Performers on the Rise

Welcome back to the show! Today, we have special guest Pia Hamilton joining us for a conversation on her journey in performance and what mental skills have served her well. Pia has experience as a child actor, professional dancer, sports medicine practitioner, and studio owner. She shares how perseverance, determination, and patience have been crucial in achieving her goals. As someone that has al...

Today's conversation is a real "treat" as Nutritionist Katie Regan joins the show. As an athlete that experienced an undiagnosed eating disorder, and had to educate herself toward recovery, Katie is committed to advocating for athletes to be aware of nutrition's role in their performance and mindset. Demi and Katie discuss trends in diet culture, body image, and setting healthy intentions. Check o...

The beginning of a new sports season often comes with doubts and expectations that can impact performance and team dynamics. The beliefs we hold going into the season can heavily influence the outcome. To overcome doubts, it's important to focus on beliefs that support a positive mindset. To ensure a healthy perspective, ask yourself these three key questions: Are your beliefs flexible? Are they r...

Focus and mental rehearsal are powerful mental skills, each with different layers that offer unique ways to clear mental clutter and tune in to the present moment. This concept is crucial in sport and performance, where everyday life often intrudes into our mental space, making it challenging—but essential—to find relief and perform at our best. In today's episode, Demi breaks down these skills an...

Mac ( @thesidelineperspective ) joins the show today to discuss the importance of a multi-faceted indenity for athletes. Having recently returned from the 2024 Paris Olympics where she worked with Team USA, Mac has a fresh perspective in the value of this message. When Mac's collegiate hockey career came to an end, she found herself unprepared for the sudden transition in the absence of the sport...

Athletes generally aren't strangers to the phrase "tough love". But what does that mean to you? Oftentimes it is associated with the old mentality of unconditional expectations. Dr. Chelsea Pierotti and Demi are ready to shift the narrative around tough love to one that inspires mental toughness without diminishing mental health. This conversation is about finding the balance in tough love by sett...

Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Jenn Jacobs, co-founder and co-director of Project Flex. As both an athlete and a sports psychology professional, Jenn leads Project Flex, a sports leadership program designed for incarcerated youth in the Chicagoland area. Through her experience as an athlete, mentor, and professional in sports psychology, Jenn recognized the power of mindset skill...

Arianna Ciccarelli Shimits, MA, CMPC joins the show to have a talk with Demi about the evolution of her career from professional dancer to sport and performance psychology. During her intense career as a professional ballet dancer, Arianna was struggling with body image, confidence, performance anxiety, and perfectionism. From there, she realized the power and importance of the mental component of...

There are some things in life you just can't avoid. Unfortunately, one of those things is "haters". You know the type – the ones you just can't please, can't be happy for you, and sometimes, they seem to go out of their way to bring you down. While you can't control how people feel about you, you can control how your response to them. The negativity from others can be detrimental to training and p...

On today's episode of Performers on the Rise, we explore the challenges athletes and performers face when feeling lost or unsure about their journey. If an individual's athletic identity overshadows other interests, it can lead to burnout, injuries, and low career maturity. Developing a multidimensional identity that includes various roles, traits, and interests is crucial. We'll discuss strategie...

On today's show, Demi is joined by guest Micha Shaw to discuss her story and how mindfulness and meditation have elevated her performance as an athlete and as a coach. She offers a new perspective on mindfulness as a mental skill that is assisting athletes and performers enhance their resilience, harness emotional stability, and grow as individuals. Micha Shaw is a Mental Performance Coach, Medita...

We have a special guest on today's show: Rachel Caldwell. Drawing from her experience as both a dancer, and now as a coach, she offers an insightful perspective on the internal dynamics and dialogue that shape a performer's mindset. Of course, the mental component plays a significant role in sport, but our personal relationships and sense of belonging are equally crucial in what we bring to the te...

