#30 - Why Process Beats Outcome with Olympic Medalist Kylie Masse
Peak Performance, Exercise, Training Greg Wells PhD Peak Performance, Exercise, Training Greg Wells PhD

#30 - Why Process Beats Outcome with Olympic Medalist Kylie Masse

In today’s conversation Kylie Masse explores her path from late-developing age-grouper in LaSalle, Ontario to world record holder and Olympic medallist. She and Dr. Wells unpack why fun and a supportive training group kept her going when results lagged, how “process over outcome” became a competitive superpower, and what a full race day really looks like beyond the TV final. Kylie shares practical tactics for managing pressure—balancing school and sport, using music to set state, and recovering like a pro—while aiming at Worlds and the Olympics.

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#28 - The Coping Crisis: Dr. Bill Howatt on Building Mental Health
Mental Health, Think Clearly Greg Wells PhD Mental Health, Think Clearly Greg Wells PhD

#28 - The Coping Crisis: Dr. Bill Howatt on Building Mental Health

In today’s conversation Bill Howatt explores how his own lived experience with dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, and shame became the engine for a 30-year career in mental health — and why he now focuses on helping employers create psychologically safe, health-promoting workplaces. He and Dr. Wells map the crucial distinction between mental health and mental illness, walk through the “awareness → accountability → action” pathway, and show why coping skills must be trained like oral hygiene. They also unpack the role of managers, stress, and fast-brain autopilot in the current “coping crisis.” The through-line: mental health is trainable, but only if we make it intentional.

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#27 - “Get Off the Sidelines”: Orlando Bowen on Forgiveness and Leadership
Leadership, Meaning, Purpose Greg Wells PhD Leadership, Meaning, Purpose Greg Wells PhD

#27 - “Get Off the Sidelines”: Orlando Bowen on Forgiveness and Leadership

In today’s conversation Orlando Bowen explores how a promising CFL career, a life of community service, and a single night of police brutality collided — and how he chose forgiveness instead of bitterness. He walks Dr. Wells through the assault, the false charges, and the six-year legal battle, and then the turn: seeing that the real purpose was to stand in the gap for the people who wouldn’t have had a voice. Orlando explains how that experience birthed his youth-leadership work and his “get off the sidelines” message for corporations. The result is a raw, hopeful conversation about justice, healing, and showing up for others.

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#26 - All about Spark - Your Brain on Exercise with Dr. John Ratay
Exercise, Think Clearly, Mental Health, Brain Greg Wells PhD Exercise, Think Clearly, Mental Health, Brain Greg Wells PhD

#26 - All about Spark - Your Brain on Exercise with Dr. John Ratay

In today’s conversation John Ratey explores the revolutionary science behind Spark — how movement changes brain chemistry in real time and why it should sit beside therapy and medication for depression, anxiety, ADHD, and even addiction. He tells the Naperville District story, where daily fitness flipped academic outcomes, then connects it to what we now know about BDNF, endocannabinoids, and neurogenesis. John and Dr. Wells go deep on stress reactivity, GABA, and why fitter people are harder to panic. They finish with a vision for a future where we move more, together, outside — because connection and nature amplify everything exercise does.

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#25 - Overcome Any Challenge And Come Out Stronger with Chris Norton
Mental Health, Peak Performance, Challenge Greg Wells PhD Mental Health, Peak Performance, Challenge Greg Wells PhD

#25 - Overcome Any Challenge And Come Out Stronger with Chris Norton

  1. In today’s conversation Chris Norton explores what it really takes to come back from a catastrophic spinal cord injury — from nodding his head in a hospital bed to walking across his college graduation stage and, years later, seven yards down the aisle with his wife. He and Dr. Wells unpack the moment he refused the doctor’s prognosis, the midnight conversation with his dad about “doing all the little things,” and the later, quieter season when his wife Emily struggled with depression even while their video was going viral. Chris shows how purpose, faith, and accountability can turn suffering into service through speaking, his foundation, and foster/adoptive parenting. It’s a masterclass in radical hope.

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#24 - The Power of Music and Crafting Creativity with Tim Nichols
Music, Creativity Greg Wells PhD Music, Creativity Greg Wells PhD

#24 - The Power of Music and Crafting Creativity with Tim Nichols

In today’s conversation Tim Nichols explores the craft behind hit songs and why “must be present to win” is the real secret of Nashville. He tells the origin story of “Live Like You Were Dying” — casual coffee, two stories about mortality, and then a line that changed country music — and explains how he balances art and commerce without selling out. Tim and Dr. Wells dig into courage, collaboration, and why songs sometimes “choose” the artist (as Tim McGraw did in the middle of his dad’s illness). He also reflects on what’s next after the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame: keep growing, keep giving, keep creating.

