clear line between high standards and bad behavior, and shows why getting to the truth matters more than being popular.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why seeking 100% partner consensus on every strategic decision is quietly stalling your firm's growth
• How to hold exceedingly high standards and still create a culture where your team tells you the truth
• What "disagree and commit" looks like in practice, and why it builds more trust than endless debate

If your firm's best ideas keep dying in committee and your team's real feedback never reaches you, this episode explains exactly why.

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:01:52) The World Cup and Being a Fan
(00:05:51) Maturity Is Recovery Time
(00:09:59) Q1: My Team Calls Me Intimidating
(00:12:26) High Standards and Kindness Coexist
(00:14:28) Not All Feedback Deserves Action
(00:16:11) Q2: My Leaders Resent My Decision
(00:17:31) Why Full Consensus Stalls Growth
(00:20:49) Disagree But Commit
(00:21:34) Q3: I'm the "Bad Guy" Partner
(00:24:35) You Don't Have to Be Loved
(00:26:08) Wrap Up

Links & Resources:

• Radical Candor by Kim Scott
• FIFA World Cup 2026

Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 456. AMMA - Why It's Your Fault If Your Team Isn't Performing
• 375. AMMA - Stop Being The Bottleneck: Lead Your Firm Without Being Needed
• 284. AMMA - Elevate Your Leadership with Emotional Intelligence

What if the thing separating high performers from everyone else has nothing to do with skill?

In this encore episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill revisits his conversation with Rich Diviney, retired Navy SEAL Commander and bestselling author of The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance. Rich reveals why the innate qualities that define how we show up under stress, challenge, and uncertainty are far more predictive of success than any resume credential or technical ability, and what that means for leaders building teams in high-stakes environments.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why the attributes that drive performance under uncertainty can't be taught the same way skills can, and how to develop them anyway
• How to identify what separates someone who thrives under pressure from someone who folds, long before the pressure arrives
• What the five categories of attributes (grit, drive, mental acuity, leadership, and team ability) reveal about your own performance profile and the teams you build

If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to build a team that performs when things don't go as planned, this conversation is your blueprint.

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:02:17) Rich's Navy SEAL Journey
(00:06:26) Attributes vs. Skills
(00:10:02) The Five Categories of Attributes
(00:13:02) Commonalities Among Top Performers
(00:14:37) How to Develop Attributes
(00:16:10) Creating Environments That Bring Out the Best
(00:19:54) The Neuroscience of Courage
(00:26:59) Peak Performance vs. Optimal Performance
(00:29:17) Understanding Narcissism as an Attribute
(00:32:33) Insouciance and Marching to Your Own Beat
(00:36:48) How to Use Your Assessment Results
(00:38:52) Real-World Success Stories
(00:40:12) What Being a Game Changer Means

Links & Resources:

• The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance by Rich Diviney
• The Attributes
• Huberman Lab Podcast
• Navy SEAL Training
• Purdue University

Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 471. How Core Values Affect Leadership, Culture, and Fulfillment with Robert Glazer
• 366. How to Transform Your Business with Military Precision and Strategy with John Berry
• 62. John Maxwell - Leadership is a Verb, Not a Noun

What happens when your industry gets flooded with outside capital, your team won't match your effort, and AI is rewriting the rules overnight?

In this special live AMMA episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill takes unfiltered questions from law firm owners at the SELECT retreat, covering everything from team motivation to private equity to AI's impact on legal marketing. From why intrinsic drive can't be taught to how to position your firm for a future shaped by PE consolidation, this AMMA is a rapid-fire masterclass in leadership, strategy, and building something worth owning.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why intrinsic drive can't be coached, and what to do when your team doesn't have it
• How private equity is reshaping legal, and why the middle of the market is the most dangerous place to be
• What it takes to attract premium clients through brand, not volume

The firms that win from here aren't the hardest working, they're the ones nobody can afford to ignore.

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:02:05) Motivating your team
(00:04:30) We no longer coach effort
(00:05:25) PE and the future of law firms
(00:07:30) The MSO model
(00:08:54) Marketing for niche practices
(00:10:14) The James Sexton playbook
(00:12:20) AI, layoffs, and your team
(00:14:45) AI as a growth lever
(00:16:28) Should you pursue an MSO?
(00:18:25) There is no easy money
(00:19:41) Run your own race

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Links & Resources:

• Morgan & Morgan
• James Sexton
• David Goggins
• Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins
• Ken Rideout
• John Foy & Associates
• Andrew Huberman
• Atlanta Tech Village
• David Cummings

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Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

----

Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

----

Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

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If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 456. AMMA - Why It’s Your Fault If Your Team Isn’t Performing
• 377. AMMA - Market Chaos: How to Not Just Survive, But Thrive
• 345. AMMA - The AI Advantage: What to Automate, What to Keep Human, and How to Stay Ahead

What if the data you're obsessing over is the very thing capping how far you can go?

In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Andy Walshe, the human performance leader behind Red Bull's high-performance program and the Felix Baumgartner stratosphere jump. They dig into why the metrics everyone chases can only take you so far, and why the traits that truly separate elite performers (character, creativity, how you show up when it's hard) are the ones almost no one is actually training. It's a look under the hood of what elite performance really requires when the stakes are highest.

Here's what you'll learn:

• How character, not metrics, can be the real dividing line between good and elite
• How to train creativity as a skill instead of treating it as a gift you're born with
• What it takes to perform under extreme pressure when everything is on the line

If you've been optimizing the measurable and ignoring the human, this is your wake-up call.

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:02:40) From athlete to performance coach
(00:03:31) Why Red Bull obsesses over performance
(00:05:38) What makes elite performers special
(00:07:18) Not everything can be measured
(00:09:27) Training character and creativity
(00:12:00) The Felix Baumgartner jump
(00:20:32) Why the Enhanced Games flopped
(00:23:12) Training under manufactured fear
(00:27:05) The right dose of stress
(00:30:00) What cold plunging really trains
(00:32:09) No secrets: the 70-20-10 rule
(00:36:55) The trait that predicts greatness
(00:39:24) Do elite traits cross fields?
(00:41:31) Ego, humility, and luck
(00:45:47) What it means to be a game changer

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Links & Resources:

• Andy Walshe
• Liminal Collective
• Red Bull Stratos
• Felix Baumgartner
• Joe Kittinger
• Enhanced Games
• Australian Institute of Sport

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Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com.

----

Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

----

Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

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If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• 461. Mastering Biological Fundamentals for Elite Performance with Dr. Kristen Holmes
• 338. Will Ahmed - From Stress to Success: Optimizing the Entrepreneurial Journey
• 298. Rich Diviney - The Fundamental Traits Navy SEALs Use to Excel