The Art Of Coaching

E197 | Steffi Sorensen: Why It Pays To Be An Underdog

Without experiencing true difficulty, doubt, or adversity, it’s hard to know what any of us are really capable of. Truth is unless we’re thrust into such adversity, it’s nearly impossible to manufacture the type of hardship required to test our limits. 

Today’s guest, ESPN college basketball analyst Steffi Sorensen, has dealt with more than her fair share. And while she probably wouldn’t wish recent experiences on anyone, there’s no doubt she’s grateful for the resilience built along the way. Join us as we discuss her path and how she’s managed to turn doubters and difficult times into an advantage. 

Steffi was a former women’s basketball player at Florida, joined ESPN in 2011 as a color commentator, and is now a college basketball analyst and sideline reporter for SEC Network. She joined SEC Now as an analyst for the 2019-20 women’s basketball season. She was a sideline reporter for college football games on FOX Sports, as well as a fitness model and trainer. She spent one year playing professional basketball in France before starting as a color analyst for ESPN3 in 2010.

We discuss: 

• Managing introversion as a public figure and professional speaker 
• How to assert yourself and find your voice as a young professional
• Finding your “on-air” personality without sacrificing authenticity 
• Learning from and through mistakes made (even on national television)

Connect with Steffi:

Via Instagram: @steffi_sorensen

Via LinkedIn: Steffi Sorensen

If you didn’t already hear… we have a new partner in hydration! LMNT is our go-to on-the-go hydration product. With no sugar and no additives, LMNT is how I stay hydrated even when training in the Georgia heat and traveling every other weekend. 

Right now, LMNT is offering you a free pack at DrinkLMNT.com/AOC - give them a try and let us know what you think! (Watermelon salt is my favorite). 

E196 | How to Evaluate ”Soft-Skills” So You Can Become a Better Coach

No matter what field you're in, technical skills will only take you so far. Eventually, you’ll need to leverage interpersonal skills to stand out and effect change. Problem is, society has misrepresented what it takes to train these skills, making them seem like intangible or innate qualities that can’t be measured or managed. 

In reality, there’s more research on human interaction than any exercise or programming methodology (by far) and it’s quite simple to evaluate said “soft skills”. That’s why on today's episode we’re doing a deep dive into our proprietary social skill evaluation, how you can use it, and how it’s evolved over time. 

Hint: it’s not just a matter of assessing “verbal and non-verbals”… 

We’ll cover:

• How to measure something subjective and contextual like communication 
• Why you need a comprehensive interpersonal evaluation and how it can help
• The major components most other social skill evaluations miss 
• A breakdown of the AoC evaluation and how to use it situationally

If you want more on this subject and a copy of your own, you’ll have to join us in person at one of our Apprenticeship communication workshops. All upcoming locations and dates are listed here: artofcoaching.com/apprenticeship! 

Now, for some fun announcements: 

We have a new partner! LMNT is our go-to hydration product. With no sugar and no additives, LMNT is how I manage to maintain my voice when speaking for 16 hours and traveling every other weekend of the year. 

Right now, LMNT is offering you a free pack at DrinkLMNT.com/AOC - give them a try and let us know what you think! (Watermelon salt is my favorite) 

Also, on today’s episode you heard us talk about our new SPEAKING SCHOOL. If you’re interested in learning how to grow your speaking career, become more confident speaking publicly, or just need help refining a talk you’re giving go to: artofcoaching.com/mentoring for information on personalized, tailored sessions!

E195 | Quit Lying to Yourself: Cutting Through the B.S. in Coaching

If you’re listening to this episode, you’re lying to yourself… But you’re not the only one.  

Turns out most of us aren’t honest about the REAL reason we do what we do. Why? Because being honest requires admitting we have selfish desires and that we haven’t put ourselves in positions to experience failure. Neither are inherently pleasant but both are required if we want to get out of our own way and make real progress. 

Today’s episode will be a wake up call for many of you. I won’t lie- it’s a hard hitter. But if you’re able to listen and dig deeper internally, I promise you’ll come away a better coach and leader. 

