Win More, Live Better

How do you build a more connected team? According to Hall of Fame NBA coach Mike D'Antoni, it starts with the coaches. In this After the Whistle segment, we unpack why the relationships among your coaching staff may be one of the biggest influences on your team's culture. We also discuss practical ways coaches can create stronger connections, foster trust, and model the kind of culture t...

How do you decide what deserves your time and attention when everything feels important? In this episode, Zach explores why identifying your values isn’t enough, you also need to understand how they’re prioritized. This episode offers a practical way to think about your values and ensure your daily choices reflect the life you’re trying to build. Learn More About Zach: Explore 1:1 coaching with Za...

Every Independence Day, the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest captures the attention of millions of viewers. But few people know the story of Takeru Kobayashi, the six-time champion whose innovative approach forever changed the competition. In this episode, Zach unpacks the leadership and performance lessons behind Kobayashi's success and explains why extraordinary results often come from...

Coach Mike D'Antoni is one of the most influential coaches in basketball history. Following a remarkable playing career in Italy that included five championships, D'Antoni transitioned into coaching and went on to become one of the game's greatest innovators. Over a coaching career spanning more than four decades, he served as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Los Ang...

Can a story make something worthless become valuable? In this episode, Zach shares an incredible real-life experiment that demonstrates how a simple story transformed ordinary objects into something people valued nearly 30 times more. You'll learn how great leaders use stories to shape perception, strengthen commitment, and help people connect everyday work to a greater purpose. Learn More Ab...

How should leaders respond to complaints? In this episode, Zach explores the difference between chronic complainers and meaningful feedback, why complaints often contain valuable information, and how coaches and leaders can use curiosity, empathy, and accountability to build stronger teams and cultures. Learn More About Zach: Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here Subscribe to...

Most people don't miss the view because it isn't there. They miss it because they're moving too fast to notice it. In this episode, Zach explores why coaches, leaders, and high performers need more "lookout points" in their lives, intentional moments to pause, reflect, and gain perspective amidst the demands of work and leadership. If you've been feeling stuck in cons...

Sonny Cumbie is the head football coach at Louisiana Tech University and one of the most respected offensive minds in college football. His journey through the game is anything but conventional. A former Texas Tech walk-on quarterback, Cumbie spent years earning his opportunity before becoming the starting quarterback and ultimately leading the nation in passing yards and total offense during his...

What if some of the greatest careers in sports history had been judged by their first season? Today's episode profiles some of the early failures and struggles that several top performers faced early in their careers, but also how they responded to them to end up as some of the greatest athletes of all-time. Zach explores why we place so much weight on early results, the stories we tell ourse...

As coaches and leaders, it's easy to assume people know how we feel about them. We assume our players know we're proud of them. We assume our staff knows they're appreciated. We assume our families know we're cheering for them. But support isn't measured by what we feel, but it is measured by what other people experience. In this episode, we explore the power of encouragem...

Why do we spend so much time chasing moments we'll only experience briefly? After reflecting on a World Series appearance and lessons from astronaut Chris Hadfield, I found myself wrestling with a simple question: What happens when we become so focused on the reward that we overlook everything required to reach it? In this episode, we explore why our minds tend to fixate on peaks, endings, an...

What if the confidence you’re waiting for is actually on the other side of action? In this episode, Zach explores one of the most common misconceptions in performance and personal growth: The belief that we must feel confident before we act. Zach shares a powerful story from Rory Vaden’s book Take the Stairs and explores why fear is not always a sign that you’re incapable, unprepared, or not ready...

Most organizations and teams don't fall apart suddenly or due to some catastrophic collapse. Typically, things start to break down in more subtle ways and due to small deviations from standards. Drawing on insights from Northwestern Field Hockey Head Coach Tracey Fuchs, Zach discusses how championship teams leverage regular culture audits to evaluate whether their actions align with their val...

Tracey Fuchs is one of the most accomplished coaches and players in the history of American field hockey. As the head coach at Northwestern University since 2009, Fuchs has transformed the Wildcats into a national powerhouse, becoming the winningest coach in program history while leading Northwestern to multiple NCAA National Championships, Big Ten Championships, and numerous NCAA Tournament appea...

Country music star Eric Church recently delivered a commencement speech that resonated with millions. In it, he used the six strings of a guitar to explain what creates a meaningful life. In this episode, we unpack that metaphor and explore what it can teach us about ambition, identity, fulfillment, and the different parts of life that make us whole. Learn More About Zach: Explore 1:1 coaching wit...

In the 1980s, Van Halen became famous for an unusual backstage request: No brown M&M’s in the dressing room. This request was actually a hidden test designed to reveal whether venues had carefully followed the band’s detailed production and safety requirements. In this episode, we explore what that story teaches us about standards and why tiny details are important to protect as a leader. Lear...

A lot of people struggle to build momentum because they make the starting line feel overwhelming. In this episode, I share the story of my wife’s “five-minute rule” that helped her run every single day for an entire year and why momentum is something we create. We discuss the psychology behind consistency, Greg McKeown’s concept of “Minimal Viable Progress,” and how stacking small wins helps us pr...

Today we're exploring John Wooden’s famous “Nine Promises” and why they still matter today. We explore themes like emotional steadiness, relationships, self-talk, personal growth, leadership, comparison, peace of mind, and sustainable success. More than achievement, this conversation is about the internal commitments that shape the quality of our lives and help us win more without losing ours...

How do great performers respond to failure without becoming defined by it? In this After the Whistle segment, Zach expands on a powerful lesson shared by Louisville volleyball head coach Dan Meske: “You have to take more from failure than it takes from you.” With references to Nick Saban and another former guest on the podcast, Amy Morin, this episode is designed to help you learn from and respond...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dan Meske, the head women’s volleyball coach at the University of Louisville and one of the most respected coaches in the entire sport. Before becoming Louisville’s head coach in 2025, Dan spent eight seasons as the program’s associate head coach, helping transform Louisville into a national powerhouse. During that stretch, the Cardinals reached multiple Final Fours,...

Visualization is one of the most widely used mental performance tools in sports and performance, but many people use it incorrectly. In this episode, Zach explores why elite performers shouldn’t just visualize success, but also mentally rehearse the adversity, setbacks, and pressure that come with pursuing meaningful goals. Learn More About Zach: Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free c...

In this episode, Zach shares the famous parable of the farmer and the runaway horse to explore why leaders and performers often judge moments too early. A loss, injury, setback, or disappointment can feel defining in the moment, but most moments are incomplete stories. This episode breaks down the dangers of binary thinking, emotional overreaction, and attaching permanent meaning to temporary circ...

What can a Paris restaurant with almost no menu teach us about leadership and culture? In this episode, Zach shares a lesson from Le Relais de l’Entrecôte and explores why strong cultures are not built by trying to be everything to everyone. Zach explores why leaders often overcomplicate culture by adding more (e.g. meetings, standards, values, options, etc.) and why the better move is often to cl...

Most coaches use film to help players improve, but very few use it to evaluate themselves. In this episode, Zach shares why reviewing your own meetings, practices, conversations, or presentations can dramatically improve your communication and leadership effectiveness. Drawing from his own experiences with podcasting and public speaking, he explains how self-review exposes blind spots, reveals pat...

What happens when you stop trying to suppress emotions and start learning how to work with them? In this episode, I build on my recent conversation with Amy Morin to explore the connection between emotional awareness and mental strength. We discuss emotion labeling and I also share a real-life example on the power of journaling about your emotions from NBA player, Steven Adams. Learn More About Za...