Win More, Live Better

Not every voice deserves influence and not every opinion should shape your decisions. In this episode, we discuss why great leaders have the courage to turn their back on the crowd to stay anchored to the mission and committed to their people. This conversation challenges leaders to stop reacting to outside noise and start investing fully in their people.  If you’re a coach or leader striving for...

One of the most important reminders we can share with athletes is to not judge your performance or season too early. Like a Polaroid picture, performance takes time to develop. This episode is all about evaluating your growth with patience and perspective and not becoming trapped by assumptions you create from past experiences. If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, an...

Pioneering American psychologist, William James, once told an audience of thousands that a century of psychological research could be distilled into one principle: You become what you think of yourself. This episode breaks down why identity drives behavior and why even elite performers sometimes get in their own way. If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillme...

A lot of performers chase being the best, but there's an added advantage for those who become the only. The real separator is someone who creates value in ways no one else is willing or able to do. So in this episode, Zach breaks down how limitation creates value. You’ll learn why exclusivity is a performance advantage, how to identify high-impact gaps in your environment, and how adopting th...

Tommy Sheppard's career spans over 30 years in the NBA, which includes most recently serving as the General Manager and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. Known for his humility, generosity, and world-class ability to connect with people, Tommy now works as an executive leadership coach helping leaders align performance with purpose.  Between his time with the Wiza...

Former UFC fighter, Frank Shamrock, once shared a simple framework for how to grow more effectively with the right people in your circle. This episode explores his Plus–Minus–Equal process and how mentors, peers, and rising performers each play a critical role for you in raising standards and sustaining excellence.  If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillmen...

We all know the phrase, “Put your own oxygen mask on first.” Yet many leaders, coaches, and parents struggle to do it. Using two recent conversations (one with an Olympic-level coach and the other an NFL agent), this episode asks a deeper question, "Who in your life puts the oxygen mask on for you when you won’t?" If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fu...

This episode explores why excellence often comes not from adding more, but from deliberately subtracting what no longer strengthens your craft. Borrowing from the film industry, we discuss how great editors shape award-winning films not by cramming in more scenes, but by cutting the ones that are not essential. You’ll discover why deliberate subtraction is one of the most overlooked tools for impr...

Most athletes treat the offseason as a technical laboratory to refine their mechanics and strengthen their physical skills, but sometimes this creates challenges in-season when competition arrives. In this episode, Zach shares a couple of personal stories from his work with Major League Baseball players and a valuable proverb on the importance of building trust in your identity as an adaptable com...

Billy Allen brings a rare blend of experience to today's conversation: Elite performer, coach, author, and longtime podcast host. Entering his third season as an assistant coach and player development coordinator for Stanford’s beach volleyball program in 2026, Billy has already helped guide the Cardinal to a historic success on The Farm. Outside of coaching, Billy continues to compete on the...

We all love the good days, but our commitments are defined by how we handle the hard ones. This episode reflects on the importance of embracing not only the joyful parts of life, but the difficult ones too.  If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zach...

Most performers spend the majority of their lives in repetition in the form of practice, meetings, workouts, conversations, and responsibilities that cycle over and over every day. Today, we’re discussing how to bring more intentionality to these activities through one of my favorite lessons from the Greek mythology of Sisyphus.   For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can sub...

This episode explores how old habits, beliefs, and routines “auto-renew” in our lives long after they’ve served their purpose. Zach shares a story about a Major League pitcher "unsubscribing" from a starting point in his delivery and implementing a small adjustment to accelerate his career. Listeners will learn why stagnation carries invisible costs, how leaders accidentally let their en...

Today's guest is two-time Olympian Kibwé Johnson. He joins the show with one of the most decorated careers in U.S. hammer history including being a five-time U.S. Champion, Pan American Games gold medalist and record holder, and a three-time NCAA Champion. He also holds the world record for the combined hammer–discus–weight throw and represented the United States at four World Championships....

What do you do when pressure spikes or the moment starts moving too fast? Using a powerful story from Navy SEAL Mark Owen’s book No Hero , this episode explores a practical framework for staying composed in these moments and controlling the controllables.  For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/ If...

Most of us don’t realize we’re being put on trial every single day by our own thoughts. This episode dives into the “mental courtroom” we carry inside us. It's a place where childhood labels become lifelong rulings and where outdated stories shape how we think, lead, and perform. We also discuss a simple 3-step process for challenging our unhelpful thoughts and replace them with more accurate...

This episode explores the famous story of Muhammad Ali’s stolen red bicycle and how one painful childhood moment became an unexpected spark in his journey toward greatness. We break down why adversity often shapes drive, what research shows about performers who turn hardship into fuel, and how purpose evolves as identity evolves. You’ll also hear how athletes like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Simone Bile...

This episode dives into what happens when the role you’ve built no longer matches the life you want. If you’ve ever felt a pull toward a different future, this one’s for you.  For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/ If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment,...

Today I’m joined by Cody Royle who spends his days coaching some of the top head coaches in elite sport. Cody is a former head coach of Canada’s men’s AFL national team. He’s the author of three books (Where Others Won’t, The Tough Stuff, and Second Set of Eyes) and previously hosted the leadership podcast Where Others Won’t, where he explored how great teams and leaders actually thrive. In this c...

This episode explores how one of the NFL's all-time best wide receivers, Larry Fitzgerald, extended his greatness by inviting some of his top competitors to train with him one offseason. We'll discuss the curiosity that helped him excel and his proactive approach to learning, even while at the top of the NFL. This episode is a guide for anyone who wants to stay hungry after success.  For...

Some teams are overflowing with talent yet never reach their ceiling. S today's episode explores John Maxwell’s “Law of the Lid” principle and how a leader’s personal growth directly shapes the ceiling of their team’s potential. Through stories like Mike Norvell’s developmental approach at Memphis University and coaching trees from legends like Tara VanDerveer and Nick Saban, we break down ho...

Most people chase success by running faster toward the same goal. Sam Brannan became the first millionaire of the Gold Rush by slowing down and seeing differently. In this episode, we explore what his story teaches about anticipation, leverage, and finding hidden advantages. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwor...

What do you do when your team is falling apart and belief feels out of reach? This episode offers a playbook for leading through adversity, drawn from a Major League Baseball story called Operation Starfish and an NBA staff’s relationship audit. Zach explains how narrowing your focus and deepening connection can transform culture, one relationship at a time.  For more practical tools and mindset s...

Visualization isn’t just about picturing perfection. It’s also about preparing for pressure and adversity. In this episode, we explore defensive visualization, a Stoic-inspired practice for training your response to adversity before it strikes. You’ll hear how one MLB pitcher learned to extend his visualization beyond early success and how coaches can use the signal light framework to help athlete...

Today’s episode explores a valuable mental model for high performers called “the map is not the territory.” From GPS detours to in-game adjustments, this episode unpacks the art of staying aware, updating your plan in real time and leading with confident flexibility when reality refuses to follow the script.  For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free news...