Welcome back to The Next Season Podcast — and trust me, this one's a masterclass.

I’m honored to sit down with Johnny Martin, a speaker, coach and mentor to Fortune 1 executives, elite military operators, world-record holders, pro athletes, and high-level entrepreneurs. More than that, Johnny is a man who lives what he teaches—a life built on values, vision and grit.

When I created the Ambition Pillar in my coaching program, it was grounded in lessons I learned from Johnny—because values are the foundation for everything: goals, standards, boundaries, success and a life of purpose.

In this episode, we unpack what it really means to live in alignment, how to coach elite performers through pressure and transition, and why character always outlasts talent.

If you’re an athlete, parent, coach—or just someone chasing something bigger—get your notepad ready.

Here’s Johnny Martin.

Connect with Johnny: johnny@veteransfuture.org

https://veteransfuture.org/

00:00 – Opening & Johnny's Origin Story

04:00 – Strict Parents & Firm Expectations

06:18 – Poor Choices, Free Labor & a Life Lesson

10:00 – Finding Purpose & a Path - Lessons from Johnny's Father

16:08 – We DON'T Learn from Experience…

18:41 – The Neuroscience of Real Behavior Change

25:10 – Johnny's Journey From the Classroom to Coaching Elite Performers

36:00 – Different Environments, Same Principles

38:48 – Pillars of Next Season

41:53 – The Ambition Pillar - Identity, Vision, Values, Standards and Boundaries

43:23 – It Starts with Values - Your “No Matter Whats”

52:16 – "We're Gonna Dance, and I'm Gonna Lead" - Stress, Distress & Agency

58:36 – Acknowledge, Accept, Act

1:00:00 – Wrapping Up, Honoring Our Military & Helping Transitioning Veterans