Mental Fitness - the Gateway to Success

I Studied Health for 15 Years… Then Threw It All Out 1. Your body wants to be healthy. 2. It already knows exactly what it needs. 3. And your level of Mental Fitness has a direct impact on whether it gets there. In this episode of Mental Fitness: The Gateway to Success , we explore the natural intelligence of the body, what interferes with physical health, and how Mental Fitness sits at the centre...

Mental fitness, resilience, accountability and gratitude, all ingredients in Melissa Lewis-Duarte's inspiring life story she shares with me in this episode of Mental Fitness The Gateway to Success podcast. She calls chronic stress the ‘Silent Destroyer’, because for her, like so many others, the chronic stress is sitting quietly in the background causing more damage than most people realise at...

When did you last take time away specifically to work 'on' your business or career instead of just 'in' it? I just did — and this episode was recorded right there, in the middle of my retreat. In this conversation I share (straight from the retreat) why and how I deliberately step away from the daily grind. It’s one of the most powerful ways I get myself unstuck, reconnect to the bigger picture, a...

It's tough enough being an entrepreneur. Having a genius idea has its own challenges. Being young doesn't make it any easier. Add in weird and thinking you can do it all on your own, and you're got a real headache. Then, top it off with a lack of high mental fitness and you enter the realm of Impossible. In a nutshell, that's my guest in this podcast episode, Jon Hacker, founder of NeurGear and Ze...

Lower mental fitness does not create more trouble in your life and business. But, it creates more Double Trouble. In this episode of Mental Fitness - The Gateway to success, we dive into the more subtle and unconscious trouble we crate on top of the trouble we already have. We can't avoid trouble. But, we can avoid double trouble through the awareness of it. In this podcast episode, you will learn...

A high flying business life with all the trimmings came to an abrupt stop for Chip Scholz. A stroke and having to relearn how to move, to speak and to read changed everything. In our podcast conversation, Chip shares how wood turning helped him recover and re-invent himself to health, writing books and becoming an executive coach. We talk about the role of mental fitness in it all and the importan...

In this episode of Mental Fitness - the Gateway to Success, we dive into where and how mental fitness relates to mental health. I share my personal view on the way the term ‘Mental Health' is used these days. And I share a very personal story of my biggest mental health issue - depression - and how I rid myself of it using mental fitness. I dive into the role the mind plays in mental health issues...

In this episode, I sit down with Katharine Chestnut for the raw, reflective and inspiring story of her life, from corporate ‘kick ass’ to meditation facilitator via an abusive marriage, motherhood and burnout. Although this conversation with Katharine is of value to anyone, I feel it speaks in particular to women in business. Topics we cover: Regrets... putting them it right place Emotions... usin...

In this episode I share something I’ve had a lot of success with — both personally and as a coach: Meditation Snacking . I walk through my 30+ year meditation journey and the simple shift that changed everything for me. We explore: • What meditation really is • The essence and true purpose of it • Why most people believe it’s good for them… yet still don’t do it • How surprisingly easy and quick i...

In this inspiring episode of Mental Fitness – the Gateway to Success , I sit down with Holly Porter — serial entrepreneur, mum, author of 12 books, Long COVID survivor, and someone who has lived through a near-death experience. Holly shares how extreme adversity completely reshaped the way she lives and leads. We dig into: How to stay centered when life and business feel overwhelmingly busy The qu...

In this episode we dive into The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni and explore how a lack of mental fitness fuels every one of those dysfunctions. You’ll discover how growing mental fitness — in both the team and the team leader — transforms those same dysfunctions into powerful strengths that drive real success and the outcomes you actually want. This episode builds directly on Epis...

As we head into the 2nd inning (year 2) of this podcast, we start with a very different and candid guest episode with Steve Barton. We get into the deeper stuff - the deeper essence of being a human being - while still operating in the world of running a business, being married and growing a family. Steve shares openly - and humourishly - about his journey of ups and downs, massively growing a bus...

In this episode, I share a powerful real-world example from a conversation I had with a CEO just a few hours before recording — diving deep into what it actually takes to create and grow exceptional team cultures. We explore how mental fitness plays a crucial role across every stage of cultural change, whether you’re operating at a small scale or transforming a large organization. I break down the...

