Finding Mastery: Conversations With Michael Gervais

Kai Lenny is one of the world’s most complete watermen. Be it kiteboarding, windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, big-wave surfing, or anything else in the water, Kai does it, and does it well. In This Episode: -His parents leading by example rather than telling him what to do -Learning to rise to the occasion from an early age -Not being afraid to stand out -Fighting perfectionism -The difference between achievement and purpose -Nature understanding him the way people can’t -The powerful relationship he shares with music -When time stands still among the waves -What it’s like surfing Mavericks -The space between hesitation and commitment -Finding flow in the water -Setting goals and working harder than anyone else around him -How he keeps calm under water after a wipeout -Wishing he could turn it on and off better -Emotions as his greatest gift and downfall See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and prominent writer on strategy and business. After dropping out of college at nineteen to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multiplatinum musicians. In This Episode: -The concept of parent-child fit and why it was missing for him -Finding the people who understood him in college -Learning under Robert Greene -His method for ideating and organizing thoughts Why his work can be exhilarating and exhausting -The on-going journey to find inner peace The destructiveness of one's “ego” -How his experience at American Apparel create an intersection of his intellectual work and personal life -His love for stoicism 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 with Dan Harris, who most of you know as a co-anchor of “Nightline” and the weekend edition of “Good Morning America” on ABC News -- or 20/20 -- or -- from his New York Times best selling book: 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress without Losing My Edge and Found Self-Help That Actually Works. Dan has faced the public tension, in a panic attack that happened on live television. In This Episode: -Embracing not taking himself too seriously -Finding love in meditation -The humbling nature of sharing insight with others -The difference between pleasure and happiness -His method for showing gratitude -Surrendering to the process of meditation -Learning from his parents via “show, not tell” -Dealing with not being as smart as his parents and brother -Risk taking integrated in his DNA -The moment before and after his panic attack on live TV -Becoming aware of the triggers for his panic attacks -Having a pre-disposition for anxiety -The emotions around not being nominated

Michael Gervais gives his initial thoughts from the last three weeks spent at the Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

James Bond, co-founder of Undefeated, is one of the most recognized and well-curated sneaker boutiques in the world. In This Episode: -Growing up mixed race in a tough Philadelphia neighborhood -The impact his grandpa had on his sense of style -Abusing alcohol & drugs from the early age of 11 -Dealing with anger growing up -Wanting to be someone he wasn’t -Moving from Philadelphia to LA and his introduction into sneaker heads -How he got into show business -Evolving from shoes to a designing a clothing line -What triggers his creativity -The importance of valuing family See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anthony Ervin is a U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist, former world record holder in the 50 freestyle, and former World Champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle. In This Episode: -His relationships with others and the water -Family structure growing up and why he wanted to stand out as the middle child -Suffering from turrets and struggling to control his own body -Channeling his anxiety into swimming -What a good coach means to him -Winning a gold medal at 19 and not being ready for the spotlight -How he saw himself vs. the way the media portrayed him -Drugs and alcohol impacting his ability to perform -Expecting to win his first Gold medal in the relay and letting down his teammates -Approaching competition with an optimistic vs. pessimistic mindset -How he became free of past failure -The cost of his success -His contribution to the sport of swimming See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stephanie Labbe is the goalkeeper for the Canadian Women's National Soccer Team and is headed to Rio for the Olympics. In This Episode: -Picking between sports growing up -Why she supports children playing multiple sports -Striving to be a positive influence and avoiding being an “energy vampire” -What it feels like to be her best -Confronting her coach after being left off the national team -The positive qualities her parents instilled in her -The mental battle that comes with being a goalkeeper -The strategies she’s implemented to live in the moment -Understanding which triggers get her in her own way -Stepping away from the game to identify what she’s truly passion about -Being aware of which things she can control in her life See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Yeung is a noted environmental advocate and founder of Green Monday, an innovative social venture that takes on on climate change, food insecurity, health issues and animal welfare with a diverse platform that shifts individuals, communities, and corporations towards sustainable, healthy, and mindful living. In This Episode: -Learning the cost of success from his father at an early age -Figuring out things on his own during childhood -Why he believes in always finding a way to give back to others -What inspired him to create the Green Monday movement -The impact an animal diet has on the environment -Why failure is no longer part of his vocabulary -His ideal mindset and where mindfulness comes into play -How he approaches his mindfulness training -Living mindfully vs. training mindfully -Focusing on the present moment -Channeling business for good -Challenging others to take one action -The success of Green Monday and his vision for the future See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor

