#540 How to Make Better Decisions When Your Intuition Is Wrong with 3x NYT Bestselling Author Dan Ariely

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You can be smart, experienced, and successful while still making decisions based on wrong information. In this episode, Dan Ariely reveals the hidden forces influencing what we buy, who we trust, and how we lead.

Dan Ariely has spent decades studying why people make irrational decisions. His most practical advice may also be his simplest: step outside yourself and ask what you would advise someone else to do.

Why do smart, successful people still make decisions they later regret?

You hire someone who seemed like a great fit. You agree to a price because it sounded reasonable. You pay people well, but they still don’t seem invested in their work.

Dan Ariely has spent decades studying why this happens.

Dan is a three-time New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s best-known experts on decision-making. 

In this episode of “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man,” he explains when you should trust your gut and when your instincts may be working against you.

We also talk about why the first number in a negotiation matters, what makes people care about their work, and how leaders can make good employees feel replaceable without realizing it.

Dan also shares a simple question you can ask when you’re too close to a decision to see it clearly.

If you lead a team, run a business, negotiate deals, or have an important decision in front of you, this episode will help you recognize what may be influencing your thinking. Tune in now!

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  

#539 How to Regain Focus After an Unproductive Day

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A bad night of sleep, a missed workout, one unexpected call. Sometimes that’s enough to throw off your entire day. Understanding what happened can help you find your way back.

You can have a successful career, a family you love, and a full calendar, then still end the day feeling like you failed. Before you carry that feeling into tomorrow, take a closer look at what actually happened.

If you’re used to being disciplined, an unproductive day can hit harder than you expect. In this episode, I talk about why we take those days so personally and how to keep one from throwing off the next.

How do you keep one unproductive day from following you into tomorrow?

Usually, you start with a plan… until an email, a phone call, a stressful conversation, or an unexpected problem knocks the day sideways. By evening, you are frustrated by what didn’t get done and wondering why you couldn’t stay focused.

This week on “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man” podcast, I’m resharing one of the most popular episodes I've ever published. It's been years since I recorded this, but I still got so much out of it as a listener.

In this episode, let’s talk about what to do when you feel busy but accomplish nothing. I break down what causes us to drift, why beating yourself up makes recovery harder, and how to regain momentum.

I’ll show you how to look at the day more clearly, protect your confidence, and make tomorrow easier to start.

I also talk about why one scattered day can make you question your discipline, even when the evidence says otherwise. High performers have these days too, and this episode is about how to respond when it comes your way.

So listen through to the end, then visit https://jimharshawjr.com/question, because I have a practical next step waiting for you there that you can use today. Tune in now!

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action. 

#538 How to Make Decisions With Incomplete Information with Former 7-Eleven and Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes

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Former Blockbuster CEO reveals what actually happened. 

Get an inside look at how a 2x Fortune 500 CEO Jim Keyes approaches leadership and decision making. Plus the one lesson his father taught him that changed the course of his life. 

You're staring at a decision you need to make.

You have enough information to move, but not enough to feel certain. So you keep researching, revisiting the options, and waiting for the moment when the answer feels obvious.

Jim Keyes knows that moment well. He spent 20 years at 7-Eleven, including five as CEO, and later led Blockbuster through the 2008 financial crisis. He has made decisions with employees, investors, and entire companies depending on the outcome.

And his answer is refreshingly human: there is no perfect decision.

You make the best decision you can with the information you have. When new information comes in, you adjust and explain why.

In this episode of “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man,” Jim and I talk about how fear affects judgment and what his training as a pilot taught him about responding under pressure. 

We also get into why learning outside your profession matters. Jim paints, plays piano, flies airplanes, and still plays softball. Each one has taught him something he has carried back into leadership.

The conversation goes deeper into belief, faith, and gratitude. Jim explains why he sees knowledge and faith as two ways to reduce fear, and why the first words he says every morning are simply, "Thank you."