From the baseball diamond to the stage and the mic, Tim Neiman has spent a lifetime mastering leadership, resilience, and mental toughness. In this episode of Mental Fitness - The Gateway to Success , I sit down with award-winning baseball coach, speaker, author and podcaster Tim Neiman to explore how the lessons learned on the field directly translate to mental fitness and success in life. We div...

Thank you for an incredible first year! 🎉 In this special 1-year anniversary episode, I celebrate you — our listeners — and share one of the most transformative principles I live by and teach as a coach: “Always seek to understand before seeking to be understood.” I dive deep into why this simple yet profound phrase is so powerful in both personal and professional life. From navigating challengin...

In this educational episode of Mental Fitness - The Gateway to Success , my guest, Alan Lazaros, opens up about the dramatic turning points that transformed his life and business. Alan shares the critical difference between his early success — which lacked deeper alignment — and the serious wake-up call that finally brought everything into focus. He reveals the three life-altering events that chan...

In this powerful episode of Mental Fitness - The Gateway to Success , we’re tackling the hidden force behind procrastination, stress, anxiety, and frustration: the Shoulds . You’ll discover: How “shoulds” quietly drain your energy and keep you stuck Why they hide in plain sight (and how to spot them) The crucial difference between internal and external shoulds A simple, highly effective countermea...

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of Mental Fitness – The Gateway to Success , Mikal Nielsen sits down with John Harper — founder of the international red light therapy company Lumaflex. John shares his remarkable journey from facing the threat of jail time, struggling with mental fitness, and battling a brain tumor… to becoming a calm, confident entrepreneur who built a thriving global b...

(Incredibly Results from 77,000+ Business Leaders) What is most important for business owners and leaders — Mental Fitness or Physical Fitness? I asked this question to over 77,000 business owners and leaders , and the results genuinely surprised me. In this episode, I reveal the clear winner, share the fascinating (and sometimes controversial) data behind it, and explain why the outcome left me b...

In this powerful episode, Dutch-born former COO and CEO Arnold Beekes shares his bold vision for the future of leadership: Brain Athletes . After decades at the top of multinational corporations managing up to 6,000 employees, Arnold walked away from traditional corporate life and the disillusionment of his home country, Holland. Now based in Paraguay, he’s on a mission to develop a new generation...

Happy For No Reason: The Ultimate Human Desire In this powerful episode of Mental Fitness: The Gateway to Success , we explore one of humanity’s deepest drives — the pursuit of happiness. I reveal my core belief that happiness is not something we need to chase or earn — it is our natural state , our birthright , and the strongest hidden driver behind sustainable success. You’ll discover the surpri...

In this heartfelt episode of Mental Fitness: The Gateway to Success , I sit down with Saw Myint — a Burmese-born mortgage broker now thriving in Sydney, Australia. Saw shares how she blends the Buddhist way with the fast-paced world of business, proving you don’t need to sit on a cushion to live mindfully. This conversation is packed with practical life wisdom and powerful gems, including: Why we...

In this episode of Mental Fitness - The Gateway to Success, we dive deep into why mental fitness is rapidly becoming the ultimate competitive advantage in business and leadership. Mental fitness is the ability to face challenges, pressure, and conflict with clarity and positivity — free from stress, frustration, worry, or anger. Leaders who develop it don’t just survive tough environments; they th...

In this raw and deeply personal conversation, former Baptist pastor, FBI Special Agent, and SWAT operator Eric Robinson shares his unlikely transition from the pulpit to chasing criminals with the FBI. Eric opens up about the vastly different challenges of ministering to a congregation versus operating on high-stakes SWAT calls. He recounts intense, unforgettable stories from both worlds and revea...

Failing Forward: Finding the Silver Lining… Faster In this solo episode, I reveal the single most powerful theme that keeps coming up across all my guest interviews: learning how to grow from your mistakes . I dive deep into the concept of “Failing Forward” — a powerful mindset I first discovered from Roger Hamilton (the full story is in Episode 36: Wealth Dynamics – how one test changed my life a...