On May 27th, 2016, Colin broke two mountaineering world records; he claimed the speed records for both the Seven Summits (132 days) and the Explorers Grand Slam (139 days), climbing the tallest mountain on each continent and skiing the last degree of latitude to the North and South Poles. In This Episode: -Embracing growing up in a mixed family -Putting in just enough effort to get by in his early life -The transition from doing something for fun to doing it as a profession -Adapting to a new environment at Yale -Traveling the world after college -The moment that changed his life – a severe burn in Thailand -Fulfilling his goal of competing in a triathlon -The meaning of Beyond72 -The intensity of the journey to the South Pole -Summiting Everest under harsh conditions -Consistency as a key to breaking the record -Why mental fortitude is so important -Being flexible when chaos ensued See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy Smith, Founder and CEO of Amusement Park Entertainment, is a creator, who has faced down adversity and celebrates both the humanness and spirituality of people. He has earned countless awards for his work as a Writer and Creative Director for Nike at Wieden + Kennedy, Executive Creative Director at BBDO and most recently, Gatorade’s Group Creative Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day LA. In This Episode: -Striving for diversity within Amusement Park -The story behind Nike Freestyle -Putting the “G” in Gatorade -Identifying the right people to work with -How Nike lost out on Space Jam and what it says about risk taking -Clients not actually wanting to take the risks they claim they are willing to -Heaven sent with Luke Aikens and why he’s comfortable with what’s at stake -Why he listens to others even when he disagrees -Belief as a word that cuts to the center of himself -Why living his live in uncomfortable spots allows him to deal with his inner critic See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor

Jimmy Smith, Founder and CEO of Amusement Park Entertainment, is a creator, who has faced down adversity and celebrates both the humanness and spirituality of people. He has earned countless awards for his work as a Writer and Creative Director for Nike at Wieden + Kennedy, Executive Creative Director at BBDO and most recently, Gatorade’s Group Creative Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day LA. In This Episode: -Enduring racism as a child and how it shaped him -Why he doesn’t have hatred in him -Refusing to take no for an answer -Where he developed confidence from -Racism in the ad agency world -How he filters through what a great idea is -Figuring out what he was good at -His 1st ad campaign -The importance of having African-American role models to look up to -Working through his relationship with God -Stresswood as a defining moment in his life 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 with Nicole Davis. Nicole represented the United States at the 2008 Olympics and 2012 Olympics, helping USA to a silver medal both times. She was also part of the US team that won the 2014 World Championships. In This Episode: -Learning the hard way about the appropriate time to confront a coach -Focusing on what is controllable -Enduring a difficult family dynamic growing up -The impact domestic abuse had on shaping her as a person -The cost of her competitive edge as a child -The difficulty in embracing the good that comes from constant failure -Finding the thing that makes sense to you -Her ability to pick up a new skill quickly -The lonely journey that separates an Olympian from other athletes -Why it’s ok if something is difficult -Her approach to practicing mindfulness -The pressure of the Olympics and how she responded -Importance of understanding where confidence comes from See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#

