Performance Intelligence

From Wallabies star to Rugby Australia CEO - how did Phil Waugh make the leap from elite sport to the boardroom? Phil shares raw insights on resilience, leadership, and the mindset shifts that took him from facing the Haka to leading Australian rugby. Hear his biggest lessons from the field, how he navigated personal and professional change, and what success really looks like at the top. If you wa...

Do you commit to a regular cold water practise? Dr Tom Buckley joins us in this bite size episode to explain some of the positive effects that immersing yourself in cold can have on your mental state. Dr Tom starts by stating that the most important thing of all is that if something makes you feel good, then there’s a good chance it is having a positive effect on your mindset. Andrew also explains...

Wayne Pearce is in the Rugby League Hall of Fame and played 193 NRL games for the Balmain Tigers. A proud NSW Blues and Australian Kangaroos representative, he is listed as one of the 100 greatest NRL players of all time. A few years after retiring he coached the Balmain Tigers and NSW State of Origin team. Wayne is the NRL Commissioner He plays in a band, is a life-long learner and is a self-proc...

Former INXS frontman and all around rockstar Ciaran Gribbin is the latest in our Performance Uncovered series and among other things Ciaran elaborates on how he gets himself ready for big moments and how the rockstar life isn’t all fun and games all the time. Ciaran runs us through how he stays sane with the crazy hours and often borderline unmanageable schedule his career demands of him and how s...

Imposter syndrome is complex. Dr Nicola Gates is a leading clinical neuropsychologist, unpacks this psychological occurrence where people doubt their skills, talents, or accomplishments and often feel like a fraud, despite being high performing in external and objective ways.    Dr Nicola unpacks the causes and effects and strategies for balancing imposter syndrome with achieving results. Ultimate...

Nigel Marsh is host of The Five of My Life podcast where he asks each guest 5 questions including their favourite Film, Book, Song, Place and Possession. We decided to flip this format onto Nigel and find out more about him in this segment called Performance Uncovered. Nigel has some truly unique answers and ways of approaching life, from his favourite exercise and seasonal exercise routine (“doin...

We live in a world that heavily bought into Piere de Coubertin's Olympic motto 'Citius, Alltius, Fortius' (Faster, Higher, Stronger) over 130 years ago. The challenge with this motto however is it never addressed core human physiological and psychological needs to periodically reduce intensity and recharge. Join Angela Poon as she turns the tables and interviews Andrew about the vital importance o...

Do you consider your workplace to be a high performance environment? Performance coach Owen Eastwood joins the podcast in this bite size episode to explain why he doesn’t like using the term “high performance” and why he strives to create healthy environments instead. Owen shares some of his experiences working in these so called “high performing” environments and how although they may do some thi...

Jason Dorland is an Olympian, father, coach, entrepreneur, and storyteller who dedicates his life to pursuing excellence in himself and those he supports. Based on true-life events, IKE: the dog who saved a human, follows the transformative journey of how Jason was left feeling bitter, ashamed, and lost after his 8 man rowing crew finished last in their final at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Ko...

In this recent bite size from episode #39 Jake Bailey shares the story of his relationship with his girlfriend Jemima and how within a week of them starting to date he was diagnosed with one of the most aggressive forms of cancer known to man. Jake shares the heartwarming story of how Jemima stuck by him through the worst of times and how that has made their relationship stronger than ever in a ve...

Cold water therapy isn’t new - tribes and cultures around the world have used it for centuries to build resilience, aid recovery, and push human limits. But recently, ice baths, cold showers, ocean swims, and cryotherapy have exploded in popularity… yet how much of it is backed by real science? In this episode, performance expert Andrew May and medical researcher Dr. Tom Buckley dive headfirst int...

Australian netball superstar Caitlin Bassett joins the podcast in this bite size episode to discuss the state of female professional sport and how it has evolved since before she started playing to now. Caitlin shares how happy (and maybe a little bit jealous) it makes her to see new players getting more pay than ever before. Andrew and Caitlin also touch on the higher rate of education for women...

