#42 - “Imagine If”: Simon Whitfield on Mastery, Visualization & Joy
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#42 - “Imagine If”: Simon Whitfield on Mastery, Visualization & Joy

In today’s conversation Simon Whitfield explores the mindset behind his Sydney 2000 Olympic gold and Beijing 2008 silver, and how visualization, breath control, and teamwork shaped those races. He shares the “imagine if” habit from his training log, the deliberate use of a domestique strategy in 2008, and the “do-nothing defense” for regaining composure in decisive moments. Simon opens up about the costs of fame, the post-career identity pivot, and why rebuilding around nature—specifically time on the ocean—restored his presence with family and joy in daily life. The result is a practical blueprint for anyone navigating pressure, change, or reinvention. 

Read More
#41 - No Health Without Mental Health: Dr. Gina Di Giulio on Practical Mental Health
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#41 - No Health Without Mental Health: Dr. Gina Di Giulio on Practical Mental Health

In today’s conversation Gina Di Giulio explores why “there is no health without mental health,” and how to cut through confusion to get high-quality support quickly. She and Dr. Wells unpack practical strategies for coping with anxiety, protecting sleep, using exercise as “medicine,” limiting news exposure, and staying socially connected while physically distant. Gina explains her “action first” philosophy—take a small, controllable step to jump-start motivation—and shares how gratitude journaling and strengths-based psychology move people from neutral to flourishing. You’ll hear real-world, clinician-tested tactics that work for busy leaders, parents, and teams.

Read More
#40 - Grief, Risk and Freedom: Climber Brette Harrington on Fear, Loss & Flow
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#40 - Grief, Risk and Freedom: Climber Brette Harrington on Fear, Loss & Flow

In today’s conversation Brette Harrington explores how a life built in the mountains has shaped her resilience, creativity, and sense of purpose. She shares her journey from skiing with her parents in Lake Tahoe to boarding school in New Hampshire, discovering rock climbing, and eventually becoming one of the world’s leading trad climbers, alpinists, and free soloists — including the first free solo of the 2,500-foot Chiaro di Luna (5.11a) in Patagonia. She and Dr. Wells talk through her serious ski accident and broken neck, the years of big-wall and alpine climbing with her partner Marc-André Leclerc, and the devastating avalanche that took his life in 2018. Brette explains why she chose to return to the mountains against others’ advice, how she now manages fear on big objectives, and why moving slowly, breathing deeply, and listening to her energy are non-negotiable for both safety and performance.

Read More
#39 - From Olympic Gold Medals to Great Traits: Mark Tewksbury & Debbie Muir on High-Performance Leadership
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#39 - From Olympic Gold Medals to Great Traits: Mark Tewksbury & Debbie Muir on High-Performance Leadership

In today’s conversation Mark Tewksbury and Debbie Muir explore how an Olympic crisis turned into a blueprint for high-performance leadership. Mark shares the story of being “second best in the world” in the 100m backstroke, watching American rival Jeff Rouse blow the world record apart, and realizing he needed to find over a second of improvement in just ten months — the same improvement it had taken him seven years to earn. Debbie describes how she came out of retirement, brought her synchronized-swimming coaching genius across sports, and helped Mark rebuild his race from fundamentals: starts, turns, underwater dolphin kick, mental scripts, and the mind-body connection. 

Read More
#38 - The Responsibility Ethic: Turning Pain into Performance with Adam Kreek
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#38 - The Responsibility Ethic: Turning Pain into Performance with Adam Kreek

In today’s conversation Adam Kreek explores what it really takes to be “built for hard” in sport, work, and life. He walks through his origin story from an “average kid in an average town” to a world and Olympic champion in the men’s eight, including the high school coach who told him, “You’re an Olympian, you just don’t know it yet,” and why staying multi-sport and not going too hard too early built his durability. 

Read More
#37 - You Got This: Self-Confidence, Belonging & Aligned Actions with Dr. Ivan Joseph
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#37 - You Got This: Self-Confidence, Belonging & Aligned Actions with Dr. Ivan Joseph

In today’s conversation Ivan Joseph explores what it means to build genuine self-confidence and belonging in a world still shaped by systemic racism and bias. He shares his journey from growing up in Guyana and a tough Toronto neighbourhood to becoming a national championship coach, PhD sport psychologist, and university vice president—yet still hearing the “twice as good” mantra every Black kid knows. He and Dr. Wells dive into allyship, protests, and why performative, “tourist” activism isn’t enough; instead they talk about micro-behaviours, access to education, and the power of 1% changes that compound over years. 

They finish by unpacking Ivan’s core work on self-confidence—self-talk, affirmations, gratitude letters, and his “You Got This” letter—and how those same tools help us stay in hard conversations about race, leadership, and change.

Read More
#36 - From Grit to Growth: Explorer Bruce Kirkby on Adventure, Family and Focus
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#36 - From Grit to Growth: Explorer Bruce Kirkby on Adventure, Family and Focus

In today’s conversation Bruce Kirkby explores what it really means to design a life around adventure, presence and growth instead of stress, traffic and endless grind. He shares how he walked away from a conventional career in engineering to become an expedition guide, writer and photographer, leading journeys across Arabia’s Empty Quarter, Ethiopia’s Blue Nile Gorge and remote mountain ranges around the world.

