Finding Mastery: Conversations With Michael Gervais

First - real quick if you haven’t heard yet, we are pivoting from an ad-supported model to a crowdfunding model and we really need your support!You can learn more at findingmastery.net/support - it would be greatly appreciated.We’d love to see this podcast exist for a long time but that only happens if we have your support.And for those who aren’t familiar with Tribe Talk - it’s where I answer questions related to the podcast and high performance. I just recorded a new episode last week on how to separate who you are from what you do.You can find it at findingmastery.net/support!Now to this week’s conversation… it’s with Major MJ HegarMJ, one of Foreign Policy Magazine's 100 Leading Global Thinkers of 2013 and one of Newsweek's 125 Women of Impact of 2012, was commissioned into the Air Force through ROTC at The University of Texas in 1999. She served on active duty as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer at Misawa Air Base, Japan, and Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri where she w

This conversation is with Rick Welts.He has 40 years of experience in the NBA and is currently the President & Chief Operating Officer of the Golden State Warriors who have just won their second championship in 3 years.He owns the rare distinction of being part of championship teams in the NBA (2), WNBA (2) and NBA Development League.  We talk about risk -- both private and public risk….and how important alignment in life is (who you are and how you live your life.Rick is known to be a world-class communicator -- and it comes through in this conversation .You can find more conversations like this at Findingmastery.net See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This conversation is loaded. The center of the conversation is Dr. Harry Edwards journey to impact human rights through the experiences of the African American athlete. Often times when people are asked, what they want most in life, the response,, without hesitation, is "to be happy -- or to have peace." I know for sure that I don't want, just happiness. I don't want just one of the core emotions. I want to be connected to them all, not muted from the ones that are uncomfortable. In this conversation Dr. Edwards did just that -- he felt and shared sadness, frustration, fear -- he taught me more about how he lives his life in this fashion, than he did with his words -- and his words are precise and thoughtful. After completing his Bachelor's degree, he was "on the draft board" for an NFL team and rather chose to go to Cornell University where he completed a M.A. and a Ph. D. in sociology. He later became a professor of Sociology at the University of California at Berkeley from 1970-2000.He is a human rights ac

If you have an iPhone, you know Adam Cheyer's work. He was the Co-Founder of Siri, Inc. He's now the Co-Founder and VP of Engineering at Viv Labs.Their mission is to: Radically simplify the world by providing an intelligent interface for everything.He's also one of the founders of Sentient Technologies, which was founded in 2007 and has generated over $143 million in funding since its inception.In this conversation, we talked about having a vision for what you prioritize most (he has goals for his self, for the world, and financially). He thinks "at scale." For example, Change.org was inspired by his "for the world” goal.We talked about the inception of Siri, and where machine learning is headed next, and debated if it's good or bad for the future.We also discussed how he creates and approaches seemingly insurmountable challenges and achieves them.Oh -- and Adam is an author of 60 publications and 26 patents.Also, there are so many pearls of wisdom that are shared in these conversations. I

Jon Gordon is a best-selling author: including The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, The Seed, You Win in the Locker Room First and The No Complaining Rule…..and his newest book: the power of positive leadershipJon has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends….and….seems like every other week I hear about him speaking to teams in the NBA, NFL, MLB….or keynoting conferences. Jon has spirit. And I think people are so attracted to him, because of that spirit. You can't help but want to be better around him. Jon played Lacrosse for and is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. The main themes for this conversation are about - connection, relationships, leading, striving together and how to succeed as a team. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wendy Behary is a founding fellow and consulting supervisor for The Academy of Cognitive Therapy (Aaron T. Beck Institute). Wendy has a specialty in treating narcissists and the people who live with and deal with them. She is the author of "Disarming the Narcissist -- surviving and thriving with the self-absorbed” translated in 10 languages. Narcissism and world-class achievement have an interesting relationship. When we think of those who excel on the world stage, it'd be easy to conjure up a story that they have a deep inner belief that they can be the absolute best in the world (that's actually not the case, as we've come to learn from many of the folks on the Finding Mastery Podcast. But for those who do hold that belief -- THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND ME BECAUSE I’M THAT IMPORTANT AND SPECIAL --is when my antenna tends to attune to the concept of narcissism. It's the excessive self-centered vanity and lack of regard for others that is one of the hallmarks of narcissism. We can all be self-absorbe

Scott Barry Kaufman is primarily interested in using solid psychological science to live a creative, fulfilling, and meaningful life. He's earned his research chops -- He received a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Yale University, and an M. Phil in experimental psychology from the University of Cambridge. He's the scientific director of the Imagination Institute, and conducts research in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Scott is also an author -- In 2013, he published Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined, which reviewed the latest science of intelligence and also detailed his experiences as a child growing up with a learning disability. In the book, he outlined his Theory of Personal Intelligence, which goes beyond traditional metrics of intelligence (e.g., IQ, standardized tests), and takes into account each person’s unique abilities, passions, personal goals, and developmental trajectory. Scott also has hosts the The Psychology Podcast -- where he and I have had fun