Social media messaging delivers unrealistic expectations around healthy habits and lifestyle. In the age of instant gratification, it's difficult to persevere through discomfort to establish genuine habits. The process takes time and will progress and regress in a nonlinear rate. However, by taking manageable steps, you can set yourself up for success in building sustainable habits. Setting clear...

The recent buzz on social media around self-care often misses the mark for athletes and performers who have embraced the hustle culture mentality, viewing self-care as a weakness or a distraction from their goals. It's time to change that narrative and recognize self-care as an essential part of training, not just a luxury. In today's discussion, Demi explains how to identify mental and physical c...

An athletic career will inevitably change and evolve, just as any other identity would. It's important to remain flexible in order to fully embrace change. But, change can be scary. There will come a time when you may need to reevaluate your goals, pivot, and look for inspiration in a new direction. It will require resilience in the face of mental and physical limitations. The best way to prepare...

A narrow focus on winning can be detrimental to the overall outcome. By focusing solely on winning, you lose sight of the value of the entire process. Pouring energy into the desire to win will inevitably lead to disappointment and frustration that overshadows your progress with personal goals. Athletes and performers are more likely to fuel their passion and continue to grow and meet goals and pe...

We've talked about intrapersonal skills and their role in sport and performance. Now let's talk about the other side of the same coin - interpersonal emotionnal intelligence. Communication is a fundamental aspect to a successful and effective team. Learning the intricacies of empathy, active listening, and sympathy, and how to apply them into practice will build a more cohesive team that is positi...

When in pursuit of a goal, it's important to remember that the journey to the destination does not have to be a straight path. To illustrate this, I'm bringing the lovely Hailey Rowe as a guest on today's show, to share what she learned and how she mentally grew on her journey in musical performance. As a young woman persuing music, Hailey has had to evolve her strategies and coping mechanisms awa...

I never thought I would be a runner. I never even took running seriously. So when I began to crave a new challenge that pushed me mentally, I signed up for my first 10k race. I knew going into race training that the work would be equally mental as it would be physical. In fact, I learned that at least 80% of my preparation and training was mental, as it is in most performance crafts. The willpower...

Today's podcast episode explores the intersection of fear, perfectionism, and athletic performance. It highlights the harmful effects of perfectionism on athletes' mindset and growth, while also acknowledging its potential benefits when approached adaptively. By advocating for a shift towards personal excellence and embracing failure as a learning opportunity, the episode provides practical strate...

Do Emotions Have a Place in Sport & Performance? Today, the debate over the role of emotions in athletics takes center stage. Let's delve into how emotions impact training and performance, and challenge the traditional notion of leaving them at the door. Research argues that emotions should be embraced and managed effectively rather than suppressed. Learn to implement practical strategies for reco...

Have you been feeling like you've lost your "spark"? Are you struggling to find the motivation and willpower to do the bare minimum? Or worst of all, do you feel like you've fallen "out of love" with your sport or performance craft? You're more than likely experiencing burnout. Burnout occurs when we don't give ourselves an adequate amount of rest and recovery. While it's quite common for high-ach...

The secret to unshakeable confidence? Well, it's not much of a secret as it is a mental re-frame. It can be simply summed up in the phrase, "effort over outcome". There's more to sport than winning and losing. This objective approach to sport can hinder an athlete's ability to cultivate a robust and stable confidence. Listen to this episode with guest Jenn Ireland to learn how you can expand your...

Do your nerves before a competition or tournament get the best of you? The truth is, the quality of your performance doesn't have to be jeopardized because of performance anxiety. It's all a matter of how you cope and respond to that intense pressure. This episode is the perfect place to start that process. In this episode, we explore the psychology behind performance anxiety and the stress respon...

Everyone knows "that" athlete - the one who's cool, confident, and composed. At one point, we've always wanted to become that athlete. Well, what if I told you that you could build and enhance your confidence too? Instead of looking toward others and craving the confidence they have, I walk you through various strategies to cultivate a confident mindset. These mental tips are meant to be accessibl...