Dr Jemma King has a PhD in human behaviour and is an emotional intelligence and performance under stress expert. She is a research fellow at the University of Queensland School of Psychology and is the Founder of BioPsychAnalytics, an Australian-based company that has developed scientifically validated methodologies to manage stress, reduce burnout, and improve behavioural outcomes in high-perform...

Welcome to the 100th episode of the Performance Intelligence podcast. 100 episodes is a significant milestone and first I would like to thank The Wizard, Shannon, Liuba and Angelynne who all do such a great job behind the scenes. Thank you as well to you, the listeners. To commemorate our 100th episode I am joined by Simon Katich, former captain for both the NSW and Derbyshire cricket teams. Simon...

Are you completely engaged in your purpose at work? Purpose coach Richard Burton explains his concept of having 3 different levels of being engaged with your personal purpose in your job. A recent study found that up to 70% of workers are disengaged with their purpose and Richard explains the tangible effects this can have on an individual and the business they work for. You can find Richard at th...

Todays bite size comes from episode #37 where Kamal Sarma, a beacon of positivity and energy explains why he got into working in the mental health space and what it means for him to have a positive impact on people, particularly younger children and teenagers. Kamal also shares the story of how he helped his son overcome his own fears and mental health issues by imparting some stress and suffering...

In this bite size from episode #36 Paul Taylor and Andrew explain why they think society as a whole seems to be losing some resilience and creating a victim mentality. Paul puts forward the theory that we have gone way too far with coddling, in particular with kids and teenagers and now they are finding it difficult to cope with real difficulties in their lives. Andrew also shares his story of bei...

Do you practise proper breathing techniques? In today’s bite size episode Andrew is joined by Deano Gladstone, Bondi rescue lifeguard and one of Australia’s best breathwork coaches to discuss the benefits you can get from adding in some breathing exercises to your day. Deano also runs through a quick breathing exercise to give you a taste of how you can start your own breathing practice and some o...

Breakfast Television legends Lisa Millar and Michael Rowland recently joined the podcast and in this bite size Michael and Lisa share their regular morning routines and how they make sure they structure their day to ensure they are able to continue to perform at such a high level consistently, even when working incredibly unconventional hours. Michael and Lisa then go a bit deeper and talk about h...

Worldwide godfather of slow turned anti ageing expert Carl Honoré chats with Andrew on how he believes the world tries to shove older people into a certain stereotype and how he plans on fighting those stereotypes by simply doing whatever it is he feels like doing without making any apologies. Carl also touches on the idea of being ashamed of growing older and lying about your age, whereas he has...

In this bite size from episode #31, Prolific author Nigel Marsh shares his process for writing books and how he manages to stay creative, while also being aware of the commercial realities of being an author and making sure your book will sell. Nigel provides insights into how he tries to stay creative with the outside pressures of the world beating down upon on him and how being a creative person...

Have you ever reflected on improvements you have made? Parramatta eels player Shaun Lane looks back on a successful season of football and reflects on changes he made to take his performance to the next level and find a more balanced life on and off the field. Shaun shares a little bit of his recent history and struggles that he was facing in previous years, even to the point of not liking playing...

Owen Eastwood is one of the most trusted performance coaches in the world, working with elite sports teams, military units, artists, and executives to build cultures of belonging, identity, and performance . In this episode, Andrew May sits down with Owen to explore what it really takes for teams and individuals to thrive in today’s world. In this episode Andrew and Owen discuss: 6:30 How Owen des...

When was the last time you had a bad day? In this bite size from episode #23 Andrew and Lisa Messenger discuss bad days and how they are more common than you think. Lisa shares how even with all the highs she has had in life that doesn’t stop her from having bad days from time to time. Lisa also gives some of her techniques to deal with a bad day, as well as telling how sometimes the best you can...

Jake Bailey is an internationally renowned speaker, the youngest #1 best-selling author in New Zealand’s history, and a passionate educator on the power of resilience.  In 2015 he was Head Boy at Christchurch Boys’ High School, getting ready to graduate, when doctors diagnosed Jake with stage 4 Burkitt’s Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma - the deadliest cancer known to man. Jake was given 2 weeks to live. He...