Win More, Live Better

Harry Houdini could escape chains, rivers, even being buried alive. Unfortunately, what killed him wasn’t a daring stunt, but it was a simple punch he didn’t see coming. In this episode, we unpack a key lesson from his story: It’s not the obstacles you plan for that hurt you most, it’s the ones you don’t expect. We’ll also discuss why preparation (not planning) is the skill that helps athletes, coaches, and leaders adapt to chaos with confidence. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to reach out anytime to see how I can best serve you: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-brandon-40169573/

A coach compares athletes to acorns and explores what environments let potential grow. The conversation contrasts scouting evaluation with true development and why trust changes everything. Practical images of soil, space, and light illustrate building the culture that enables risk and growth.

Alan Bratton has worn nearly every hat in Oklahoma State University's golf program. A former All-American and member of the 1995 national championship team, he later served as an assistant coach on the 2006 national title run before taking over as head coach in 2013. Since 2013, Bratton has guided the Cowboys to two NCAA championships (2018, 2025), earned National Coach of the Year honors twice, and continued OSU’s tradition of producing some of the game’s top professionals. His background also includes three years in PING’s tour department and 31 PGA Tour starts, giving him a unique perspective that blends player, coach, and industry experience.In this episode, we explore how Bratton connects new players to OSU’s storied tradition, the standards that are the foundation for OSU's program, the role of pressure as a privilege, and why the best athletes share two traits: A love for the game and the confidence to be coached. We also dive into his mental-game frameworks and how he helps players manage their mindsets during tournaments.Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:[7:13] — The Legacy of the Program[11:52] — Establishing the Standards for New Players[15:46] — Eliminating Selfishness and Arrogance[25:33] — Leadership Lessons Early in His Coaching Career[27:44] — How More Patience Has Helped His Communication[32:33] — Making Difficult Decisions as a Leader[42:47] — Helping Players Mentally During Tournaments[48:00] — Coaching Matt Wolff in the 2018 National Championship[54:32] — Two Common Traits of the Elite Players[1:02:52] — Reframing Pressure[1:08:14] — E + R = OMore Resources from Zach:For more practical tools and mindset stories, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to reach out anytime to see how I can best serve you: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-brandon-40169573/

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald just finished his first season with 10 wins and is already refining his leadership approach and redefining how his team prepares. In this episode, we explore how he balances old-school principles with new-school methods, invites collaboration to chase edges, sharpens clarity by narrowing the focus of his staff, and audits himself with honesty to find growth. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to reach out anytime to see how I can best serve you: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-brandon-40169573/

What do you do with the sting of a heartbreaking loss? In this episode, we look at Kobe Bryant’s perspective on the agony of defeat and why your commitment can’t be up for negotiation based on yesterday’s outcome. From Kobe’s reflection to the residue of tough defeats in professional baseball, we highlight why the ability to flush a past performance is a separator in high performance. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to reach out anytime to see how I can best serve you: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-brandon-40169573/

In 2005, Dave Chappelle walked away from a $50 million deal and vanished from the spotlight. His decision was driven by the fact that he was tired of clinging to a form of success that wasn't fulfilling him anymore. In today's episode, we unpack Chappelle’s “Baboon Salt Trap” metaphor and the dangers of holding on too tightly to success, status, or control.For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to reach out anytime to see how I can best serve you: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-brandon-40169573/

We often want the reward without the receipt. We dream of love without compromise, ambition without stress, growth without failure. But life doesn’t work that way. In this episode, we’ll explore the hidden taxes of life (e.g. the discomforts and challenges) that become our greatest teachers. You’ll learn how rejection can guide you and how vulnerability can connect you. When you stop resisting the tax, you begin to live with more meaning and fulfillment. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to reach out anytime to see how I can best serve you: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-brandon-40169573/

Scott Rueck is known as much for his servant leadership as he is for the banners and awards he's helped produce as a basketball coach.He first made his mark at George Fox University, where across 14 seasons he compiled a 288–88 record and captured the 2009 Division III National Championship with a perfect 32–0 season. He was named Division III National Coach of the Year that same year.In 2010, Rueck returned to Oregon State (his alma mater) to take over a program so depleted it needed open tryouts to fill a roster. In just six years, he turned the Beavers into a national power. Since then, he’s guided Oregon State to three Pac-12 Championships, five Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights, and the program’s first-ever Final Four. Along the way, he’s been honored five times as Pac-12 Coach of the Year, recognized as a multiple-time Naismith Coach of the Year finalist, and in 2024 was named ESPN’s National Coach of the Year Runner-Up after leading a team picked 10th in the preseason poll all the way to the Elite Eight.Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:[6:32] — Growing Up With Servant Leaders[10:20] — Servant Leadership & The Arrival Fallacy[13:13] — Evolving as a Coach[18:24] — Balancing Patience and Urgency[24:43] — Competing with Emotion vs. Emotionally[28:14] — Learning Who I Am[32:56] — Releasing Control & Letting Go[41:37] — Coaching From A Space of Love[47:25] — Love Creates Room for Courage[52:53] — Faces Change, Mission Stays the Same[57:20] — Staying Curious & Open to Learning[1:09:35] — Showing Gratitude for Your People[1:11:48] — I Will Never Sacrifice My FamilyMore Resources from Zach:For more practical tools and mindset stories, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to reach out anytime to see how I can best serve you: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-brandon-40169573/

This episode explores the principle of practicing what you preach and backing up your words with actions. A leader's credibility depends not just on what they say, but whether or not they live by their words too. Drawing from research on social learning and previous conversations with other guests on this show, this conversation unpacks why modeling matters and how to put it into practice.For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to reach out anytime to see how I can best serve you: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-brandon-40169573/

What happens when you reach the top and it doesn’t feel the way you thought it would? In this episode, we explore author David Brooks’ metaphor of the two mountains. The first mountain is about proving yourself. The second is about devoting yourself. If you’re a coach, athlete, or leader, this episode will help you reflect on your own climb and the commitments that matter most. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to reach out anytime to see how I can best serve you: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-brandon-40169573/