If you've been carrying a decision longer than you should, this episode will help you think about what you know, what you still need to learn, and how to move without waiting for certainty. Tune in now!

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  

#537 How to Stop Needing to Win to Feel Worthy

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Every habit you do is a vote for who you want to be, whether or not it gets you the result. I'll show you which habits are worth voting for.

Think about the biggest win of your life: The promotion. The deal. The title you finally got.

Now ask yourself: who are you without it?

Most high-achieving men never actually answer that. They just keep winning (or trying to) and assume the question will answer itself eventually. It won't. 

In this episode of “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man,” we talk about the difference between self-worth that depends on your last result and self-worth that doesn't, and why most men never know which one they're running on until they lose.

You'll hear what happened in the final seconds of the biggest match of my wrestling career, and the one thing that had to be true for me to win it. It's the same thing that has to be true for you before your next big moment, whatever that looks like in your world.

Then I get into four things that build self-worth strong enough to survive a bad year: your values, the people around you, the habits you execute whether or not they work, and having a plan even before you've hit the goal.

This isn't about caring less about winning. It's about not needing the win to know you're enough.

Go into this episode thinking about your last big win, and whether your confidence would survive losing it. Then go answer the question waiting for you at jimharshawjr.com/question.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action. 

#536 Jake Plummer on Leaving the NFL, Finding Purpose, and Starting a Wellness Brand

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You've had a bad meeting, a bad pitch, a bad conversation with your wife, and the voice in your head doesn't let you forget it for the rest of the day.

Former NFL player Jake Plummer used to have that same voice waiting for him every time he walked off the field, except his mistakes were being replayed on national television.

Jake grew up in Boise, Idaho, played quarterback at Arizona State on the undefeated 1996 team, then spent 10 years in the NFL, four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and six with the Denver Broncos.

In this episode of "Success for the Athletic-Minded Man," we get into how Jake learned to reset after a bad play in front of thousands of people, and why he says belief in yourself has to come before anyone else's belief in you. 

Jake shares why he walked away from football in his mid-30s while he could still walk away on his own terms, rather than wait for the game to make that decision for him. Ten years of scrutiny and physical punishment, and he never had one major injury to point to. It was what came after football that started breaking his body down.

Joint pain and inflammation in his late 30s sent Jake looking for answers outside a doctor's office. That search led him to hemp extracts, then to functional mushrooms like Lion's Mane, Reishi, and Cordyceps, and eventually to co-founding Umbo. He breaks down what these mushrooms are actually supposed to do for sleep, energy, and recovery.

Most guys wait for something to force a decision (an injury, a burnout, a wake-up call) rather than walking away from something on their own terms. Jake did it while he was still healthy, still capable, still at the top of his game. If you've been putting off a decision like that in your own career or health, this conversation is worth tuning in to. Don’t miss it!

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  

#535 The Two Ingredients Every High-Achieving Man Needs (Hustle Isn't One of Them)

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I missed my daughter's physical therapy appointment once. We got charged $60 for it… we haven't missed a single session since. What would it take for you to show up that consistently for your own goals?

You're slammed all day at work, but when the day is over, you can't point to anything that actually moved the needle.

You keep telling yourself you'll ‘hold yourself accountable’ this time. You know exactly what you should be doing and still can't get yourself to do it consistently.

I've coached more than 300 men and spent over a decade interviewing Navy SEALs, Fortune 500 CEOs, and NCAA champions on this podcast. I keep seeing the same two things separate the guys who follow through from the guys who don't: clarity and accountability. 

Clarity means you know where you're headed, not just what's on today's to-do list. While accountability means someone else is in it with you. And I'll be blunt about this: "I'll hold myself accountable" sounds good on paper, but nobody actually follows through alone.

In this “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man” episode, I show you how to build clarity and accountability into your life. We’ll talk about the process of turning a big goal into daily action, plus why trying to go it alone keeps so many driven guys stuck at 80% on what matters most.

