The High Performance Podcast

Jake and Damian explore the archives as Damian shares his favourite lessons from Norwegian football manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær. They reflect on where Ole’s motivation came from and the biggest lessons his father taught him. Whilst he is now known for his football management skills, Ole was also an elite footballer and talented striker, being regarded as one of the “ultimate finishers”. They discu...

Danny Drinkwater joins us on High Performance, taking this opportunity to announce his retirement from professional football. After an almost 20 year career, Danny takes some time to look back on his accomplishments, greatest lessons and biggest challenges. After rising through the Youth Academy at Manchester United, Danny played for some of the country’s biggest clubs, including Chelsea, Aston Vi...

In October, Jake and Damian spoke to a wide variety of guests, including a chef, philosopher, and physicist. Jake and Damian take some time to reflect on they key lessons and biggest take-aways from each guest, including why we should embrace being wrong with Professor Brian Cox and why we should aim for averageness with Alain de Botton. With Alain they also discuss parenting, how to have a succes...

On this episode: a rare and poignant conversation on the life, aspirations, and motivations of chef and TV icon, Gordon Ramsay. “I don’t want to stay in my lane, I want to own my lane” Gordon Ramsay is a chef, restaurateur and television presenter, known for Kitchen Nightmares, Masterchef and Hell’s Kitchen. In this conversation, Gordon delves deep into what really drives him, how to cultivate a w...

Jake and Damian re-wind the clock to when they spoke to FBI negotiator Chris Voss. In this discussion Chris explains how techniques used in kidnapping negotiations can be used in our everyday lives. Jake shares how Chris’ teachings from this episode helped him to communicate with his wife, children, colleagues and even himself. They reflect on some of the key missions in Chris’ career and how you...

To listen to the full episode right now, download the High Performance App and use code HPAPP: https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/app-link Gordon Ramsay, chef and TV presenter, joins the podcast this coming Monday to discuss how he developed a winning mindset, how to grow from adversity and the highs and lows of his career so far. In this exclusive episode preview, Gordon shares his advice...

Delia Smith CH CBE is a culinary icon having sold over 21 million cookery books, and is also joint majority shareholder of Norwich City FC. In this conversation, Delia opens up about her spiritual journey, the transformative power of community and her time at Norwich. Her spirituality is a central theme of the episode - now at 82 years of age, she describes how her relationship to community, polit...

This episode is a fascinating conversation about self-worth, perspective, and the power of saying no. Dr. Julie Smith is a highly regarded clinical psychologist known for her compassionate approach to mental health care and expertise in cognitive-behavioral therapy. With over two decades of experience, she has positively impacted the lives of countless individuals by helping them navigate the comp...

This episode encourages us to explore a deeper understanding of ourselves, our relationships, and why we should be seeking fulfilment not happiness. Alain de Botton is an author and philosopher, known for co-founding The School of Life in 2008. The School of Life was created to fill a void in our current education systems with the teaching of emotional intelligence. Alain’s work also focuses on lo...

One of Damian’s all-time favourite episodes is the conversation they had with professional boxer, Josh Warrington. Damian reflects out his key take aways from the episode and shares them with Jake. This includes, Josh sharing the techniques he uses to keep his anxieties and fear in control just before going into the ring. And in the event of a mistake, he ensures to take full responsibility, rathe...

This is a conversation about science, philosophy, the meaning of life, and the unfathomable size of the universe. Professor Brian Cox is a physicist, known for his astronomy and cosmology series’, including The Universe and Stargazing Live. He has performed on several sell-out arena tours, setting the Guinness World Record for the biggest selling science tour. Before his career in science, at age...

In September Jake and Damian chatted to a number of sports guests, but the conversations were far from sport centred. Each guest offered great learnings from their lives, including creating culture, what makes a great leader and how to be more present everyday. They reflect on the conversation they had with Ryder Cup legends Luke Donald, Sam Torrance and Paul McGinley about their leadership styles...

This is an open discussion about leadership, creating culture and what makes a winning team. To mark the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, Jake and Damian host a roundtable discussion with current European captain, Luke Donald, and legends, Paul McGinley and Sam Torrance. As Team Europe Ryder Cup captains past and present, they offer a unique perspective on leadership, team culture, and the winning formula...

