The B.rad Podcast

My Speedgolf mentor Christopher Smith is the greatest Speedgolfer ever, a master of this crazy sport such that he has played countless rounds under par in under an hour. He is the Guinness World Record holder for the best Speedgolf score, 65 in 44 minutes in Chicago in 2005. He came thru under pressure of a film crew to shoot this amazing 68 in 53 minutes at the world renowned Bandon Dunes Golf Course.  Christopher writes a thoughtful newsletter at ChristopherSmithGolf.com with commentary that extends far beyond golf instruction into the philosophy of living a healthy, happy life and optimal golf experience. One of his key teaching principles is to “have compassion for your mistakes” out on the golf course. Oh man, during a playing lesson with him one day in Portland, he had to remind me of this idea several times on the occasions of my habitual verbal outbursts after bad shots! Most everything Christopher talks about in the golf context translates well into any other peak performance endeavor in life—pursuing an education, a career, being a parent, or pursuing any healthy eating or exercise goal.   Here is an excerpt from Christopher’s recent email newsletter:   Self-critic alive and well?  I understand, and so does Adam Phillips, English psychoanalytical writer. This self-critical part of ourselves, Phillips points out, is 'strikingly unimaginative' — a relentless complainer whose repertoire of tirades is so redundant as to become, to any objective observer, risible and tragic at the same time:  {Phillips quote}: Were we to meet this figure socially, as it were, this accusatory character, this internal critic, we would think there was something wrong with him. He would just be boring and cruel. We might think that something terrible had happened to him. That he was living in the aftermath, in the fallout of some catastrophe. And we would be right.”  Ouch man!! Could you say this stuff honors the theme of Get Over Yourself kinda sorta? If you can do it on the golf course, you can have a growth experience that translates into the rest of your life. Ditto if the self-critic is flourishing—what you do on the golf course are character-revealing insights that play out in all other areas of life. A great article in golfsouthwest.com quotes Tobias Schreiber, a licensed professional therapist in Augusta, GA: “Golf and business are both competitive arenas,” he says. “Any trait you see in a person repeatedly on the golf course is probably part of their personality and carries over into other aspects of their lives.”  Schreiber identifies a few golf course personality types in the article. See if you can relate to any of these: The Rager: “Rage is an infantile emotion — a primal defense against feelings of weakness,” Schreiber says. “Rageful people are actually age-regressing and acting out frozen emotions. Rage usually masks deeper feelings. Such people are often infuriated at their own sense of vulnerability and inadequacies.” Schreiber echoes another teaching principle of Christopher’s where you want to cultivate an optimal level of arousal and focus depending on your sport. Golf requires careful management of emotions at all times, unlike the more aggressive sports like fighting or endurance racing where you can just floor the gas pedal and excel. Schreiber explains that Ragers tend to do the same things, particularly to subordinates.   The Obsessor: Instead of outbursts, the obsessor internalizes things. Schreiber says, “They are not living in real time. Instead of shaking off a bad shot and moving on, obsessors tend to replay it again and again in their minds, chastising themselves for poor performance in a kind of mental self-flagellation. They focus on the negative. Golfers who ruminate about their play are likely to micromanage in a business environment. They don’t like to delegate because they fear no one can do the job right.”  The Sulker: “Sulkers don’t have a healthy view of themselves in relation to the natural frustrations of life. They tend to feel persecuted by the same minor problems that plague us all,” Mr. Schreiber says. “They exaggerate the importance of small things and focus on the negative. Sulkers really want sympathy and nurturing, but their behavior actually has the opposite effect. It pushes people away. This means they are fixated on the end results rather than enjoying the course, the camaraderie, and the weather. Golf, for them, becomes just another stressor.”  Here are some questions from Christopher as it pertains to your efforts on the golf course, or any other peak performance endeavor really:   1.  Did you do your very best (no - not just try - DO)?  Plan, focus as befits you, and give it your all?  Or, did you go at it half-assedly, 'hoping' the ball and the round were going to mythically cooperate?  2.  Did you trust and follow your gut, your instinct, your intuition - or did you abide by some supposed smarty-pants' rules, regulations & rigamarole?  3.  Why do you play the game in the first place?  Bragging rights are your low index?  Nourish the narcissist?  Or to relish the walk in the countryside (the golf course, people), the camaraderie, or the challenge to self?  If you not golfer please plug these insights into your role as a student or parent or career track. Oh mercy, when I was a college student I stressed about grades the whole time and took accounting courses I was not interested in because of the economic prospects. I lasted in my accounting career for only 11.5 weeks before quitting to pursue my dream as a triathlete. With my kids, both college students, I try hard to emphasize the importance of enjoying the educational journey and not stressing about grades or where one's career is headed before it even starts. For anything to do with parenting in today’s age of the helicopter parent/entitled child, it’s really helpful to ask yourself questions like these and listen to your intuition instead of caving into the measuring and judging forces of the modern world. Enjoy some exposure to the musings of Christopher Smith, with more feature-length podcasts coming soon with the Speedgolf King! