TOUGH TALKS: Conversations on Mental Toughness

What's the point of Mental Toughness Training? Well, that's simple (and profound). We do the inner world work so that we are able to respond to all of life rapidly with grace, mastery, creativity, and enthusiasm. Mental Toughness Training involves strengthening our "response-ability." In other words, our ability to respond powerfully to all circumstances so that not only do we eliminate the unnece...

On December 2, 2006, after being in an 8 day medically induced coma, he woke up to discover he'd lost two comrades and both of his legs in an IED explosion serving in Iraq.   Here's his response upon this discovery:  "None of this matters. I'm alive. And I'm thankful for that. There's one path - and that's forward."   His name is Retired Staff Sergeant John Kriesel, and let's talk a...

Inherent within your passions are the mechanics for stratospheric success.   Sam Calagione, founder and brewer at Dogfish Head Brewery, is proof of that. Sam trusted his passion for crafting what he refers to as “off-centered” beers and 26 years later he has literally created a food and beverage (and lodging) dynasty! And he’s having a boatload of fun doing it.  He is meticulous about a...

This week we have put together another highlight reel from 8 more of our amazing guests who blessed us with their presence and amazingness on the show.  Have a look/listen, and take some tools or tips or reminders away from it that can help you continue to strengthen your mind and build more Mental Toughness.   Guests in this Highlight Reel:   Steve Sims Iyanla Vanzant Sal Ponzio De...

“Nobody is watching and nobody cares.”   Do you feel inspired?   Wait until our guest today explains that. You’ll feel inspired then.   David Richman was an overweight, chain-smoking, homeless kid at the age of 18. He got a job at a Vegas fast food joint, worked 3 jobs at a time to work his way up the ladder, never went to college, wanted to start his own company, met with a room fu...

IYANLA!!! You heard it! Yep. That’s who our guest is for the 100th episode of The Tough Talks Podcast!!!   How cool is that?! The infamous, and brilliant – and fricking hysterical – Iyanla Vanzant discusses her own unique interpretation of what Mental Toughness and Mental Toughness Training even is. And it’s profound – as you might expect coming from her.   She teaches us how the mind is...

What if you could have a massive transformation in your personal or professional life, or both, in only 30 minutes? Is that really possible? Well, according to my latest Tough Talks Podcast guest, World-renowned Hypnotist, Tim Shurr, it sure is.   Tim is The Geek Squad for your brain. He shows us the "shortcuts" on how to use our human supercomputers. He helps us free ourselves from old traum...

Where are you on your Hero's Journey? Because you're on one. According to my guest on this episode of Tough Talks, everyone is on their own Hero's Journey.  His name is Christian LeFer and he helps people answer this question for themselves and then he helps them start Nonprofits! (If they want to.)   He's got an awesome definition of Mental Toughness and it isn't conventional. It even i...

What does it feel like to jump out of a plane 370 times in one year - when you can't feel your legs below the knees because you have MS?   How does someone with Multiple Sclerosis who has had zero pain-free days in over 2 decades, and takes absolutely no pain meds, still live a profoundly full and successful life?   Our guest, Dr. Kevin Payne, answers those and a few other monumental que...

"If we're out on the ocean in rough seas and you're leaning over the rail getting seasick and I come over to you and put my arm around you and say, 'I'm so sorry you're feeling so crappy' - that's sympathy. If I start puking with you, THAT'S empathy! " That was what the CEO of The WD-40 Company, Garry Ridge, said in response to my question, "How do you define empathy?"   Garry relies heavily...

What is it like to be the CEO of a $19.5 billion/year revenue company? Yeah, I don't know either. But my guest in this episode of Tough Talks does. And we're gonna ask him that right out of the chute.    His name is Phil Gallagher, CEO of Avnet, Inc. We're also going to ask him what defines great leadership, what Mental Toughness means to him and how it's played a role in his own life, b...

This week we have put together another highlight reel from 8 more of our amazing guests who blessed us with their presence and amazingness on the show.   Have a look/listen, and take some tools or tips or reminders away from it that can help you continue to strengthen your mind and build more Mental Toughness.  https://christopherdorris.com/best-of-tough-talks-5/  Doc Ali Kellan Flu...