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#23 - Dr. Greg Wells on The Power of Flow
Mental Health, Flow Greg Wells PhD Mental Health, Flow Greg Wells PhD

#23 - Dr. Greg Wells on The Power of Flow

In today’s presentation clip Dr. Greg Wells explores how the nervous system can be guided into a state of flow — not by wishing for it, but by setting the conditions. He walks through his 3-step progression: adopt a meaningful challenge, focus relentlessly on the one thing that matters, and then release tension so the body and brain can do what they’re designed to do. Greg tells the Dawn Wall story — seven years of prep, public failure, and finally flow — to show exactly what happens when an athlete stops forcing and starts flowing. He finishes with a “Titan toolkit” you can use tomorrow morning.

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#22 - Dr. Greg Wells on The Power of Focus
Think Clearly, Focus, Mental Health Greg Wells PhD Think Clearly, Focus, Mental Health Greg Wells PhD

#22 - Dr. Greg Wells on The Power of Focus

In today’s presentation clip Dr. Greg Wells explores how to protect your attention in a world that’s engineered to steal it. He tells the story of climbing Chimborazo in Ecuador—with no cell service—and how immersion in nature, altitude, and risk forced him to focus on the only thing that mattered: getting safely off the mountain. Greg connects that moment to the science of distraction, the “compulsion loop” of our devices, and the sympathetic overactivation that kills problem-solving and creativity. Then he lays out practical focus practices—nature exposure, tech boundaries, single-tasking—that leaders, athletes, and parents can use today.

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#21 - Dr. Greg Wells on The Power of Challenge
Mental Health, Peak Performance Greg Wells PhD Mental Health, Peak Performance Greg Wells PhD

#21 - Dr. Greg Wells on The Power of Challenge

In today’s presentation clip Dr. Greg Wells explores how to use the science of stress and recovery to take on big, scary goals without burning out. He explains the difference between the sympathetic “gas pedal” and parasympathetic “brake,” and why high performers must be able to switch between them on demand. Greg tells the story of Felix Baumgartner’s panic attacks before the Red Bull Stratos jump to show how breathwork + self-talk + gradual exposure rewires the brain for challenge. Then he maps out a simple three-step sequence anyone can use to grow faster, think better, and perform at a world-class level.

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#20 - Attitude Wins: 11X Ironman Champion Lisa Bentley’s Playbook for Sustainable High Performance
Training, Peak Performance, Mindset, Healthspan Greg Wells PhD Training, Peak Performance, Mindset, Healthspan Greg Wells PhD

#20 - Attitude Wins: 11X Ironman Champion Lisa Bentley’s Playbook for Sustainable High Performance

In today’s conversation Lisa Bentley explores how mindset, visualization, and “doing the best with your deck of cards” fueled her rise to 11 IRONMAN titles while living with cystic fibrosis. She breaks down race-week mental rehearsal (Plan A/B/C), chunking the course, and using mantras to keep going when your brain wants an exit.

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#18 - Unsinkable: Silken Laumann on Mindset, Mental Health, and the Power of Real Resilience
Peak Performance, Mindset, Mental Health Greg Wells PhD Peak Performance, Mindset, Mental Health Greg Wells PhD

#18 - Unsinkable: Silken Laumann on Mindset, Mental Health, and the Power of Real Resilience

In today’s conversation Silken Laumann explores how mindset, community, and compassionate honesty turn impossible moments into turning points. She revisits her 1992 comeback in Barcelona and the mental health journey that followed, including anxiety, depression, and the decision to ask for help. Silken shares daily practices—breathwork, meditation, and Morning Pages—that stabilize a “big life” of family, speaking, writing, and service.

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#17 - Food First: Leslie Beck on Evidence-Based Healthy Eating
Nutrition, Healthspan Greg Wells PhD Nutrition, Healthspan Greg Wells PhD

#17 - Food First: Leslie Beck on Evidence-Based Healthy Eating

In today’s conversation Leslie Beck explores how to build a realistic, sustainable way of eating—one that supports mental health, sleep, and digestion. We unpack the research linking dietary patterns to depression (including the SMILES trial), clarify what low-FODMAP really means for IBS, and separate “food first” from when supplements make sense.

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#13 - From Heartbreak to High Performance: Paula Findlay’s Consistency Playbook
Exercise, Training Greg Wells PhD Exercise, Training Greg Wells PhD

#13 - From Heartbreak to High Performance: Paula Findlay’s Consistency Playbook

In today’s conversation Paula Findlay and Dr. Greg explore how a prodigy’s early wins, a very public Olympic heartbreak, and years of nagging injuries reshaped her approach to high performance. She breaks down the “no secrets” method that brought her back—relentless consistency, intelligent volume, and fueling to match the work.

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