The Balanced Athlete Car Convos; About Purpose, Balance and Play!

Take the opportunity to tune into your body, mind and spirit during dead week. Before mandatory practices start back up, downshift and build a life skill that will serve you the rest of your life!

In part 2 of this episode, I’m joined by Mustang football coach Jason Doran for a powerful conversation about unimaginable loss, lasting impact, and lifesaving awareness. After his son Zach suffered a heart attack while training at a mixed martial arts gym that did not have an AED on site, Jason made it his mission to make sure other families don’t have to face the same tragedy. We talk about Zach...

In this episode, I’m joined by Mustang football coach Jason Doran for a powerful conversation about unimaginable loss, lasting impact, and lifesaving awareness. After his son Zach suffered a heart attack while training at a mixed martial arts gym that did not have an AED on site, Jason made it his mission to make sure other families don’t have to face the same tragedy. We talk about Zach’s life, t...

After a car convo with Jason Doran, Jessie reflects on the power of connection — with body, mind, spirit, nature, and community — and how sharing stories can become a purposeful act. This episode encourages listening without judgment, respecting different life lenses, and leaning into friendships and community for balance and rejuvenation.

In this episode, the Jessie shares a personal Memorial Day back pain story and introduces a powerful mental shift: treat injury as information, not frustration. She explains how adapting workouts, focusing on mobility and flexibility and learning from weaknesses can make you a better athlete and help prevent future issues. She also encourages downshifting during the summer—changing tempo, pr...

Description: Short episode: the Jessie experiments with organic, car-recorded mini-episodes as she recounts attending an American Heart Association Heart Walk with her daughter. She meets Jason, a local 6A high school football coach who lost his highschool aged son to a heart attack and now shares his story to spread hope and purpose. Expect an upcoming in-depth car conversation with him, plus ref...

Today’s guest is Nicholas Kemp An author, podcaster, coach and lifelong student of ikigai who’s challenging one of the most common misunderstandings of the concept. Nick’s work exists to gently—but clearly—push back on the idea that Ikigai is a neat intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what you can get paid for and what the world needs. That framework may be familiar in Western cult...

This is part one of a two-part episode. Today’s guest is Nicholas Kemp—an author, podcaster, coach and lifelong student of ikigai who’s challenging one of the most common misunderstandings of the concept. Nick’s work exists to gently—but clearly—push back on the idea that Ikigai is a neat intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what you can get paid for and what the world needs. That f...

The Season Between Seasons: What This Year Taught Us & How to Prep for What’s Next: We’re closing out another year of school and club ball, and before we rush into tryouts, swim team, and summer schedules, I want to pause with you. What did this year really teach your athlete — and how do we help them carry the right things forward?   This episode is the bridge between reflection and preparati...

Today’s guest is Melia Kane—known to many as “Coach Kane”—a local volleyball coach recognized for developing athletes on and off the court. With a coaching style rooted in fundamentals, confidence, and personal accountability, Melia helps players elevate their performance while also building the life skills that last far beyond the season. Parents and athletes alike appreciate her steady leadershi...

Week 4 Building a Life That Feels Good  What if life wasn’t just about winning but about wanting to keep going? Fous: Integration Core Idea: Success isn’t just performance-it’s sustainability. Talking Points: Creating your own version of ikigai- instead of thinking about it as a destination, think about it as a daily alignment practice. Your version of Ikigai isn’t one big answer – it’s built thro...

https://linktr.ee/jessiebrodmerkel Week 3: When Balance Feels Impossible If your athlete is always tired, moody, or checked out… this could be why. Focus: Obstacles Core Idea: Burnout doesn’t come from doing too much—it comes from doing too much of what drains you. *Check out the episode with Paul Gamble PHD, Parents are Key! His research, book and work speaks more in depth on much of what I talk...

Episode 2 of Finding Your Sweet Spot Series The Power of Play (Yes Even for Athletes) The best athletes aren’t just disciplined-they know how to play. Focus: Application Core Idea: Play is not a distraction from performance it fuels it. What is play? The Oxford dictionary says: engage in activity for  enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. The National Institute for P...