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I travel into the beautiful Pacific Northwest summertime to visit a true powerhouse of health knowledge and Internet broadcasting, Mike Mutzel of High Intensity Health. Check out his YouTube Channel and you will experience a stunning library of cutting-edge health content, including interviews with the world’s leading experts in functional medicine, ketogenic eating, athletic performance, and health science. Amazingly, Mike can totally hang stride for stride with his guests that often discuss advanced scientific content—including the popular shows with his chiropractor wife Deanna. Subscribe to the channel and you are getting a college level educt in the health sciences.  Mike does a beautiful job weaving some hard-core science into a user-friendly discussion regardless of your level of health expertise. Mike talks his background pursuing a high-level competitive cycling career in Boulder, CO, then getting an epiphany after a serious accident and concussion that he might be better suited as a health educator than a pro rider! After running up against uninformed doctors in his supplement sales job, he started interviewing experts in keto and other progressive health topics, acquiring an impressive content library that progressed to his amazing YouTube channel today. Yes, Mike travels the globe on our behalf capturing exceptionally high-quality video footage of his expert guests. He has plunged so deep into this that he even has a training course teaching you how to produce quality videos!  Mike clears up the major misconceptions about keto, especially the mistaken notion that keto is about stuffing your face with fat. Instead, we learn how keto is intended to mimic the health and metabolic benefits of fasting, how ketones are both a superior fuel source and a high potency genetic signaling molecule with profound anti-inflammatory benefits. We get a basic introduction to the world of functional medicine, where the emphasis is not on disease prevention or treatment per western medicine, but on promoting peak function in a holistic manner. This entails looking upstream at the causes of dysfunction instead of treating the symptoms. For example, a 50-ish male with low testosterone can commence a hormone replacement regimen, but if deficiencies and adverse lifestyle practices are present, Mike speculates that you are likely converting testosterone into estrogen. Supplement with more T and you will make more estrogen and get “man boobs.”  Mike ends with a surprising emphasis on the practice of mouth taping to facilitate optimal evening sleep by breathing through your nose. Breathing through your mouth while you sleep is no bueno, as the tongue can often obstruct your airway and limit oxygen supply to the brain. Nose breathing, both at night and during the daytime, stimulates parasympathetic activity (the “rest and digest” component of the autonomic nervous system) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I go off on interesting tangents en route to asking you some important life questions out of Tim Ferriss’s personal journal, as communicated by an excellent article on forbes.com by Benjamin Hardy. Ferriss is going great things with his podcasts, helping us with personal improvement and self-reflection, and landing A-list celebrities that serve to advance the podcast medium in general. For example, Ferriss recently had LeBron James and his trainer on the show, and that started a tangent about how lame it is that LeBron still thinks an egg white omelet is a winner’s meal. Yes, the King and his trainer concur that this is a winning move. Weird because a couple of summers ago there was a big to-do about LeBron going keto to drop some body fat. I guess he’s back to the golden land of egg whites. He also mentioned stretching as the key to his longevity and injury prevention, which I also call into question as outdated.   After torching LeBron a bit and discussing how egg yolks are super nutritious, I mention how the Framingham Study and much more emerging science has refuted the decades-long egg yolk/cholesterol scare, and how the true risks for heart disease—oxidation and inflammation are caused by high carbohydrate, high insulin eating patterns, chronic exercise, insufficient sleep, and general overly stressful lifestyle patterns. Then I get to the centerpiece of this show, Hardy’s article about Ferriss’s journaling exercises. The article describes how Ferriss’s recent early midlife crisis/reflection time led him to journal important questions for all of us to ask ourselves about the direction and purpose of our lives. Along the way, I give another plug for my daily morning cold plunge, explaining how making this ritual a habit helps build focus and resilience in other areas of life (hopefully including disciplined use of technology!). This show may inspire you to start journaling to sort things out and empty your brain of clutter. Please play along and ask yourself the questions that Ferriss did.     Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Toréa Rodriguez is a certified Functional Diagnostic Medicine practitioner in the Santa Cruz, CA area who is a big-time dark chocolate connoisseur. I booked her on the show to learn all about the details of dark chocolate, but we go much deeper into important health matters first. Toréa relates her story of illness, healing and transformation—an interesting journey of going from hard working Silicon Valley scientist to commercial airline pilot to a basketcase who trashed her thyroid, was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, and was left unable to work. Faced with a doctor’s recommendation to radiate her dysfunctional thyroid, Toréa instead went looking for alternative healing strategies and discovered that she actually had an autoimmune disease! Such a common story as we know from Elle Russ’s book, Paleo Thyroid Solution, and her many shows about thyroid with Dr. Gary Forsman and others.   