Mental Training Lab

What makes an organization truly high-performing? It’s not just the leader at the top, it’s the system, the culture, and the people who are working together toward a shared mission. In this episode of The Mental Training Lab I sit down with Adam La Reau, co-founder and President of O2X Human Performance. A former Navy SEAL turned organizational builder, Adam has dedicated this phase of his career...

Excellence leaves clues, and sometimes, those clues come from the most unexpected places. Today, we're talking about the wisdom of bass guitar legend Victor Wooten and what his approach to rhythm, groove, and performance can teach us about showing up at our best when it matters most. We’ll cover the difference between training and trusting mindsets, why so many skills fail to transfer from pr...

Ever wondered what elite MMA fighters, elementary school playground dynamics, and high-performing leaders have in common? Turns out, a lot more than you’d think. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. William Massey, a pioneering sports psychology researcher renowned for his immersive approach to research, from literally stepping into the MMA octagon himself to meticulously observing recess interact...

Is it possible to truly rest and reset, even amidst constant stress and high performance demands? In this episode, I sit down with Annie Okerlin, Yoga Nidra and iRest instructor who has spent decades guiding veterans, first responders, athletes, and top performers to profound states of rest and resilience. I first met Annie back in 2019 when she masterfully guided a room full of veteran detectives...

The way we explain the past tells us everything we need to know about how we’ll predict the future… On this solecast, we’ll explore how the stories we tell ourselves about ‘why things happen’ can give us incredible insight into the ways we’re empowering ourselves, and where we’re holding ourselves back. At the heart of this is two questions. Does how we’re telling our story create the opportunity...

What happens when an athlete's passion fades, but their entire identity is wrapped up in their sport? In this episode I sat down with two distinctly qualified experts to talk about the psychological and emotional journey athletes face during career transitions: Tessa West, NYU Professor of Psychology and bestselling author of Jerks at Work and Job Therapy , and Kirsten Cooper, former U.S. Alp...

What does it mean to truly matter, and how can focusing on this concept transform your performance and fulfillment? In this powerful episode of the Mental Training Lab, I sit down with professional mountain biker and positive psychology expert Sonya Looney to explore how she transformed from being driven by external validation to finding deeper purpose and joy in her career. Sonya shares profound...

Scott Stallings is a PGA Tour golfer who stepped off the green and ran right into the Boston Marathon - with no experience. In this episode of the Mental Training Lab, I’m joined by Scott and performance expert Steve Magness to explore this athletic and psychological journey. Inspired by Steve’s groundbreaking book Do Hard Things , Scott stepped completely outside his comfort zone, confronting cha...

How can subtle changes in your physical awareness dramatically improve your performance and well-being? Today on the Mental Training Lab, I’m thrilled to welcome Mary Bond—renowned author, Structural Integration practitioner, and expert in physical intelligence—to discuss the power of posture and embodied movement. Forget the stiff, uncomfortable posture teachings of the past. Mary helps us refram...

Ever wonder how elite performers consistently achieve peak results without burning out? Today I'm diving in with Alex Auerbach, performance psychologist and CEO of Momentum Labs, to unpack his powerful three-stage framework: understanding yourself, becoming your best, and producing maximum results. Alex brings his expertise from working alongside world-class athletes in the NBA, NFL, MLB, Oly...

Today we’re working through the dynamics of team culture with Dr. Kensa Gunter. Does the culture shape the team, or do the people define the culture? Join us as we explore how these elements interact like a living, breathing organism, constantly evolving and influencing one another. With Dr. Gunter’s experience as a licensed psychologist and a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), we’ll...

Unlike resilience, antifragility is about growing stronger from challenges and proactively seeking them out. To learn more about this tool, I went straight to the experts: co-founders of Antifragile Academy Adam Wright and Nick Holton. They share practical strategies for fostering psychological and behavioral flexibility, the importance of supportive environments, and how these principles can be a...

