The Elite Performance Podcast

How do you help your kids be brave when fear feels so big?Itamar and Ben get honest about parenting through fear. In this episode Itamar and Ben have an honest conversation about fear, as parents, not just as coaches. Itamar shares how he's translated his special ops lessons to fatherhood. Ben opens up about raising three kids 13, 14, and 19 who are bright and capable but sometimes hold themselves back in a fear bubble. It's not about pushing harder or lowering the standard. It's about feeling safe enough to try, and steady enough to keep going.What you'll learn for you & your kids:Why kids can't hear logic when emotions are high and how to calm the feeling first, togetherHow to help your child tell real danger from just feeling uncomfortable with the swimming story that finally clickedHow to hold a loving, high standard let them choose what they love, then stand with them while they do the hard partWhy one small win I didn't listen to my body. I knew I didn't have to be scared builds real courage fastThe simple ABC Triangle to catch big emotions early: Affect (how I feel), Body/Behavior (what my body does), Cognitive (what I'm telling myself)For parents to try this week: notice the spark early, name it together, question if it's always true, choose one small brave action, and move your body after to let the stress out.Connect with Ben: https://www.muscleintelligence.com/

"I couldn't care less if you have a six pack or can run a four minute mile."Most people chasing performance end up dependent on it, one bad night of sleep or a missed workout and the whole day falls apart. Ben Pakulski, who coaches nine-figure founders on physical and mental capacity, builds the opposite: people who don't need to feel optimized to function at the highest level.This episode is about the difference between optimizing for a number and building a body that can actually take on more, and why almost nobody starts there.Topics Covered:Why 99% of biohacking creates a psychological trap instead of an edgeThe 4 capacities Ben uses to diagnose why high performers quietly plateauWhat actually happens in the body and mind of a founder who's quietly burning out from unsustainable highs and lowsThe 3 things Ben stabilizes in every client before anything else mattersWhy "solving for trajectory, not outcome" changes everythingConnect with Ben: https://www.muscleintelligence.com/ *Get the "Elite Performance" book at https://itamarmarani.com/book/If you’re ready to get unstuck and take both yourself and your business to the next level, apply to The Arena here: https://itamarmarani.com/applyGet the Extreme Clarity Tool To Uncover The #1 Action To Grow Your Business: https://itamarmarani.com/claritySign up for “3 Quick Ideas Tuesday” (weekly 2 minute newsletter around mindset and emotional fortitude): https://itamarmarani.com/3-ideas/

Most entrepreneurs mistake discomfort for danger. That single mistake keeps them from having difficult conversations, making bold decisions, and building the business they actually want. Entrepreneur Niels Zee shares how one breath hold exercise exposed the same survival instincts driving his business decisions, and how learning to stay calm under water changed the way he leads, negotiates, and handles conflict in his business.In this episode, Niels breaks down how he resolved years of tension with his co-founder, why avoiding uncomfortable conversations quietly drains your ambition, and the exact mental frameworks that let you perform when the pressure is highest.Topics covered:The framework for difficult conversations that keeps everyone calm and cool headedHow to spot hidden resentment that destroys motivationHow to become 4.3x more capable in 2 daysConnect with Niels: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niels-zee/Read the article: https://itamarmarani.com/how-to-become-4-3x-more-capable-in-two-days/*Get the "Elite Performance" book at https://itamarmarani.com/book/If you’re ready to get unstuck and take both yourself and your business to the next level, apply to The Arena here: https://itamarmarani.com/applyGet the Extreme Clarity Tool To Uncover The #1 Action To Grow Your Business: https://itamarmarani.com/claritySign up for “3 Quick Ideas Tuesday” (weekly 2 minute newsletter around mindset and emotional fortitude): https://itamarmarani.com/3-ideas/

Knowing something is wrong and being able to fix it are two completely different things.James Feng built a great business. Solid results, real clients, genuine value. And still couldn't break past $300K. The block wasn't effort, he had plenty of that. He came on the pod to share how it was a belief wired in at 16 that had quietly shaped how he saw sales, risk, and what he was willing to go after… And how it took an outside perspective to surface it.This episode exposes what actually creates a plateau that’s common in so many entrepreneurs and what it takes to break one.Topics Covered:Why protecting your emotions costs you moneyHow one early experience builds a rule you live by for decades without knowing itWhy self-help has a ceilingConnect with James: https://www.instagram.com/jameszfeng/*Get the "Elite Performance" book at https://itamarmarani.com/book/If you’re ready to get unstuck and take both yourself and your business to the next level, apply to The Arena here: https://itamarmarani.com/applyGet the Extreme Clarity Tool To Uncover The #1 Action To Grow Your Business: https://itamarmarani.com/claritySign up for “3 Quick Ideas Tuesday” (weekly 2 minute newsletter around mindset and emotional fortitude): https://itamarmarani.com/3-ideas/

"When results dip, you think: let me occupy my brain with something new that I don't have rejection on yet. Nothing has failed there. It feels safer. It is the recipe for disaster."Most entrepreneurs are basing their confidence on the wrong thing, and it's costing them deals, momentum, and peace of mind. Crypto and media entrepreneur Antoine Rousseaux breaks down why skill confidence beats revenue confidence when it comes to deal making.In this episode, Antoine reveals how he navigated extreme crypto market volatility, built a media-first business from scratch, and discovered how peace of mind can be a revenue multiplier, not a luxury.Topics covered:Why shiny object syndrome is a self-trust problem, not a focus problemHow patience, built on skill confidence, wins negotiations before they startThe "offseason" business strategy: how to build your war chest during slow or volatile marketsWhy your entrepreneur mindset is worth more than your current revenue streamConnect with Antoine:https://www.youtube.com/@HandsomeFinancehttps://x.com/AntoineRSX*Get the "Elite Performance" book at https://itamarmarani.com/book/If you’re ready to get unstuck and take both yourself and your business to the next level, apply to The Arena here: https://itamarmarani.com/applyGet the Extreme Clarity Tool To Uncover The #1 Action To Grow Your Business: https://itamarmarani.com/claritySign up for “3 Quick Ideas Tuesday” (weekly 2 minute newsletter around mindset and emotional fortitude): https://itamarmarani.com/3-ideas/