A common thread that runs throughout the hundreds of conversations on this podcast is the idea of sacrifice. In this episode, Jake and Damian explore what the price of high performance really looks like. Although success looks great on the outside, it can come at the cost of collateral damage and difficult decisions. Looking back on their conversation with Dame Kelly Holmes, when she shared the im...

“Paralysis taught me how to live” This emotional conversation is an honest and vulnerable discussion about life, death and understanding our purpose. In 2010, David Smith was given a life changing diagnosis: a rare, cancerous tumour was found in his neck. A focused athlete, previously competing in karate, running and bobsled, David aimed to put all of his energy into competing in the 2012 Paralymp...

Barry Hearn joined the podcast in 2022 to share his 10 life lessons. In this episode, Damian shares with Jake the top 3 lessons he learnt from Barry; the ones he still uses in his everyday life. These 3 lessons include, "it’s better to be lucky than good looking", "life is not changed by sitting on the sofa" and "life is going to end in tears, so you might as well make the most of it". Jake and Da...

This week’s episode provides a rare glimpse into the mind of a coaching legend Steve Hansen, revealing the key to success in the world of rugby and beyond. Steve is a New Zealand rugby union coach and a former player. He famously led the All Blacks to victory during the 2015 Rugby World Cup as their head coach, a role he held from 2012 to 2019. This is a reflective, honest and vulnerable conversat...

To mark the start of the Rugby World Cup, Jake and Damian reflect on the conversations they have had with some of the most influential people in the game. We have been lucky enough to go into the training grounds, stadiums and dressing rooms and to hear the innermost thoughts of the key players past and present. Hear from Sir Clive Woodward on the power of the individual in a great team. A former...

Will's story is a testament to the power of authenticity and resilience in the world of football management. Will Still is a professional football manager and former player, currently managing Ligue 1 club Stade de Reims. Aged 30, he is the youngest manager in Europe's top five leagues, and first became a manager at age 24. Will shares with Jake and Damian how he deals with outside pressure and ho...

August was filled with perspective changing and vulnerable conversations about what high performance really looks like. Jake takes a look back at some of the key insights from our guests over the last month. Dr Waheed Arian challenged Jake's ever-shifting view of what high performance really means, by sharing the obstacles he overcame when moving from war torn Afghanistan to the UK at age 15 to be...

After over 200 episodes and almost 4 years of the High Performance Podcast, Jake and Damian take a moment to rewind through the episodes. For any brand new listeners, this is your ultimate guide to the key High Performance moments. Jake and Damian reflect on their favourite guests, biggest lessons and most memorable moments from the very start of the High Performance journey to the most recent epi...

Fernando Alonso is a two-time Formula 1 World Champion, currently competing for the fast-rising Aston Martin F1 Team. Fernando has also driven for Alpine, McLaren, Ferrari, Minardi, and Renault, where he won the World Drivers' Championship in 2005 and 2006. This episode explores what it takes to become an elite F1 driver, and how to maintain top level performance over a 20-year career. Jake and Da...

Jake shares with Damian the conversation with Joe Wicks that transformed his life, completely shifting his view on what it means to be driven by purpose. They reflect on the importance of purpose over profit and how understanding your purpose can lead to clearer and more informed decision making. Joe also offered practical advice for staying present and making time for the people who matter. He su...

Katherine Ryan is a comedian and writer, best known for her appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats, Taskmaster and her stand-up special on Netflix, Glitter Room. Originally from Canada, Katherine made the bold move to London in 2008, and shortly thereafter had her first daughter. Becoming a single mum at the age of 25 and isolated from family, Katherine shares with Jake and Damian how this experience fue...

Damian shares his key take-aways from one of his favourite episodes ever recorded with guest Vicky Pattison. Vicky completely shifted Damian's assumptions about reality TV stars and he came away with a brand new formula to view life. Jake and Damian take a look back on the conversation they had with Vicky and they lessons she shared that they still use in their life today. Including, how she moved...