We’ll cover: 

• The REAL questions you need to be asking yourself
• Why it’s human (and necessary) to be selfish about certain things 
• Ways to identify what you’re lying to yourself and others about 
• The difference between experience and exposure and how to train the former 

At the end of the day- who you want to be does NOT matter if you haven’t figured out who you are.

It’s that time of year and there are lots of Black Friday sales going on! 

1. SAGA - the best wireless BFR cuffs on the market are also on major blackfriday sale - 30% OFF (when you USE CODE BLACKFRIDAY30). 
2. Momentous - for all of your protein and supplement needs, use code BRETT25 for 25% off your first order! 

On today’s episode you heard Brett talk extensively about The Apprenticeship. With a full slate of workshops already scheduled for 2022, your excuses for not coming to one are dwindling... 

Let’s put it this way- what TRUE leader wouldn’t take the opportunity to get better at communication and the interpersonal side of coaching? 

Check out artofcoaching.com/apprenticeship for a list of upcoming events!

E194 | How To Become A Better Listener

BLACKFRIDAY30 gets you 30% off ALL ONLINE COURSES. 

 

We can all agree that listening is a foundational skill. And it makes sense- research shows we spend half our waking hours listening (Hargie, 2017; Kelley, 2019). But are you listening or are you just hearing? True listening requires encoding, reflection, and delivering on what you heard. It’s a skill, it requires practice and it’s required to ask better questions, to give rewards (people actually want), and to assert yourself. 

 

Put more eloquently: “Listening is the willingness to let another person change you” - Alan Alda

 

On today’s episode we cover:

• The differences between hearing and listening 
• The 5 types of listening and the 4 types of listener 
• Verbal and non-verbal indicators to show you’re engaged
• How to practice the skill of listening 

 

As you heard, practice requires application. Simply put, these skills mean nothing if you don’t practice and get evaluated on them. We have one Apprenticeship left this year. 

 

Join us in Asheville - November 13-14 

Like listening, working out doesn't have to be complicated to be effective. In fact, my wireless BRF cuffs from SAGA Fitness have reduced the time and intensity I spend working out to get the same results. Do yourself and us a favor: Use Code: COACHBRETT20 to save 20% at checkout. By supporting them you’re supporting us.

E193 | What To Charge For Your Time & Expertise: A Deep Dive

The prospect of assigning a dollar amount to your time can evoke feelings of frustration, guilt, confusion and imposter phenomenon. 

And yet, whether you're salaried, hourly or a business owner / entrepreneur, it’s essential to know what your time is worth. Not only will this calculation help you to decide between opportunities, it’ll allow you to communicate your value and build a healthy relationship with money. 

 

Today’s episode will be a deep dive into how to confidently communicate what you’re worth, decide what to charge and how to not feel guilty doing so. We’ll discuss tactical strategies for understanding what variables should go into your decision as well as:

 

• Two different strategies for calculating what your time is worth

• Why it doesn’t matter what you charge so long as you OVER-deliver

• How to train yourself out of poor habits / unhealthy relationships with money

• How to know when and what to give away for free

 

If exercises like this are helpful, you’ll get tremendous value from our Build Your Brand Workshop. We aren’t afraid to charge for this 2-day intensive workshop because the information shared and the value you’ll gain from networking and learning how to apply these principles to your business will be incomparable. 

 

This is one you WON’T want to miss- artofcoaching.com/brand.

 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our incredible sponsors:

1. VersaClimber: Our favorite low-impact, efficient cardiovascular strength workout! - Tell them Brett and Art of Coaching sent you!

2. SAGA: The best wireless, bluetooth enabled BFR cuffs - COACHBRETT20 = 20% off 

Connect out our co-co-host Jake Swart:

Via Instagram: @docjakeswart

Via his website: https://www.athletespotential.com/

Via his podcast: The Active Atlanta Podcast

E192 | Elisabeth Oehler: Toxicity in Coaching Culture - How to Combat It

Coaching is all about discovering what makes an individual tick so you can help them take the next step in their life, career, or sport… But when you work with people who aren’t consistently motivated, compliant or driven, it can feel like solving a 10,000 piece puzzle.

And yet, that’s the job; Whether you train athletes or work with professionals, it’s up to you to figure out the puzzle- not shirk responsibility and fulfill your own agenda. 