Every year without these two things is a year you could've spent moving forward instead of standing still. Press play and start closing that gap.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  

#534 Poise in the Noise: Simple Tactics To Make Better Decisions In Any Moment

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What do you say when you have 15 seconds, a room full of doubt, and one shot to change the outcome? Bruce Babashan has been answering that question in boxing corners for 30 years, and he's about to hand you his system for it.

Bruce Babashan built his entire coaching career on one idea: what you do before crunch time determines what you do in crunch time. If your career, marriage, or health depends on how you show up under pressure, this episode is your training camp.

Your kid asks you a hard question at dinner, and you don't know what to say. Your boss puts you on the spot in a meeting. You're mid-negotiation, and you can feel the deal slipping. 

In all of these familiar moments, you've got seconds, not minutes, to get it right.

Bruce Babashan has spent almost 30 years training fighters at every level, including professional world and international champions, Olympians, and Golden Gloves champions. He's also the founder and CEO of The Good Fight, a nonprofit that teaches courage, character, and accountability through boxing. 

And between every one of those rounds, Bruce has sixty seconds to say the one thing that actually helps his fighter, and that's exactly the skill he unpacks in this "Success for the Athletic-Minded Man" episode.

Bruce and I talk about what happens in those short, high-pressure windows: your kid's question, the boardroom moment, the fight that's slipping away. He breaks it down into four steps: staying aware of what's actually happening around you, keeping your emotions in check, thinking clearly under pressure, and saying what needs to be said without overexplaining.

He also tells the story of standing in front of a room full of scientists, admitting he had no idea what half their industry jargon meant, and getting the deal anyway because he trusted his instincts over the data. And he talks about a coach who froze mid-fight and couldn't get a word out to his own athlete.

Most guys assume they'd handle pressure just fine. Bruce has watched plenty of sharp, capable people prove themselves wrong the moment it actually mattered.

If you've got a tough conversation coming up, a decision you keep putting off, or you just want to stop freezing when things get intense, this episode gives you a way to think about it differently. Listen now.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action. 

#533 The Simple Infrastructure Shift Doubles Your Productivity and Reduces Overwhelm

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The men who keep growing are not the ones who isolate and grind harder. They’re the ones who build a life where the right people challenge them, support them, and help them see what they can’t see. 

AI is changing how we work. But it will NEVER replace the humans who challenge your thinking, sharpen your standards, and help you live in alignment with what matters.

A lot of driven men are trying to build a better life with the wrong assumption.

They think the answer is more discipline, more willpower, more time management, more grinding it out.

But if everything in your life depends on you pushing harder, eventually something gives… Your health, your marriage, your patience, your focus, your peace of mind.

In this solo episode of “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man,” I’m bringing back one of the highest-performing episodes I’ve ever recorded because the message is even more relevant today than when I first published it.

We’re talking about the infrastructure you need in your life.

Not apps. Not hacks. Not another morning routine.

Your people.

The friends who challenge you.

The spouse you treat like a teammate.

The coach who helps you see what you’re missing.

The mentor, the mentee, the assistant, the doctor, the financial advisor, the community around you.

If you want to maximize what’s possible in your personal and professional life, you need the right people in the right places.

And with AI and technology changing how we work and live, this has only become more important.

This episode will help you look at your life differently and ask a better question: Who needs to be on my team so I can become the man I’m called to be?

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action. 

#532 The Fatal Mistake That Keeps High Achievers Stuck, and How to Put It Down with Pete Kadushin

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NHL players don’t survive an 82-game season on willpower alone. They rely on structure, support, recovery, and mental routines that hold up under pressure. Today, Dr. Pete Kadushin shows us how to apply the same ideas to business, health, family, and life.

Even the best athletes in the world get in their own heads.

That was one of the biggest reminders from my conversation with Dr. Pete Kadushin.