Toréa talks about how she healed with Dr. Chris Kresser’s help (ditching grains, healing co-infections in the gut, and rebalancing thyroid and adrenal function). Duly inspired, shetransitioned out of flying and into a practitioner role helping others with FDN and also Transformational Coaching Method. Toréa talks about how she had to adjust her mindset from a Type-A overworker/overexerciser, and implement cool strategies like taking a “personal offsite” day once per quarter devoted to unplugging and reflection.    Regarding cravings that potentially throw you off track, Toréa reminds us that we are always seeking: “love, safety, and belonging,” and that cravings and binges could be related to filling an emotional void. We learn about her Detox program, where we want to prioritize cleaning up our cosmetics and body care products and our drinking water.   With those important matters out of the way, we finish up with a discourse on the health benefits of dark chocolate, and how to choose the healthiest, purest bars. Toréa details the importance of the “bean to bar” and “fair trade” designation on your dark chocolate bars. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Todd is the founder of the truly revolutionary company called Dry Farm Wines. I intended to talk with Todd about the absolutely mind-blowing transformational workplace culture and healthy, balanced family atmosphere that he has created at Dry Farm Wines, but instead went deep, deep into the world of clean wine and the marketing hype and junk food nature of mainstream wine offerings. Todd will be back on the show to blow your mind and detail arguably the most progressive workplace environment in the world. Based in the Napa Valley, Dry Farm Wines source and distribute the world’s cleanest, most naturally produced wines—free from chemical additives, from entirely non-irrigated vineyards, and 100% naturally sugar free. Each wine in the Dry Farm catalog has been extensively tested to qualify under stringent standards. Todd only started this company in late 2015 and it has grown like crazy by appealing to the ancestral health community who have a deep concern for the quality of food and beverages they ingest.  You will be alternatively disgusted by the crap found in a regular old wine bottle (evading routine labeling requirements by aggressive government lobbying) and inspired by the amazing traditions of dry farming that go back for centuries in Europe.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Driving from upstate New York to New York City after the World Speedgolf Championships, Mía Moore notices an Apple news story about the world’s oldest barber - OMG his town of Newburgh, NY is en route! And I also need a haircut. So, we exit the turnpike or whatever you east coast people call a “freeway” and drop into a nondescript strip mall, enter a Fantastic Cuts shop, and there he is: Anthony Mancinelli - Guinness World Record holding oldest living barber - age 107. He’s been cutting hair since he was 11 years old, for 96 years and counting. Mr. Mancinelli is as sharp as a tack and we had a great conversation during my excellent cut, where he was on his feet for 25 minutes concentrating hard. When asked his secret to his longevity, he said confidently that, “there are no secrets.” A widower for the past 14 years, he lives alone, makes his own food, does his own chores, drives to work, and puts in 40 hours a week of hard work on his feet most of the time. He reports no aches or pains, takes no prescriptions, and only visits the doctor (“what for?,” he exclaims) when his loved ones force him to. Mancinelli discounts any genetic advantage, noting how he lost six brothers and sisters in their 70s-80s. His father lived to “only” 80, mother 70. Which are actually quite impressive when you consider how long ago that was. He says that the Lord must be watching over him as explanation for why he is still going strong.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I stay true to his mission on the Get Over Yourself podcast and record the stuff that happens after the stop button is usually pushed on a formal show. Sure enough, Gitta and I kept rolling after wrapping up our previously published show. After a few minutes, sensing the momentum, I reflexively pushed the record button again and away we went. I explain how at the end of the first show, I experienced an epiphany about why I was alternatively a painfully shy teenager in normal social settings, but a brazen class clown inside the confines of the classroom. I could pop off with abandon, perhaps emboldened by the notion that the teacher would eventually reign me in. However, I could never close any deals outside of the classroom, which required being more authentic and vulnerable than I was capable of at that age. Gitta delivers some winning tips about how to overcome adolescent shyness; alas, 35 years too late for me, but whatever. The discussion flows with a shout out to film and television star Robin Wright (whom I reparteé’d with at high school high jump practices), my epic quip in 8th grade sex education class that launched my career as class clown, and how I decided to transform my personality with a snap of the fingers upon leaving for college. Parenting is the next topic tackled head on, particularly the disturbing trend of helicopter parenting and over pressurized childhoods. Compare and contrast with Gitta’s German and Swedish cultural influences, where kids are less sheltered, less pressured, and given more responsibility and accountability (you won’t believe what Gitta allowed her kid to do in the kitchen when he was 18 months old!) Gitta explains how she attempts to reconcile personal and cultural values with the guilt and pressure elicited by prevailing parenting and cultural values in the affluent Marin County scene (former hood of Robin Wright, yo.) I mention the