Luckily, today’s guest Elisabeth Oehler doesn’t hold back, sharing her best strategies for adapting to and understanding the individuals you work with so you can more successfully guide and collaborate. 

Elisabeth is a strength coach and licensed weightlifting coach by the German Olympic Sports Confederation. She’s also a full time coach and consultant for her company (EO Performance) in which she helps organizations develop long term athletic development programs and does online coaching for recreational athletes, semi-pro and elite athletes in rugby, football, soccer and weightlifting. Prior to this, she mainly coached in elementary schools and kids on a volunteer basis. 

We discuss:

• How to program for and communicate with a younger generation
• Dealing with criticism and people who don’t agree with your opinion 
• Approaching and coaching lazy, unmotivated or traumatized athletes
• The reason we don’t actually want to be life-long learners...

Connect with Elisabeth:

• Via her website: https://www.eo-performance.com/
• Via her twitter: @eo_performance

Today’s episode is brought to you by our incredible sponsor: VersaClimber: Our favorite low-impact, efficient cardiovascular strength workout! - Make sure to tell them Brett and Art of Coaching sent you!

Follow me on social media:

Via Instagram: @coach_BrettB

Via Twitter: @coach_BrettB

Subscribe to my YouTube channel here

Learn More About My Courses, Clinics, and Live Events At: www.ArtofCoaching.com

E191 | A Tool For Making Better Decisions

We’ve all faced what seem like impossible decisions: Which job should I take? Is this the person I really want to spend my life with? Can I even afford to take vacation right now?

We’re also faced with hundreds of smaller decisions on a daily basis: What do I want for dinner? Should I watch tv or read a book? Should I take the car or ride my bike?

Given the frequency in which they pop up, it’s obvious decision making is one of our most heavily used and important skills. Yet more often than not we rely on emotional or gut reactions to make them and if we can’t come to a decision ourselves… our next option is usually to reach out to friends/family to validate our choices. 

Luckily, we have a tool that can help make the decision making process exponentially clearer…

Click here for your free download: Artofcoaching.com/decision

 

This opportunity matrix will equip you with a systematic way of characterizing variables important to the decision making process (safety, security, physical and emotional health, social and relational needs, aspirations and desires), allow you to compare several opportunities side by side and weigh tradeoffs as you make your decision.

 

Give it a try and let us know how it works for you! Also, use it in your hiring process (as an extension to the tools suggested in E182: Critical Tips for Improving Your Hiring Process) to see if your candidates are right for your position. 

 

Speaking of decision making- here’s an easy one. Our partner SAGA fitness offers the easiest and cheapest set of BFR cuffs on the market. They sync directly with your phone and do all of the calibration and programming for you so you can get an efficient workout from the comfort of your own home sans tons of equipment and time. Use code BRETT20 for 20% off your order!

 

Follow me on social media:

Via Instagram: @coach_BrettB

Via Twitter: @coach_BrettB

Subscribe to my YouTube channel here

Learn More About My Courses, Clinics, and Live Events At: www.ArtofCoaching.com

E190 | Why It Seems Like We Never Have Enough Time

The number one complaint we hear from coaches and leaders is “I don’t have enough time”. 

But is that really the issue?

There’s plenty of data to support that on average we actually work less and have more “leisure time” than ever before… 

So what gives?

Today’s episode is a deep dive into the illusion of not having enough time and the questions we should be asking ourselves to get to the bottom of this: 

• Are we simply filling our idle time with other tasks?
• Is our to-do list mal-aligned with our values?
• Are we comparing our time to others?
• How are we “valuing” our time?
• Why do we hate unwinding?
• Who owns our time?

We’ll tackle these questions and other fallacies then give you a new approach* to figuring out how to make more time for the things that matter. 

*Hint: it’s not to wake up earlier, use a planner, go to bed later, or set a timer.. 

While you’re here, check out the resources mentioned in this episode:

• Tips for being more productive: E49: Productivity That Matters

• A strategy for dealing with a day that goes off the rails: Chaos checklist
• Our online course designed to help coaches navigate careers and life: VALUED
• A free quiz to discover what drives dictate your behavior: Drives Quiz
• Want to learn how to build your brand? Come to our Brand Builder workshop!