Pete has been the mental performance coach for the Chicago Blackhawks. He has worked with elite athletes, military performers, and business leaders, so he’s seen what pressure looks like when the stakes are high, and excuses don’t matter.

And what stood out to me is this: the best performers still struggle. They still doubt themselves. They still overthink. They still search for reasons why they’re off.

That’s not just a sports problem. That’s a human problem.

We all have moments when something feels off, and our first instinct is to look outside ourselves. But often, the thing weighing us down is not the schedule, the pressure, or the circumstances. It’s what we’re carrying into the moment.

Pete and I talk about why the next level often requires a different kind of growth. Not more force, more grinding, or another attempt to push harder through the same wall.

He also said something in this episode that I can’t stop thinking about: You can’t “caterpillar harder” and expect to become a butterfly.

In other words, you can’t always grind your way into the next version of yourself. And that’s the heart of this episode.

If you’ve built something good but still know there’s another gear in you, this episode will challenge how you think about performance, pressure, and progress. 

You’ll walk away with a simple reflection tool you can use right away and a better understanding of what may need to change so your effort actually moves you forward.

Don’t miss this one.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action. 

#531 How I Escaped the Grind, Built a Mastermind, and Doubled My Results

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I’ve coached nearly 300 men and here’s the most important thing I’ve learned: 

The most dangerous place for a driven man is inside his own head. Because he can make “figuring it out alone” sound like discipline.

Male loneliness is not always obvious. Sometimes it wears a suit, makes good money, coaches the kids’ team, and tells everyone, “I’m good.”

Male loneliness doesn’t always look like isolation.

Sometimes it looks like a successful man with a full calendar, a strong résumé, a good family, and a private sense that something is still off.

In this episode of “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man,” I’m talking about the hidden cost of trying to figure everything out alone. 

Years ago, I was sitting in a spare bedroom, feeling alone and like a fraud because my business was barely hanging on. I had done hard things before. I knew how to work. But this felt different. I was stuck, and I didn’t know why.

The answer wasn’t another tactic. It wasn’t another book. It wasn’t working harder.

It was people.

Not drinking buddies. Not surface-level networking. Not another group chat.

I’m talking about the kind of peer-level relationships that expose your blind spots, challenge your excuses, raise your standard, and give you a place to say the things you usually keep buried.

You’ll hear how this changed for me, from joining an entrepreneur community, to building a mastermind, to working with a coach, to surrounding myself with people who helped me see what I couldn’t see on my own.

And I’ll share why so many driven men are silently carrying too much alone, even when everyone around them assumes they’re fine.

If success has given you more responsibility but fewer places to be honest, this episode will hit differently.

Listen now and ask yourself: who in your life can tell you the truth?

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action. 

#530 How a Man With No Arms Built a Championship NASCAR Career (and Exposed Your Excuses)

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Richie Parker was born without arms.

Most people would look at that and see disability.

Richie doesn’t.

He sees a problem to solve. A challenge to figure out. A life to live.

Richie is a mechanical engineer, former Hendrick Motorsports engineer, motivational speaker, and former Chief of Staff for the University of Virginia football program. He’s worked alongside championship NASCAR teams, spoken to organizations like NASA, and built a career around solving problems most people would never even attempt.

In this “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man” episode, Richie shares how he learned to stop focusing on what he couldn’t do and start figuring out what was still possible. That mindset took him from building custom bikes as a kid to helping win NASCAR championships.

Richie’s story is incredible on its own. But what makes this conversation stick with you is what it reveals about the way we all think.

The excuses we normalize.

The limitations we assume are permanent.

The obstacles we use to explain why we’re stuck.

Richie’s perspective cuts through all of it.

We talk about resilience, discipline, failure, embracing hard things, and the mindset shift that changes everything: from “Why me?” to “What can I do from here?”

So if you’ve been feeling stuck, frustrated, discouraged, or like you’re leaving something on the table lately, listen to this conversation with Richie.