Lisa Kerney is an anchor of the evening and night editions of SportsCenter. In this conversation we learn what it's like to have a childhood dream -- and -- more importantly how to make decisions that map-onto making that childhood dream come to life. When we see people who are doing what they always wanted to do -- they have much to teach us about what it takes to set a long term vision -- how to persevere through the ups and downs -- and how to fuel the passion that is required to "play the long game." Lisa has definitely played the long game, betting on herself, her skills, and her family structure to support and challenge her along the way. I wanted to learn from Lisa how she's seemingly been able to juggle so many facets of her life -- both family and professional. While there's no silver bullet (rarely there is), she points to the importance of going for "big challenges", really being open to coaching (not just saying that), and how important being fully locked-in and present is for her to maximize h

This conversation is with Tu Lam. Tu is a modern day warrior, respected by his peers to have a very special understanding of elite war fighting. Tu shares how he was raised as a warrior. This conversation will challenge you -- as his world view, his spiritual framework and his warrior craft are beautifully complicated and nuanced. I have an incredibly high regard for those who dedicate their life to noble purposes. There are many ways to live with conviction -- ranging from pacifism to warfighting. This conversation will hopefully help you become more clear on your approach to human rights and freedom. And I'd like to revisit the importance on having clarity on your personal philosophy -- to be able to articulate the framework and filter that helps to align your thoughts, words and actions. Tu has served and fought amongst the most elite units within the United States Military for 22.9 yrs. Tu recently retired, and is now the Founder, CEO of Ronin Tactics, Inc. where he teaches and develops tac

This conversation is with Ugo Ehiogu, whom I just met in Great Britain. He was a former English professional footballer. If you're in the states you would call him a soccer player. He had a long career- from 1989 to 2009 and at the time I met him he was the coach of the Tottenham Hotspur under-23 team. Ugo had this inner brilliance, this humility and thoughtfulness that was apparent right from the first interaction. It was the handshake and the eye contact that gave it away. It was the combination of the way that he carried himself with the words that he chose and maybe even more striking was the care that he took to choose the words to find the most authentic way to express what he's come to understand. Ugo and I were not able to finish this conversation and it's heartbreaking. It's for two reasons. The first made sense. He needed to run out onto the field and begin his coaching for his under-23 team. The second reason is harder to process. Ugo passed away at the age of 44 before we were able t

Tina Seelig is a Professor of the Practice in the Department of Management Science and Engineering, and a Faculty Director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program at Stanford University School of Engineering. At Stanford, she teaches courses and leads three fellowship programs focused on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Dr. Seelig earned her PhD in Neuroscience at Stanford Medical School, and has authored 17 books, including Insight Out (2016), inGenius (2012), and What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 (2009). She is the recipient of the Gordon Prize from the National Academy of Engineering, the Olympus Innovation Award, and the Silicon Valley Visionary Award. Tina is on it -- In this conversation we talk about: -the difference between innovation and creativity -how she defines an entrepreneur -having the proper mindset and skills to succeed -the different ways to frame a problem -the power of asking the right questions -why diversity and teamwork are key to successful ventures -how you find out w

This conversation is with Toto Wolff. If you follow Formula One, you know what Toto has helped build over the past handful of years. He's an owner and the Executive Director of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team - along with wider responsibilities as Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. Formula One is known as the tip of the arrow when it comes to motorsports -- their cars are the fastest road course racing cars in the world, being able to maintain very high cornering speeds (pulling 6g's) by generating incredible amounts of aerodynamic down force. They race at speeds of up to approximately 230 MPH. Toto is a father, husband, and businessman. He knows risk. He knows innovation. And he knows winning. Under his leadership, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport has clinched a hat-trick of Formula One World Championships, winning a total of six titles and more than 50 Grand Prix since 2014. The reason I wanted to have the conversation with Toto is because he has an incredible way about how he see's organizatio

This conversation is with Nile Rodgers. If you've listened to music in the last 40 years, you've heard his work. By trade, he's a musician and a producer -- He's a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for Musical Excellence. He's done the hard yards to understand the nuances of himself and his craft, to be able to express the inner music, in ways that have influenced the rhythms of the world. What I wanted to learn most in this conversation is how Nile understands music, and how he's been so successful collaborating with others to bring out their music. He's produced Diana Ross, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Madonna, INXS, Britney Spears, Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Avicii, Sam Smith, Pitbull, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, Keith Urban and Christina Aguilera. And the list goes on and on and on. This conversation is about relationships -- with self -- with others.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chade-Meng Tan (Meng) is a Google pioneer, award-winning engineer, international bestselling author, thought leader and philanthropist. He retired from Google as its Jolly Good Fellow at the age of 45. He is Chairman of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute and Co-chair of One Billion Acts of Peace, which has been nominated eight times for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is also Adjunct Professor at the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in the National University of Singapore. At Google, Meng led the creation of a groundbreaking mindfulness-based emotional intelligence course called Search Inside Yourself, which was featured on the front page of the Sunday Business section of the New York Times. Search Inside Yourself is also the title of Meng’s New York Times bestselling book which has been endorsed by world leaders such as President Carter of the United States, business leaders such as Eric Schmidt of Google and John Mackey of Whole Foods Markets, and spiritual leaders such as the Dalai L