Today we’re stepping onto the course with PGA Tour pro Scott Stallings, a master of resilience who's turned his recent injuries into opportunities for personal growth. In this episode, Scott takes us through his intense rehab journey following a labrum and bicep tendon tear, and his ambitious goal of running the Boston Marathon. He also shares how his role as a coach for the University of Ten...

Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. It drives us, and can also derail us. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Marina Harris, a former Division I gymnast turned psychologist and performance consultant, who’s mastered the art of turning high-pressure expectations into healthy, high performance. Marina brings a unique perspective from the front lines at Bloom Psychology Group, where she works wit...

Ever wonder how groundbreaking discoveries like penicillin, Post-it Notes, microwaves, and Teflon came to be? Believe it or not, they all started as accidents. But it wasn’t just luck—it was the mindset behind the scenes that transformed these unexpected outcomes into revolutionary innovations. Today, I’m going to equip you with tools to make this mindset a consistent habit. We’re diving deep into...

Al Lattell is a trailblazer in athletic leadership at Georgetown Athletics who is breaking the mold by pushing beyond basic leadership drills into something way bigger—building a culture that cultivates leaders for the long haul. He joined me on the show to share how he’s helping craft team cultures that set athletes up for success on and off the field. We’ll cover everything from the power of vis...

Today, we’re zeroing in on the power of transitions—those seemingly small moments when we switch gears from work to home or task to task. Ever wondered how a simple routine could drastically enhance your day-to-day presence and focus? We’re diving deep into how mindful transitions can transform your daily effectiveness and reduce stress. I share a clever trick my godfather used to separate his wor...

It’s true - moments like ringing in the New Year serve as mental accounting periods that prompt us to reassess our goals and behaviors. But without taking time to slow down and process, we can lose a huge growth opportunity. I sat down with Jeff Siegel to explore the 'Fresh Start Effect,' where transitions can motivate new behaviors, and critique the consumerism and unrealistic expectati...

How often do we genuinely hear what our bodies are trying to tell us, unless we're hungry or in pain? In this solo edition of the lab, you'll learn how tuning into your body with the same openness and curiosity you’d offer a close friend can elevate every area of your life—from enhancing performance and improving recovery to enriching overall well-being. I introduce a transformative prac...

From gold medals to career crashes, the icons have done it all. How can tapping into their experiences accelerate your journey? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Duncan Simpson and Dr. Greg Young from the Performers Podcast, a show that brilliantly mashes up sport autobiographies with performance psychology to pull out actionable insights that are as inspiring as they are instructive. We unpack t...

We often hear that specialization is key, but what if there’s more growth in the gray areas than we realize? In this solo episode, I’ll explore the transformative power of stepping outside our comfort zones, with examples from cross-training for runners to actors taking improv classes. We’ll see how expanding our horizons can lead to unexpected breakthroughs in our primary fields of interest. I di...

What’s the key to unlocking athletic potential? It’s not a paint-by-numbers approach to mental skills training! In this episode, sports psychologist Dr. Adam Naylor discusses the often overlooked foundations of sustainable high-performance mindsets. He shares the importance of flexibility, the critical role of a strong working alliance between coach and client, and how embracing the full spectrum...

Leveraging your mistakes to maximize your growth is one of the core skills that elite performers have to master. In this solo episode, I dive into a transformative concept that has reshaped my approach to mistakes in sports and life. By embracing our errors loudly and clearly, we shift our perspective and begin to view these moments as invaluable data points that guide our path to improvement.  I&...

After a near-fatal fall that could have ended her career, trail running legend Hillary Allen not only returned to the sport she loves but also expanded her athletic pursuits into gravel biking with Scuderia Pinarello. Today, she joins us to explore the depths of resilience and recovery, and what it really looks like to bounce back. With her master’s degree in neuroscience and physiology, Hillary o...

Master your mental game with the Mental Training Lab, hosted by Pete Kadushin. With 15 years of coaching experience and a PhD in performance psychology, Pete digs deep each episode to provide practical tools and expert insights so you can perform your best when it matters most. Enhance your focus, harness stress, and overcome challenges whether you’re an athlete, leader, or high-performer. Subscri...