Because by the end of this episode, there’s a good chance you’ll realize the thing holding you back isn’t your circumstances. It’s the story you keep believing.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  

#529 How I Built a Business While Keeping My Family Life: The Plan That Let Me Quit My Job

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What if success stopped being a hope and became the obvious next step?

You’re doing a lot and still not getting what you know you’re capable of. That gap? It’s not about effort. It’s about what you’ve put in place around you.

I recently had a call with a group of high-performing men I coach, and one of them, a retired Marine and now a VP at a national company, said something that stuck with me: 

“I put something in place that didn’t allow me to fail.”

That’s what this episode is about.

Not grinding harder. Not squeezing more into your already packed day. But building the kind of structure that makes success the most likely outcome.

I walk you through how this actually plays out in real life. From my own journey in wrestling, running marathons I once hated, and building a business while working full time… to guys I coach who are scaling businesses, increasing their income, and getting real time back with their families.

And then we get practical.

What clarity actually looks like when it’s done right. Why most goals fall apart early. How your environment is either pulling you forward or keeping you stuck. And the one habit almost nobody makes time for that changes everything when they do.

If you’ve been putting in the work but the results aren’t matching, this is your episode. You’ll walk away with a different way to approach your day starting tomorrow. Listen now!

#528 Tony Horton on Eating, Sleeping, and Small Wins That Keep You Active for Decades

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Tony Horton says that as you age, you can still sprint uphill, climb ropes, and ski from the top of the mountain— if you start training smart.

You wake up tired, you skip mobility work, and you tell yourself you will “get back to it” next week. Sound familiar? 

This “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man” episode will stop that loop and replace it with something practical. I sat with Tony Horton, the creator of P90X, and we ripped through what actually keeps you strong, fast, and useful as you age. No fluff. No bro science. Just real tactics you can apply today.

Tony is 67 and still runs hill sprints, climbs ropes, and skis Jackson Hole. He also got hurt, fixed the weak links, and rebuilt his body around balance, range of motion, and recovery. 

We talk concrete moves like animal flow drills that force mobility and core strength, hill-sprint protocols you can scale, why short, focused sessions beat long, sloppy ones for busy men, and how to change your day with a 10-minute routine, and why the people you hang with decide whether you stay consistent.

Tony’s entire game plan is practical: keep your body durable so you can keep doing what you love. Expect solid step-by-step choices, and a reality check on diet and recovery that might make you uncomfortable, and should.

If you done with half-effort solutions, this episode hands you specific next moves. Walk away with at least two daily rituals you can start tonight and a framework for staying in the fight for decades. Now, ask yourself, who do you want to be with your body at 70?

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action. 

#527 Comfortable Drift: How Complacency Is Robbing You and What To Do About It

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“Comfortable Drift” costs you money, time with your kids, and years off your life. I walk you through the cost, the cure, and the first steps you can take this week.

You can be winning at work and still drifting in the parts of life that matter most.

In this episode of “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man,” I break down what “comfortable drift” looks like, why high performers fall into it, how to spot the warning signs, what it’s costing you in your health, relationships, purpose, and peace of mind, and what to do before years slip by and you realize you’ve been paddling in circles the whole time.

This isn’t just about burnout or lack of motivation. It’s about the danger of delayed consequences. 

When the pain is not immediate, it’s easy to stay stuck in routines that feel productive but lead nowhere. That’s why this episode is about more than awareness. It’s about action.

I share the practical framework I use with clients to break out of drift: pause long enough to think, get clear on where you want to go, set aligned goals, surround yourself with the right people, and build a plan that helps you follow through for the long haul.

If you’ve been working hard but feeling off course, this episode will help you stop drifting and start moving with intention. Hit play now!

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  

#526 How James Laughlin Helped a World Leader Lead Better at Home and at Work

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If you believe coaching is only for the weak, listen to the guy who helps world leaders and Formula One drivers maximize their performance.