Speaking of time and being more efficient- there’s no tool more valuable than the VersaClimber. This is the ONE piece of equipment I’ll use when strapped for time and needing a good, hard workout that won’t crush my joints. Reach out to our friends and tell them Brett and Art of Coaching you! 

The Apprenticeship - Join us before the end of the year!

• Cardiff (Wales): October 9-10th

• Asheville: November 13-14th

Follow me on social media:

Via Instagram: @coach_BrettB

Via Twitter: @coach_BrettB

Subscribe to my YouTube channel here

Learn More About My Courses, Clinics, and Live Events At: www.ArtofCoaching.com

E189 | Brad Stulberg: The Practice of Groundedness

Whether we like it or not, we’re living in a culture of “heroic individualism” in which numbers and results dictate our success and drive our sense of fulfillment. 

 

And while many current mindfulness techniques (& other “anecdotes”) teach us to move away from this lifestyle, not all of these practices are applicable for those of us who need to provide for our families and/or aspire to more. 

 

But “groundedness” belongs in a category of its own. Defined as “the internal strength and true self confidence that comes from learning how to practice the timeless skills of acceptance, patience, presence, vulnerability and community”- today’s guest Brad Stulberg is on a mission to dispel myths around this ancient practice while making it more practical for the everyday person and leader. 

 

Brad researches, writes, and coaches on health, well-being, and sustainable performance. He is bestselling author of the new book, The Practice of Groundedness, and also Peak Performance. His work has been featured in The New York Times, New Yorker, Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Time Magazine, Forbes, and more. In his coaching practice, he works with executives, entrepreneurs, and physicians on their performance and well-being. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

His new book, The Practice of Groundedness, has been marked down by over 40 percent for a limited time! If you are thinking about getting a copy, take advantage of this great deal!

We discuss: 

• Ways groundedness differs from typical mindfulness/gratitude practices
• Strategies for combating heroic individualism and how get off the “Hedonic Treadmill”
• Building strong community and the need for local as well as distant ties
• “Performative” versus true vulnerability - how to achieve the later 

Connect with Brad: 

Via Twitter: @BStulberg 

Via his website: https://www.bradstulberg.com/

Speaking of achieving performance, recovery and health at the highest level, we’d be remiss not to mention our greatest partner in the space- Momentous. Check out their entire line of protein and supplements at livemomentous.com and use code BRETT25 at checkout for 25% off your first order and 15% off any subsequent orders!

E188 | Ethan Kross: Chatter - The Voice In Our Head, Why It Matters & How to Harness It

How is it that our minds- complex and powerful beyond measure, capable of constructing skyscrapers and inventing life-saving procedures, can simultaneously be our greatest enemy? 

The answer may reside in our “chatter”, the ruminating, negative voice in our head that reminds us of our fears and insecurities while democratizing the human condition. 

On today’s episode, we’re diving deep into what “triggers” this inner voice and some very practical tools that can prevent it from overpowering our current condition. 

Ethan Kross is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. An award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, he is the director of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory.

Ethan has participated in policy discussion at the White House and has been interviewed about his research on CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper Full Circle, and NPR’s Morning Edition. His research has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, The New England Journal of Medicine, and Science.

We discuss: 

• What is “chatter”, where does it come from and how can we nip it in the bud?
• 3 practical strategies to combat these negative thoughts and voices
• The benefit of creating a personal “chatter board of advisors”
• Tips for using and desiging your environment to quiet your mind 

Connect with Ethan:

Via his website: https://www.ethankross.com/

Via Instagram: @ethankross 

Via Twitter: @ethan_kross

 

Some of the chatter I have surrounds my lack of activity when I’m on the road and the toll travel takes on my body. Luckily, packing my SAGA BFR cuffs in my suitcase has helped immensely. If you’re like me and want a tool to help you get a hard, efficient workout that you can take anywhere (including a hotel room), check out their WIRELESS BRF cuffs. Code BRETT20 will get you 20% OFF your order (nearly $50!). 

The Apprenticeship - Join us before the end of the year!

• Nashville: September 25-26th - SOLD OUT

• Cardiff (Wales): October 9-10th
• Asheville: November 13-14th