excellence, actually

Brad and Steve discuss what everyone could learn from the Norwegian model of talent development, and why the United States takes such a difference approach, often to its own peril. They also discuss concrete guidelines for sustainable development in any domain — from sport to intellect to the arts — that you can start applying today. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify A...

It is unfortunate that we've got a society where extreme narcissism is a key attribute for so-called “success.” Left unchecked, it can, and does, leave a whole lot of wreckage in its wake. On this episode, Brad and Steve discuss ego, narcissism, innovation, progress and how to keep these traits in check so you control them and they don't control you. A fun intellectual episode that is also filled...

Brad and Steve break down one of the most important principles for sustainable excellence and mastery without burning out: You get 24 to 48 hours to celebrate the win or grieve the defeat, but then it’s time to get back to doing the work itself. After success, getting back to the work humbles you. After failure, getting back to the work builds motivation. Either way, it’s the best medicine. You ca...

Welcome to this special bonus issue. Steve does his best revisionist history impression, telling you the story of Paul Bear Bryant's famous Junction Boys football camp, while discussing the origins of ‘old school toughness.' This is adapted from Steve's new book Do Hard Things , which you can buy wherever books are sold! You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitch...

Brad and Steve discuss different models for working with others, ranging from permissive to authoritarian and everything in between. They explore the research on what works best for specific situations, and translate that into practical take-aways. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Please  write a review on Apple Podcasts  and help new listeners discov...

A discussion on consistency, intensity, and the tradeoffs between the two. The big topics discussed include how small steps compounded over time lead to big gains; why it is so tempting to over-do intensity and under-do consistency; how to determine a seven or eight out of ten and differentiate it from a nine or ten out of ten; and when it makes sense to go to the well. This one is jam packed with...

Brad and Steve discuss the different habits, strategies, and practices that can help you learn when it makes sense to keep going (and grit) versus when it makes sense shut things down (and quit) — be it in a job, in a relationship, or in some other pursuit. Topics explored include job-crafting, values-based decision making, different ways of meeting basic needs, the myth of Sisyphus, and the three...

In this behind-the-scenes podcast, Brad interviews Steve on his new book Do Hard Things . Where did the idea for the book come from? How do you go from an idea of “fake toughness” to a fleshed-out framework for the real thing? What are the biggest myths about resilience that trip people up? How do you know when to keeping going versus quit? All of these questions and more are answered in this week...

Brad and Steve are joined by Kyle Klechenko, co-founder, co-owner, and head coach at Strength Ratio, to discuss his new e-book, “Building Foundations: Prioritize Your Health and Well-Being.” The trio discuss the latest science and nuance behind physical activity guidelines, nutrition, sleep, substance-use, bloodwork, pain management, and more. This is a must-listen: it lays out a nice, comprehensi...

Some people love to grind and work long days and on the weekends.  Some people like never to work outside of traditional hours. Some people  like to brag about how much they work. Other people like to brag about  how little they work. When should we work? Is there such a thing as too  much work? Too little work? Our good friend, colleague, and always  critical thinker Cal Newport (author of Deep W...

With the NBA finals here, Brad and Steve use the championship series as a jumping off point to discuss the power of well-oiled teams, where there is both dependence and independence. They contrast this with so-called “super teams” that are made up of all-star individuals. While the duo starts out with a discussion on sports, they end with two universal principles for developing and leading great t...

It is mental health awareness month, and it is a topic near and dear to our hearts. Mental health and its opposite (mental illness) affects just about everyone at one point or another. On this episode, we detail eleven key concepts for mental health, all based on evidence and with concrete applications and practices. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher N...

The episode title says it all. Brad and Steve investigate the connection between the wild west of supplements and the wild west of ideas and politicians. They propose some big-swing theories that make a whole lot of sense, and they also provide a very concrete list of what supplements tend to work for what type of people in what situations. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Sp...

You asked. We answered. This week's episode is a listener AMA, including: 1. What are some recent good books that you’ve read? 2. I know you two are both concerned with social media, how do you manage your own use currently? 3. What do you think of Elon Musk buying Twitter? 4. What projects are you working on? 5. Sleep is something that you say is paramount. How do I balance this with being a new...

The NFL draft just went down last week. For football fans it is a very exciting time. For everyone else, it is a fascinating look at just how hard identifying talent can be. In this episode, Brad and Steve use the NFL draft as a starting point for a broader discussion on what we choose to measure in work and life and why. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitc...

In light of the news that Elon Musk might actually buy twitter, Brad and Steve explore how they use social media in their own lives and they offer some new and interesting ideas about owning your energy and attention in an increasingly frenetic and commercialized world. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Notes and Resources: Here is the Jonathan Haidt a...

This week we are joined by Michelle Segar, who is a researcher at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, studying sustainable behavior change. The discussion revolves around when and why habits fail, and how you can still make the right choice in those moments. It is a great and actionable conversation on a framework for progress that is different than and complementary to the power of habits. You...

Brad and Steve share a framework for “minimum effective dosing” of habits for health and performance. They provide a menu of evidence-based health and performance habits with the biggest bang for the buck, and then discuss how to harmoniously integrate these habits with everything else you have going on. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher *** Check out...

Many people are experiencing a chronic low-grade fatigue. It can manifest as multiple snooze-button taps, mid-day crashes, struggling to find motivation for things that once made you tick, or some combination of all these things. This episode explores the two big reasons underlying this sort of low-grade chronic fatigue and what you can do about it in order to regain and reclaim your energy. You c...

How do we handle uncertainty in life? In this episode, Brad and Steve take on what to do when your world seems a bit out of whack. They dive into how to make better decisions , whether you should rely on intuition or rational thought processes, how to take care of your body during crazy times, and why there is no such thing as a bad decision. If your life feels a bit chaotic, this podcast is for y...

This is a conversation for the ages. Brad and Steve are joined by a special guest, Eric Zimmer, a former heroine addict now successful coach, entrepreneur, and podcast host. You'll immediately sense that Eric is a kindred spirit to everything the Growth Equation Podcast stands for. The trio go deep on what addiction thinks and feels like, how Eric worked his way into recovery, and the key lessons...

In this episode, Brad and Steve get personal and discuss what is top of mind for them when it comes to their own health and longevity, including why Brad has decided to lose some weight (and how he's going about it), why Steve is changing his relationship with sport performance, and how so many controversial and polarizing topics (such as weight loss) need not be. You'll be sure to enjoy this inti...

This week on The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve check in with NYC Marathon Champion, Olympian, coach, and friend Shalane Flanagan. The trio first discuss the challenges that come with transitions. Shalane candidly describes the hard and dark days she faced when transitioning away from being an athlete and how she struggled to see her purpose and meaning. Brad, Steve and Shalane then turn...

There have been many recent articles, essays, and books arguing against ambition—and some might even say the pursuit of personal excellence. In this episode of the podcast, Brad and Steve provide a counter argument and bring some much-needed nuance to this discussion. It is not ambition that is bad. It is the ways in which many people channel it, and the ways in which the culture encourages us to...

Everyone experiences performance anxiety at some point. It's simply the cost of caring deeply about you are doing. In this episode, Brad and Steve dive deep on the mechanisms underlying performance anxiety and the various approaches to work with it: ranging from practices to diminish a strong stress response to those that help you channel anxiety and work with, not against, it. You can find the ep...