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The Threshold Lab is where “aha” moments and insights go to lift weights. Each episode cracks open a fundamental principle from the world of high performance and aims to transform how you think, work, and lead. Think of it like unlocking a door you’ve passed a hundred times, only to find it opens into a whole new way of thinking. If you're into mindset, growth, and the occasional mental mic drop, you're in the right lab.
Zach Brandon is a coach, speaker, and thought leader blending principles from psychology, coaching, and high performance to empower others toward personal and professional excellence.
147 Episodes
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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://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillmen...
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 stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.bee...
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 athletes recognize and reset when the game speeds up. For more practical tools and mindset stories...
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 newsletter here: https://winningwithwords.beehiiv.com/If you’re a coach or leader striving for m...
Every performer faces storms (e.g. slumps, setbacks, self-doubt, etc.). The question isn’t whether the waves will come, but whether you know where and how to drop your anchor. Today's message is about why our personal strengths are our anchor when storms hit. We'll discuss importance of leaning into your signature strengths (instead of obsessing over weaknesses) and why we should focus on becoming great at what we're good at. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can sub...
Ever sat at a parking lot exit waiting for your GPS to calibrate and catch up? Today's message is centered around the idea that a GPS can’t guide a parked car, it requires motion. We'll explores three takeaways and lessons we can all learn from a GPS as we drive towards whatever destination (e.g. goals) we set out for. 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 ...
Sharing and receiving the truth might be the hardest (and most important) part of a team's culture. Inspired by the movie,The Matrix, and Buzz Williams’ “red pill” principle at Texas A&M, this episode dives into what it means to choose the honest reality over comfort in your team or organization. We also highlight Kevin Eastman's 3 components of the truth: Live it, tell it, and take it. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter h...
When Becky Burleigh took over the brand-new Florida Gators women’s soccer program at just 26 years old, there was no history to inherit, she had to build it. Three years later, she delivered a national championship. Across 26 seasons at the University of Florida, Coach Burleigh became one of the winningest coaches in college soccer history. She amassed 513 career wins, 14 SEC regular-season titles, 12 SEC Tournament championships, 22 NCAA appearances, and a 2024 induction into the Florida Ath...
In 1999, Kobe Bryant broke his wrist, but showed up early the next morning and completed a workout on the court anyway. This scene offered a valuable lesson to one of his teammates because it highlighted the difference between those who want it from those who work for it. In this episode, we unpack how elite performers (from Kobe Bryant to a Grammy-winning artist) override their brain’s natural pull toward comfort and excuses. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you ...
Most leadership messages push you to “be a thermostat” and set the tone for your team and its culture. But great leaders know that before you can change the temperature, you have to understand it. In this episode, we explore why it's imperative for coaches and leaders to be thermostats AND thermometers with their teams. The key is learning to balance between reading the room and setting the tone. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter h...
Great leaders don’t design environments that never fail, but they do build ones that recover quickly. In this episode, we explore the difference between "fail-safe" and "safe-to-fail" systems and what NASA’s Apollo 13 mission, Netflix’s Chaos Monkey, and parenting can teach us about building stronger, more flexible mindsets. 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 lead...
Today’s guest is Phil Beckner who is one of basketball’s most trusted and respected player development coaches and a teacher who’s coached at nearly every level of the game. Phil is currently a Player Development Consultant for numerous NBA players and several college programs, helping performers thrive on and off the court. Through his company, Be Better Be Different, he also partners with high-performing teams, organizations, and businesses to elevate leadership, build culture, and maximize...
Today we discuss a quote from NFL star wide receiver, Cooper Kupp, that illustrates the mindset he has to play and compete with freedom on the field. We explore how intentional preparation builds confidence and detachment unlocks freedom. Together, this combination helps you perform freely and as the best version of yourself. 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 st...
A 61-round draw. A 21-round knockout. And a mantra that still contains relevance today well beyond the boxing ring. This episode dives into the story of “Gentleman Jim” Corbett and how his mantra ("Fight one more round") offers a timeless lesson in focus and mental strength. We discuss Corbett's story, the science behind endurance and fatigue, and how you can leverage intentional self-talk to stay composed when your energy fades. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, y...
There’s a simple mental shift that separates a performer's ability to react vs. respond. The shift boils down to one word that can be the difference between getting stuck in struggle or uncomfortable emotions and moving forward productively. Today's episode is all about one of the most underrated words and "tools" to help you master the mental game of performance and life. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwith...
We often talk about “getting over” hard moments, but what if the real growth comes from "getting through" them? In this episode, we explore the process of moving through discomfort in the form of pain, transitions, and uncertainty. It's a reminder that our most difficult seasons in life can be valuable teachers when we are willing to "sit in uncertainty" and not seek to rush getting over them. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here...
This episode unpacks the shared psychology behind consumer choices and buying-in to a leader's influence. We examine the psychology of buy-in and why status matters, how trust forms, and what the best coaches do to connect both. 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, feel free to reach out anytime to see ...
Inspired by a Naval Ravikant quote that differentiates status games vs. natural games, this episode examines how that distinction shows up on a daily basis in all our lives. In this episode, we explore how to recognize which game you’re playing, why status is so addictive, and how to align actions and choices with the scoreboard that is the most sustainable and fulfilling. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://winningwith...
In Navy SEAL training, there’s a brutal exercise called drownproofing. Your hands and feet are bound, you’re dropped into deep water and told to survive for five minutes. The harder you fight, the faster you sink. The key to surviving is surrendering the urge to swim to the top. In this episode, we explore what drownproofing can teach us about letting go of control and why the instinct to fight through every struggle often keeps you stuck. For more practical tools and mindset stories like thi...
One of the most precious gifts you can extend to others is your presence. In this episode, we explore stories of human connection, from an unexpected moment of silence on Theo Von's podcast to a daycare teacher who helped a child breathe and calm down. Backed by neuroscience, these moments reveal how a loved one or friend's presence can soothe pain and reduce our threat responses. For more practical tools and mindset stories like this, you can subscribe to my free newsletter here: https://win...
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