This conversation with Pat Byrne is really about the building of an entrepreneurial venture based on sleep technology. The importance of getting quality sleep is a well accepted principle, research based, and on average we need to get somewhere between seven to eight hours of sleep a night to be the best version of ourselves, to be vibrant, and to have the capacity to think clearly and quickly. Pat has been one of the pioneers in the field that have been able to bridge well-accepted principles in research with emerging technology. There's so many gems and nuggets in this conversation about sleep and where he comes from and how he’s dedicated his life efforts and why he's become a game changer. He’s definitely shifted the way that professional sport franchises, at least many of the ones that I've been involved with or have friends that have been involved in others, have been able to think about sleep. Before he came along with this technology, there was the talk of how important sleep is but now there’s actual

Lawrence Levy is the author of To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History. It was named Amazon’s Best Business and Leadership Book of 2016 Formerly a Silicon Valley lawyer and executive, Lawrence was hired by Steve Jobs in 1994 as CFO and member of the Office of the President of Pixar. He was responsible for guiding Pixar's transformation from a money-losing graphics company into a multibillion-dollar entertainment studio. He later joined Pixar's board of directors. He then left corporate life to study Eastern philosophy and meditation and their relevance to modern life. He now writes and teaches on this topic and cofounded Juniper Foundation to pursue this work. I wanted to learn from Lawrence - how he thinks about taking on challenges -- how he organizes his thoughts around risk taking -- and how he was able to have extreme success on multiple counts (school, business, family, and the journey within, as well). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac

Krisztina "Z" Holly is an MIT-trained engineer, tech entrepreneur, and pioneer. She was curator and host of the first ever TEDx (TEDxUSC) and founder of two university innovation centers at MIT and USC. Z hosts The Art of Manufacturing podcast and is Chief Instigator of MAKE IT IN LA, LA Mayor Garcetti's non-profit initiative to celebrate and support the nation's largest community of makers and manufacturers. In part 2 of the conversation, we discuss what is often overlooked about the manufacturing industry, how to truly make an impact on the world, and why curiosity, courage, and commitment are three words that embody mastery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Krisztina Holly is an MIT-trained engineer, tech entrepreneur, and pioneer. She was curator and host of the first ever TEDx (TEDxUSC) and founder of two university innovation centers at MIT and USC. She hosts The Art of Manufacturing podcast and is Chief Instigator of MAKE IT IN LA, LA Mayor Garcetti's non-profit initiative to celebrate and support the nation's largest community of makers and manufacturers. Previously, Krisztina was vice provost for innovation at USC and founding executive director of two innovation centers--MIT Deshpande Center and USC Stevens–which helped launch 39 funded startups and expand innovation ecosystems in Boston and LA. She has been adjunct Professor of Innovation Practice at USC and an advisor and board member to nearly two dozen non-profit and private sector organizations globally, including the Obama Administration and World Economic Forum. I wanted to have this conversation with her to learn how how she develops and innovates at a global scale. She has a track record for bu

This conversation is with Jamie Wheal and Steven Kotler. Many of you will remember Steven from our conversation about flow state -- if you missed that, check out episode 16 on Ultimate Human Performance. Jamie and Steven are the co-founders of the Flow Genome Project, which is a collection of world-class academics, athletes and artists dedicated to taking flow from the extreme to the mainstream. I've loved being their friend and being part of their community. Jamie and Steven are completely switched-on : smart, quick and divergent thinkers, lovers of life, and are so curious, that they embody what they're trying to learn. This conversation has very nuanced adult themes -- so -- if you're listening with kids, maybe you'll want to consider listening to this one without them depending on however you roll. Steven and Jamie just wrote a book together called: Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work. What I hope you'll take aw

Dr. Brewer is the Director of Research at the Center for Mindfulness and associate professor in Medicine and Psychiatry at UMass Medical School. He is also adjunct faculty at Yale University, and a research affiliate at MIT. He's at ground-zero when it comes to using science to explain how mindfulness is working -- For me, this was a fantastic conversation about his journey toward mastery -- and his very applied insights on applying good science to upgrade or enhance the habits that get you closer to the man or woman that you're working on becoming. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.