Find Your Sweet Spot (Series) Over the next four weeks, we’re breaking down how athletes can find their sweet spot-where performance, purpose and actually enjoying the process all come together.   Week 1 You Don’t Need to Have it All Figured Out  What if the pressure to figure it all out is actually what’s holding you back? Focus: Awareness Core Idea: Purpose isn’t one thing-it’s something you bui...

Daily Oklahoman KFOR 2Wra024 Survivor.net Cancer Survivor with 1 Lung Runs His 5th Marathon 7 on 7 in 7 The Great World Race Unbreakable Hope 1 Unbreakable Hope 2   Unbreakable Hope 3 The Great World Race Facebook Instagram Chan Hellman Hope Centered Today’s guest is someone who embodies grit, resilience, and the absolute refusal to accept limitations. Greg Gerardy is a cancer survivor, a father,...

This is part one of two! Today’s guest is someone who embodies grit, resilience, and the absolute refusal to accept limitations. Greg Gerardy is a cancer survivor, a father, and an endurance athlete who has accomplished what most people with two lungs will never attempt. After losing the function of his right lung to a rare, aggressive tumor that wrapped around his spine and shoulder, doctors told...

Episode on Accomplishment A — Accomplishment “Accomplishment is about becoming someone you’re proud of, not just someone who wins.” Teach athletes to set layered goals: daily, weekly, seasonal. Go back to Kaizen moments. Celebrate progress, not just outcomes. Track personal bests to build internal motivation. Reinforce that accomplishment includes character growth, not just stats. A — Accomplishme...

Episode on Meaning  M — Meaning “Meaning is the anchor that keeps teens steady when performance gets shaky.” Connect training to something bigger than the scoreboard. Ask: “Who do you want to become through this sport?” Tie team goals to values like resilience, service, leadership. Use community service or mentoring younger athletes to deepen purpose. M — Meaning Check List/Journal Prompts For Tee...

Episode on Relationships R — Relationships “Teen athletes don’t just need teammates — they need a tribe.” Team culture is everything for teens — belonging drives effort. Build rituals: partner warm-ups, shout-outs, buddy accountability. Teach communication skills: how to give feedback, how to ask for help. Model coach-athlete trust through consistency and transparency. R — Relationships Check List...

Episode on Engagement E — Engagement “When teens feel engaged, they stop performing for approval and start performing from purpose.” Help athletes find their “flow moments” — drills or roles where they feel fully absorbed. Rotate responsibilities so each athlete experiences challenge and mastery. Use short, focused training blocks to keep attention high. Encourage athletes to set micro-goals for e...

PERMA EPISODEs Positive Psychology in Sports PERMA is gold for teen athletes, and weaving it into a training conversation on your podcast will feel both practical and inspiring. You can frame it as a way to build not just better athletes, but healthier, more resilient humans. Here’s a set of strong, clear talking points you can drop straight into an episode.   Incorporating PERMA Into Teen Athlete...

In this episode I speak about the positive phycology practice called PERMA and how you can use this to craft a life of happiness ad meaning in sports, careers and every aspect of living.  Parent and Teen Athlete PERMA PERMA is a positive psychology practice developed by Martin Seligman. It provides a structured approach to well-being through five distinct elements: Positive emotion, engagement, re...

Nanci Cosby is a devoted mom to three girls and one boy, and a proud “Nonni” to her grandbabies. She loves God, cherishes her family and friends, and never turns down a good cup of coffee. Nanci is the founder of NJ Consulting, LLC, where she brings together her passion for people and her extensive professional experience. She became a certified life coach through the World Coach Institute in 2019...

Nanci Cosby is a devoted mom to three girls and one boy, and a proud “Nonni” to her grandbabies. She loves God, cherishes her family and friends, and never turns down a good cup of coffee. Nanci is the founder of NJ Consulting, LLC, where she brings together her passion for people and her extensive professional experience. She became a certified life coach through the World Coach Institute in 2019...

Today’s guest is someone whose career has stretched across three decades, three continents, and just about every corner of elite and professional sport. Dr. Paul Gamble has worked with athletes of all ages and backgrounds, but his deepest passion lies in helping young athletes unlock their potential and supporting the next generation of sport stars in a healthy, sustainable way. Paul is the author...