Read More
#35 - From Soil to Soul: Paul Chek on Truly Holistic Health
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#35 - From Soil to Soul: Paul Chek on Truly Holistic Health

In today’s conversation Paul Chek explores his journey from growing up on an organic sheep farm with a yogi mother to training the U.S. Army boxing team, rehabbing “medical failures,” and ultimately founding the CHEK Institute. He explains why understanding living soil, organic farming, and vitamin complexes is essential for real nutrition, and how commercial agriculture leaves both food and humans energetically depleted. Paul and Dr. Wells dive into breathing mechanics, “working in” versus “working out,” and how most people’s chest-dominant, rapid breath keeps them stuck in fight-or-flight. They finish by unpacking his 1-2-3-4 framework, the “Last 4 Doctors You’ll Ever Need,” and his Four Quadrant coaching model that links beliefs, relationships, body, and environment into one coherent map for healing and performance. 

Read More
#34 - Every Moment Matters: Tommy Fleetwood on Confidence, Consistency & Energy
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#34 - Every Moment Matters: Tommy Fleetwood on Confidence, Consistency & Energy

In today’s conversation Tommy Fleetwood explores what it really takes to come back from a slump and turn talent into long-term consistency at the very top of professional golf. He shares the story of rising quickly as a young pro, losing his way technically and mentally, and then rebuilding by returning to a childhood coach, bringing a close friend in as his caddie, and

assembling a trusted performance team. Tommy and Dr. Wells unpack how confidence actually works, why “every moment matters,” and how journaling, visualization, and brutally honest stats help him lift his baseline on and off the course. They finish by exploring how to protect energy while traveling, build daily routines around what matters most, and stay anchored in the present when the stakes are highest.

Read More
#33 - Change Maker: Dr. John Berardi on Building Health, Habits, and Real Change
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#33 - Change Maker: Dr. John Berardi on Building Health, Habits, and Real Change

In today’s conversation John Berardi explores how real change in health, performance, and career actually happens over years of “always something” rather than bursts of all-or-nothing effort. He walks through his journey from immigrant-kid pressure to “be a doctor,” into graduate research in exercise physiology and nutritional biochemistry, and then on to co-founding Precision Nutrition and coaching hundreds of thousands of clients and professionals. John and Dr. Wells dig into what separates successful athletes and everyday clients, why simple limiting-factor fixes often beat complex named diets, and why game-day nutrition matters far less than what you do for weeks and months beforehand. They finish by unpacking his Change Maker framework for health and fitness professionals—clarifying purpose, building T-shaped skills, and using feedback to craft a meaningful, sustainable career.

Read More
#32 - Time Under Tension: Dr. Sarah Sarkis on The Psychology of Thriving
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#32 - Time Under Tension: Dr. Sarah Sarkis on The Psychology of Thriving

In today’s conversation Sarah Sarkis explores what it really means to thrive psychologically, beyond the clichés of “just be positive.” She traces her journey from forensic psychology to performance consulting and explains why she’s “not in the business of happiness, but of self-awareness and change.” She and Dr. Wells unpack emotional “time under tension,” the power of developing an observing ego, the damage of abusive self-talk, and how our thoughts shape neurochemistry and even gene expression over time. They finish by diving into flow states, the struggle–release–flow–recovery cycle, and practical ways to design your day so presence and flow are more likely to show up—at work, in sport, and at home. 

Read More
#31 - Beyond Training: Ben Greenfield on Training, Creativity & Longevity
Greg Wells PhD Greg Wells PhD

#31 - Beyond Training: Ben Greenfield on Training, Creativity & Longevity

In today’s conversation Ben Greenfield explores how to train, work, and live “beyond training” by aligning your physiology with your goals. He walks through his hot–cold morning ritual, deep-work habits, and the science behind doing easy movement early in the day and intense workouts later when the body is primed to perform. He then maps out a “perfect week” of exercise that builds mitochondria, VO₂max, lactic-acid tolerance, strength, and stamina without tipping into overtraining. Finally, Ben and Dr. Wells dive into nutrition, genetics, blood sugar control, and the importance of cultivating creativity and meaning—not just muscles—for a truly boundless life. 

Read More
#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.

Read More
#29 - Accept Reality, Reject Limits: Mark Black on Resilience After Transplant
Challenge, Healthspan, Purpose Greg Wells PhD Challenge, Healthspan, Purpose Greg Wells PhD

#29 - Accept Reality, Reject Limits: Mark Black on Resilience After Transplant

In today’s conversation Mark Black explores how being born with a severe heart defect, surviving two open-heart surgeries as a baby, and then receiving a heart-and-double-lung transplant at 23 taught him the mechanics of real resilience. He tells you what it’s like to be told, “maybe you’ll work part time someday,” and then decide to run four marathons with someone else’s organs. He and Dr. Wells break down the mindset shift from “why me?” to “what now?”, and how his parents’ decision not to bubble-wrap him became the foundation for his speaking and coaching today. The episode lands on a practical, five-step resilience process that anyone can run when life goes sideways.

Read More
#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.

Read More
#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.

Read More
#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 finishes with a vision for a future where we move more, together, outside — because connection and nature amplify everything exercise does.

Read More
#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.

Read More
#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.

Read More
#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.

Read More