Michael Gervais holds a "State of Finding Mastery" to distill some insights from the podcast so far and explain what's he's excited for going forward. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The conversations we have with ourselves either facilitate or slow down the pursuit to understand potential. It is not the external obstacles that determine one’s path, rather, the process of working with the challenges that accompany all of us who want to “go for it” in life. Nicholas McCarthy was born in 1989 without his right hand and only began to play the piano at the late age of 14. In This Episode: -Overcoming a late start to playing the piano -The confidence his parents instilled in him from early age -Visualizing the thing he was told he couldn’t do -His process for embracing challenge -Using imagery as a guide for performing in new venues -Why he loves the piano -The transition from amateur to pro -The meaning behind anything is possible -How he deals with his inner critic -Belief as a word that cuts to the center of what he stands for -Creating a relationship with his fans through music -Exercise as a method for staying mentally strong See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California

Alyssa lives fully – thinks deeply – and captures the point of view and insights from people who have chosen adventure as a way of living. She’s trusted by elite action and adventure sport athletes In This Episode: - What defines action sports athletes - Growing up wanting to be Terry Bradshaw - Moving from form to formless - Pitching the “Madden Curse” - How she finds threads to write about - How do people do things that don’t seem possible - The challenges of writing - How she works through the creative process - Dealing with doubt in writing - Practicing the things you aren’t good at / working on your weaknesses - Cost of greatness - Why movement defines her - Writing controversial stories See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are no short cuts on the path of mastery and those that carve a path - that has yet be carved - have much to teach us about pushing the accepted norms of what most people think is possible. Pat LaFontaine has done both. In This Episode: -4 ways you can change people -Working from inside-out -Awareness of your thoughts -Having a deep passion for what you do -Understanding the right time to challenge kids -Finding harmony in life -How his concussions turned into a positive for others -The concept of each person having their own “time-machine” -Companions & Courage -Keeping perspective on what matters in life -A hat-trick of passion in a bottle See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are no short cuts on the path of mastery and those that carve a path - that has yet be carved - have much to teach us about pushing the accepted norms of what most people think is possible. Pat LaFontaine has done both. In This Episode: -Growing up surrounded by a hard working family -Being the youngest on his youth hockey teams -What ignited his love for hockey -His role models growing up - Setting an initial goal of getting a college scholarship -The moment he realized American players could make it -His legendary Michigan youth club team -The impact Canadian hockey had on his drive to become better -Importance of mindset and being even keel -Having no regrets -Why positive self-talk makes a difference -Allowing experiences to pass through you -The dark place concussions brought him to See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Angela Duckworth studies grit and self-control, two attributes that are distinct from IQ and yet powerfully predict success and well-being. In This Episode: -The value of process vs. outcome -How she first came to value grit -Her definition of grit -Impact of self-control on grit -The differences between achievement and mastery -Sunk-cost fallacy -Setting a goal at the right level -Is passion or perseverance harder? -The 3 kinds of character that are most important See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When humility, passion, risk taking, mother nature and service collide: Ian Walsh. In This Episode: The purpose of surfing etiquette -Importance of persistence -The moment when everything clicked -Why being able to adapt is the key to surfing -How a vision became a reality -Overcoming a devastating knee injury in Patagonia -A surf trip to Fiji as a turning point in his life -Thriving in the state of discomfort -His process behind making a decision -What “being content” means to him -Why the fear of surfing big waves doesn’t stop him See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coach Pete Carroll has a philosophy. It's clear to him. He's found it to be extremely powerful to help himself and others to become the very best version of themselves: Always Compete. He doesn’t talk about past success. He doesn't become consumed with what is yet to come. He lives engaged in maximizing wherever his feet are. In This Episode: -Why having a chip on his shoulder helped shape him -The importance of being present -How competition fuels him -Why you can’t be afraid of failure -Creating your own reality -Helping others become optimistic -The moment he knew he had a different vision for coaching -Relationship-based approach to coaching -Why he doesn’t need to talk about winning -Dealing with difficult outcomes -The moments between the moments -The importance of the Seahawks culture -How he instills a risk-taking mentality in his players -Getting to the truth of what went wrong when mistakes happen -Why it all comes downs love See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy No