Win More, Live Better

A lively dive into Miles Davis’s “next note” idea and how one action after a mistake changes everything. Conversations about the “next play” mindset in sports and leadership. Practical reset tools for faster recovery and ways coaches can model bounce-back habits. Short stories featuring athletes like Steph Curry illustrate staying present and reducing pressure.

When Jim Carrey was broke and unknown, he wrote himself a $10 million check and carried it in his wallet for a decade. But the check wasn’t just about money, it was about who he wanted to become. Ten years later, he earned a multi-million contract for his work on Dumb and Dumber. This episode explores two lessons from Carrey’s story: The power of writing your goals down and the practice of visualizing them daily. Both are accessible, repeatable habits that can help you move from intention to execution in your own life. 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/

Cindy Bristow is one of the most accomplished figures in the sport of softball. A Hall of Fame coach, former NFCA President and pioneer in the growth of the game, Cindy has spent more than three decades shaping softball at every level.She’s coached collegiately at Arizona State, New Mexico State, Wichita State, and most recently UC Riverside, where her pitchers have set program records and earned numerous awards. In the professional ranks, she led the Florida Wahoos to the WPSL title and was named Coach of the Year.On the international stage, she helped build USA Softball’s inaugural Olympic gold medal team in 1996, directed Junior Olympic Softball for the ASA and later worked with the International Softball Federation to elevate the game in more than 120 countries. Beyond the dugout, Cindy has authored instructional books and videos, organized countless clinics, and served as a color analyst for ESPN.In this episode, Cindy shares her perspective on helping players master struggle, how to lead through adversity, teaching athletes to reset by being curious rather than furious, and why empowering players to be their own coach on the field matters so much.Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:[9:36] — Shifting from Arrogance to Humility as a Coach[12:50] — Helping Players Master Struggle[16:18] — Getting Curious vs. Furious[21:58] — Teaching Players to Coach Themselves[24:25] — Fostering Belief in Players[30:07] — Defining Confidence[35:00] — The Knowing-Doing Gap[41:30] — Making Practice More Game-Like[47:12] — Leading Amidst Losing[52:41] — Recharging as a Leader[1:01:06] — Being a Lifelong Student[1:09:26] — Advice for Next Generation of CoachesMore 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/

What happens when a zoo tiger is dropped into the wild? It doesn’t survive. In this episode, we explore why the same principle applies to athletes: If games are the jungle, training must prepare you for it. I share a conversation with a college wrestling coach about blending mental and physical training, the “knobs” coaches can turn to create adaptable players, and why desirable difficulties and contextual interference matter for developing better performers.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/

For years, I waited to launch this podcast and stalled on starting this project. Now, 100 episodes later, I’m glad I finally hit publish. In this special episode, I reflect on five lessons I’ve learned from the process so far. Whether you’ve listened from day one or this is your first episode, these lessons can help you keep moving forward in your own journey. And most of all, I want to say thank you for being here with me on this journey.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/

Why do some people get stuck in the past while others keep moving forward? The answer often lies in how we process events. In this episode, I share a powerful phrase from Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt: “Learn the lesson, leave the event.” Whether you win or lose, every experience has something to teach you, but only if you can extract the wisdom without getting stuck in the moment. Today's message is about acquiring wisdom through both learning and letting go.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 this episode, I share a personal story from my work with a professional baseball pitcher who was stuck at a plateau. In an attempt to show empathy, I made the mistake of lowering the standard he had set for himself. That moment taught me an unforgettable lesson: As leaders and coaches, we must resist the urge to comfort with justifications and reasons. Instead, we need to coach people toward the version of themselves they aspire to be.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 live in the most "connected" era in history and yet loneliness is at an all-time high. In sports and life, success is not a solo journey and it's essential for us all to develop strong connections with others. Using redwood trees as a metaphor and a wonderful book passage from legendary coach George Raveling, this episode is about why connection isn’t optional and how we can all better lead in today's world.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/

Adam Krikorian is one of the most accomplished coaches in Olympic history. Since being named head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Water Polo Team in 2009, he has guided the program to unprecedented success: Three consecutive Olympic gold medals (2012, 2016, 2020), six World Championship titles, four World Cup victories, 11 World League Super Final crowns, and a record 69-game winning streak (the longest in international women’s water polo history). Under his leadership, Team USA has held the world’s number-one ranking for much of his tenure.Before Team USA, Krikorian built his foundation at UCLA, where he captained the Bruins to the 1995 NCAA Championship and his career culminated in 15 national championships across being a player, assistant coach, and head coach. His leadership and integrity have been recognized with honors such as the USOC National Coach of the Year, the Jack Kelly Fair Play Award, and induction into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.In this conversation, Adam goes beyond the accolades to share how he has grown as a leader, the role vulnerability plays in high performance, and why he now embraces difficult conversations as opportunities for growth. He also discusses the importance of listening as a coach, how he trains his players to sharpen their focus, and how journaling has become a central practice in his own development.Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:[6:04] — Overvaluing Talking as a Leader[9:28] — Studying Body Language[14:37] — Defining Consistency[17:06] — Training and Modeling Focus[23:44] — Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing[26:44] — Journaling[33:09] — Renting Vs. Owning[39:23] — Vulnerability as a Leader[45:35] — Keeping Things in Perspective[50:25] — Growing from Losses[53:16] — Learning from the 2024 Olympics Finish[58:42] — Developing Confidence[1:05:19] — Who Coaches You?[1:13:23] — The Benefits of Mindfulness[1:22:51] — Greatest Honor at UCLAMore 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/

What’s the one thing in your life that could multiply everything by zero? We all have "zeros" (e.g. hidden habits, blind spots, or flaws) that cancel out our progress and sabotage our ability to be successful. In this episode, we unpack the "Multiply by Zero" mental model and apply it at three levels: Individual performers, leaders, and systems. This principle reminds us that it’s not enough to add more effort, you must also remove the zeros.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/