Most guys think high performance comes from pushing harder. James Laughlin makes the case that it starts somewhere else.

In this episode of “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man,” I sit down with James Laughlin, author of “Habits of High Performers” and a coach who has worked with the All Blacks, world champions, top CEOs, and even national leaders.

James brings a refreshing perspective on what it actually takes to perform at a high level without burning yourself out.

He shares why going alcohol-free changed everything for him, from his energy and focus to the way he shows up as a husband, father, and coach. 

We talk about the connection between hormones and performance, why sleep and meditation matter more than most men realize, and how clarity drives better decisions. 

He also explains why top performers still rely on coaches, and how failure can become one of your greatest tools for growth if you know how to process it the right way.

If you’ve been working hard but still feel stuck or stretched thin, this episode will challenge your assumptions and give you practical tools you can use right away. No fluff. No vague pep talk. Just action you can take today to stop spinning and start producing. Listen now.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  

#525 Practical Habits That Will Change Your Life in 30 Days

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Thirty days of small, brutal consistency beats one weekend of heroics, every time. Want habits that last? Hear what worked for these 7 high-achieving men.

Stop punishing yourself with one-size-fits-all challenges, start building a short-term test that creates long-term wins. I show you how we did it.

You do not need another generic challenge to “fix your life” just to feel like you failed by Thanksgiving.

In this episode of “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man,” I talk with seven driven men who took on the On the Path October Challenge, a custom 30-day challenge built around one core principle: stop borrowing rules that don’t fit your life and start tracking the habits that actually move the needle.

Because if you’re a high achiever, you already know what to do. The real problem is drift. You get buried in work, you live in reaction mode, and the stuff that matters most gets whatever’s left. Then you tell yourself you’ll “get back on track” next week... Or next month… Or after things slow down.

This challenge is designed to break that pattern.

These men created custom, achievable challenges built on follow-through rather than hype. You’ll hear how small, targeted commitments sharpened their energy, focus, and discipline, and how public tracking made it a lot harder to talk a good game and then disappear when life got busy.

I also walk you through the framework so you can build your own, starting today: how to choose the right habits, keep them realistic but still challenging, set up accountability, track a simple scorecard, and avoid the overreach that leads to burnout.

Hit play now and build your 30-day challenge today. Stop letting “busy” decide who you become.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action. 

#524 How Doug Conant Turned a Failing Company into the Fortune 500's Most Engaged Workforce

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Action Plan: https://jimharshawjr.com/ACTION

Free Clarity Call: https://jimharshawjr.com/APPLY

“You can’t talk your way out of something you behaved your way into.” That line changed a Fortune 500 company, and it should change how you lead your team.

When a Fortune 500 company is literally ringed in razor wire, you don’t pep-talk your way out— you do the hard, specific work of rebuilding trust.

In this “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man” episode, I sit down with Doug Conant, the CEO who walked into Campbell Soup with plunging sales, a disengaged workforce, and a headquarters in one of America’s most dangerous cities, and left it with the highest employee engagement score in the Fortune 500. 

Doug’s a student-athlete-turned-CEO who learned early that discipline matters. He played tennis at Northwestern, coached there, survived the LBO chaos at Nabisco, and then dug in at Campbell. 

He tells the story straight, how Gallup called Campbell the worst engagement case they’d seen, how Doug’s first day included firing the CFO, and how he and his team rebuilt an organization by showing up with consistency, respect, and tough-minded compassion. 

We unpack practical moves: measurable engagement targets, replacing leaders who can’t buy in, the “living, loving, learning, leaving a legacy” playbook Doug used, and the daily habits: the morning reflection, the commute rituals, the weekly appreciation, that let him be present for both the company and his family. 

If you run a business or a team and want concrete, repeatable methods for turning disengaged people into relentless team members, this episode is your field guide. Don’t miss it!