So now that your career is going to be totally obsolete soon, what are your plans? You do realize that Artificial Intelligence is completely disrupting life as we know it, right? And that it's impossible to predict the magnitude of that disruptiveness? How do you plan to survive? Oh, wait, that may be an irrelevant question as well. In fact, I'm hoping that I'll be out of a job. I'm hoping that AI...

Wait until you hear this guy read you the first chapter of his new book, Bet On You!!! Drugs, booze, gambling, and ladies of the night. And that wasn't even close to his rock bottom. Our remarkable guest today, Laban Ditchburn, was in the throes of darkness for a very long time. Once he decided to heal his body, he also healed his mind and soul and has since committed to inspiring people to show u...

Have you ever wondered what it's like to meet God? And then to tell God you're not ready to go yet? To feel overwhelming peace and clarity and calm? Then to have God ask you if you're sure! To say, "Yeah, I'm sure." Then to have God give you 4 Principles to return with and to share?   Well, our guest today died on June 9th, 2018, and is here to describe precisely that experience and how he ch...

Do you know what “commission breath” is? It’s a metaphor for a sales rep who’s so hungry for a deal, they will say or do anything just to get it. They crave commission so badly that prospects smell it on their breath a mile away. And it’s repulsive. And popular.   Our guest today, Ian Koniak, is an established badass in the world of Enterprise Sales. He was the #1 Strategic Account Executive...

Why did Alan Alda always jump around all over the place before going onto the set to record a scene for Mash?   What is "The Yips" and can you get "Life Yips"?   Why do some of us choke when it comes time to shine and some of us don't?   Mental Toughness or Mental Integrity?   The Zone or Brain Synchronicity?   These are some of the fascinating questions and distinctions t...

How do you most profoundly want to use the rest of your life?  That's a big question, isn't it?  Our guest on today's episode of Tough Talks helps folks address it head-on and with unprecedented levels of enthusiasm and passion and service.  Leo Pusateri is our guest today. He is the Founder of The Sabbatical Experience. Leo can riff all day on the biggest, most important questions...

Is it possible that all of us are, or were, addicted on some level to the need for approval? Fundamentally, what really IS any addiction? What's the difference between being clean & sober vs. being In Recovery? If you've ever been addicted to substances or behaviors like sex or gambling, were you an addict before you even started "using"?   These are just a few of the fascinating question...

What if I told you that you could choose your mental state from moment to moment depending on which state would serve you right then? What if I told you you could choose which neuromodulators (she'll explain that) to activate at will?  What if I told you that you can become a NeuroNinja? And what if I told you I have THE NeroNinja Extraordinaire as my guest today? Well, consider yourself told...

"Hope is lazy!" That's what he said! And I couldn't love it more. He advises us to make a much more intelligent and effective choice - KNOWING. His name is Greg Everett and he's coached elite weightlifters and written some gems of books.   In today's episode of Tough Talks, we unpack his more recent masterpiece, his book, TOUGH: Building True Mental, Physical & Emotional To...

Our guest today was The Naval Commander of the Oliver Hazard Perry Class Guided Missile Frigate. It was a DREAM career. One that he aspired to and worked tirelessly for his entire life. They were deployed in The Black Sea during the 2014 Sochi Olympics directly off the coast of Russia. They were so close to shore, they could see the Olympic Torch - as well as some other Russian "assets" who were c...

We got him back! He's back for round 2 (of 3). His name is Steve Sims and he really is the guy who gets shit done. And it ain't just any shit. It's crazy shit. He's a high-end concierge. He pulls off miracles for affluent people. And we have a lot to learn from his level of thinking. Today we unpack my favorite story of his. He managed to get the museum in Florence, Italy that houses the most famo...

What is the ONE thing we do more than anything else in life after breathing? LISTENING. And how much formal training have you had in being a phenomenal listener. Who cares? YOU DO! And in this episode of Tough Talks, Master Listening Instructor, Theresa Campbell, teaches us why we should care and some fundamental practices on how to master the art. When you hear her describe what we're missing wit...

We learn as we go through life. Some of what we learn serves us very well, like how to speak, how to write, how to use a computer, how to play a sport or an instrument, or that we stop at a red light. Some of what we learn does NOT serve us, like how to complain, how to doubt ourselves, how to use substances to self-medicate versus doing the deeper healing work, how to judge others and ourselves n...