fabulous New York Times article that instantly transformed my attitude about parenting, and that he thinks about every single day since: How Not To Talk To Your Kids—The Inverse Power of Praise. This piece, which we will discuss further in future shows, honored the revolutionary work of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, promoter of the growth mindset over the fixed mindset. With your kids, praise the effort, not the character attributes. The provocative suggestion is offered that you might never want to tell your child, “I’m proud of you.” OMG, horrors! Instead, consider reframing to say, “You should be proud of yourself,” so the kid can own their own accomplishments instead of become a show pony for parent amusement and cocktail party fodder. Gitta speculates that we have most influence over our children when they are ages 0-6. After that, we have much less than we might think. Plug into this unplugged show and see what you think!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gitta is an expert on dynamic expression, the integration of various modalities to improve your communication skills, including integrated physical therapy, yoga, dance, neurolinguistic programming (NLP), Somatic Movement and Laban Movement Analysis. Gitta will discuss her PACE approach to improving not just your public speaking, but your overall communication skills in any setting. Yeah, including dating, job interviews, managing others, or being a partner or a parent. PACE stands for Presence, Authenticity, Confidence, and Expression. We’ll also talk about introverts and extroverts, and common misconceptions around these characteristics. Learning more about somatic movement, the blending of mind and body communication, and how Gitta’s term “body communication” is more useful than the more common term, body language.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave Rossi is a motivational speaker, retreat leader, and personal, business, and achievement coach. I spoke at one of Dave’s leadership retreats and saw something special in his message and the passion and intensity with which he delivered it, so I caught up with Dave at the swanky panky Courtside Athletic Club in San Jose, CA. Dave brings his A-game to the podcast with some fabulous insights on leadership, peak performance and overcoming fear and anxiety. “Fear is like a giant App on your phone, running in the background and using up battery life.” Don’t live like this any longer! Dave will help you address and process your issues, reprogram self-limiting beliefs, and understand that stress, pressure, fear, anxiety and the like are choices that you have the power to change. Even though the recording session got busted up a few times at the noisy health club, Dave kept bringing the heat and delivering valuable insights. Take some notes, take this stuff to heart, and execute the objectives. Learn more about Dave and his amazing journey of personal transformation that led him to this calling at DaveRossiGlobal.com.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Start HIRTing instead of HIITing - this show will transform your approach to training. Let’s call this a long Breather show to honor the message that you should take longer breathers during your high intensity training sessions. This show is appropriate for all fitness enthusiasts, because we have widespread training protocols that are fatiguing and destructive at the cellular level. Thanks to Craig Marker at StrongFirst.com for the inspiration and detailed quotable material that formed the foundation of this show.  It’s time to evolve from the dated and misappropriated HIIT training (High Intensity Interval Training) concept to HIRT (High Intensity Repeat Training.) Essentially, you want to focus on shorter sprints that will stimulate maximum fitness benefits before generating too much cellular damage and ammonia toxicity that can compromise your fat reduction goals. You also want to allow  I talk about a recent breakthrough in my fitness performance and recovery where I do fewer sprints, rest longer between efforts, and have better results. I also tone down my ambitious high intensity workouts that last too long and overstimulate stress hormones in favor of what Dr. Phil Maffetone calls “slow weights.” Here, I do spontaneous efforts of only a single set of a single exercise. For example, I invested in a hexagonal deadlift bar, which sits in my backyard and gets some action several times a day to the tune of 6 reps and I drop the bar and go about my business. I also have StretchCordz hanging from a pullup bar in my recording studio, which I will hit a couple/few times per day for single set efforts. If you add this up over a year’s time, I will obtain fabulous strength benefits but avoid the overstress consequnces of heavy duty workouts as I exist here in the 50+ age group.  The conversation gets a little sciency, as I wanted to attempt to explain the cellular damage that occurs when you try to sprint for longer than 10 seconds. This stuff was detailed beautifully in Craig Marker’s HIIT vs HIRT article. Another insight from Marker is that, "Your feelings don’t matter! That is, your subjective feeling of the effectiveness of a workout is not as important as what science tells us is important to building an impressive base of endurance and changing your body composition.” Marker explains that people love to do exhausting HIIT workouts, end lying in a pool of sweat on the floor and bathe in the cocktail of endorphin hormones that deliver that drug-line painkilling sensation. The problem is we tend to eat more food and become lazier throughout the day as a consequence of our high stress workouts. Please enjoy this show and don’t learn the hard way like I did that you should not feel sore and tired after hard workouts over and over for years and years. Go harder, go shorter, rest longer, and forget the grueling ethos that many group workouts promote. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.