After you listen, if you’re thinking, “How do I use this in my day-to-day?”, Doug just launched STEPS (Success Through Empowering Professional Support), a leadership course built specifically for administrative professionals, taught by Doug himself. Use my code Harshaw10 for a discount.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  

#523 Performance Under Pressure: 10 Tactics for Getting Into Flow and Overcoming Nerves

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Action Plan: https://jimharshawjr.com/ACTION

Free Clarity Call: https://jimharshawjr.com/APPLY

Your business or career isn't being held back by a lack of skill or effort. It's being sabotaged by the mental operating system you're running in high-pressure moments.

Michael Chandler, one of the best UFC fighters in the world, told me he was "a small kid from a small town, taught to think small.” Your default wiring is sabotaging you the same way, even if you don't realize it.

You work hard. You show up. You prepare. But when it matters most— the big presentation, the crucial client meeting, the career-defining conversation— you're not showing up as your best self. 

I spent years learning this the hard way: performance under pressure isn't about how hard you work, it's about what's running through your head when the stakes are high.

In this “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man” episode, I'm giving you 10 mental performance tactics that helped me overcome years of self-doubt and now help high-achieving professionals dominate when pressure's on.

We're covering breath work that drops your stress response in under a minute, visualization techniques that flip the switch into flow state, and the mindset shift that turns anxiety into your advantage. 

Whether you're leading a team meeting, closing a deal, or navigating a difficult conversation, you're about to discover what separates people who perform from people who just prepare. 

Tune in now because your next big moment deserves better than nerves and self-doubt.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  

#522 Keith Ferrazzi on Teamship, Culture, and Why You Should Never Eat Alone

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Action Plan: https://jimharshawjr.com/ACTION

Free Clarity Call: https://jimharshawjr.com/APPLY

If your team can’t challenge each other, you can’t win together.

The most dangerous person on your team isn’t the lazy one. It’s the conflict-avoider.

If your team looks good on paper but feels slow in real life, this episode of “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man” will hit a nerve.

I sat down with Keith Ferrazzi, bestselling author of “Never Eat Alone” and one of the sharpest minds on high-performing teams, to talk about what actually separates elite groups from polite, mediocre ones.

We get into why most teams fall into a hub-and-spoke trap where everything runs through the leader, and how “conflict avoidance” quietly creates politics, longer cycle times, and endless follow-up meetings. 

Keith also breaks down how to build candor and psychological safety with simple practices like “stress testing” an initiative, not to tear someone down, but to make sure the team doesn’t let them fail.

We also zoom out to the future of work and AI. Keith’s message is clear: curiosity and reinvention are the new job security. If you want to lead without authority, earn real buy-in, and build team accountability that performs under pressure, this one’s for you.

Listen in if you’re done with busy meetings and slow execution and want practical ways to raise the standard without blowing up trust.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  

#521 Consistency Is a Skill: How to Build It in a Noisy World

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Action Plan: https://jimharshawjr.com/ACTION

Free Clarity Call: https://jimharshawjr.com/APPLY

If you want consistency, stop seeking motivation and build an environment that demands follow through.

You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. But if you keep living on autopilot, you’re going to wake up 2, 5, or 10 years from now thinking, “I thought I’d be further ahead in life by now…”

In this solo episode of “Success for the Athletic-Minded Man,” I’m calling out the biggest trap high-achieving men fall into: confusing motion with progress.

You can crush your to-do list and still be drifting because you’re not measuring what actually moves the needle.

I’ll break down the Hawthorne Effect, the simple (and brutal) truth that performance improves when it’s observed. (Translation: awareness beats willpower every time.) 

Then I’ll show you how to use the Productive Pause™ to step out of the chaos, get the general’s view of your life, and set the right leading indicators in your fitness, marriage, and business.

After this episode, you’ll walk away knowing exactly what to track, how to build real accountability, and the one weekly check in that makes consistency automatic instead of “hoping you feel motivated.” Tune in now!

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.