Intentional Performers With Brian Levenson

Dr. Jonathan Fader joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. He is a licensed clinical and performance psychologist that is best known for working with professional athletes in the MLB and the NFL. He has worked with the New York Mets and the New York Giants. He is also the co-founder of Union Square Practice which is a mental health center. He will talk today about Sports Strata which he has helped build and they are a performance coaching group. He is regularly working with athletes, entrepreneurs, businesspeople, schools, physicians, and first responder groups such as the NYC Fire Department. He also does a lot of public speaking on topics such as mindfulness, motivation, motivational interviewing, improving performance, stress reduction, and team building. In this episode, they discuss when he realized his work could be used outside of sports (7:40), how he got into psychology (9:30), why he got into theater and how he was interested in psychology at 16 (11:20), what his dad did (15:15), his exposu

Ken Tyler joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Today, Ken works as the Director of Advancement at the St. James and he came on as the Athletic Director to run that facility. Before working at the St. James, he was the Director of Athletics at Mary Washington University in Virginia. Ken has really spent his career working in sports; he has spent time as a basketball coach, athletic director, and at his core, he is a servant leader that is trying to put others in position to be successful. He is a coach, athletic director, and somebody who cares deeply about his mindset and the mindset of the people he serves. In this episode, they discuss what the St. James facility is (4:30), why the St. James was started (11:20), what life was like for him as a kid (15:40), his experience at Episcopal High School (19:40), what his parents did (21:10), how his perspective on divorce has changed (25:40), what’s changed inside of him over the last 20 years (30:00), his experience with 9/11 (33:10), playing basketbal

Susannah Wellford joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Over the last two decades, Susannah has founded two organizations designed to raise the political voice of young women in America. The one that she will really talk about today is “Running Start” which she started to encourage young woman and girls to pursue political leadership. Susannah will talk about her relationship with politics starting from a young age, and how she came up with this idea of “Running Start” which to date has trained over 15,000 young women to run for elected office.  Susannah is a big believer in underdogs, she wants to empower underdogs, and she’ll explain why that is so important to her. In this episode, they discuss what her childhood was like (4:20), what her family dynamics were like (7:00), her experience being bullied in 7th grade (11:10), being laid off in her 30’s (13:00), the vision she had for herself from a career standpoint (15:00), how to improve women’s lives in the workforce (19:40), why she was interest

Seb Little joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Seb currently works at the McChrystal Group, and before that he was a football player at Yale University. Seb is somebody that is obsessed with humans and elite performance. As mentioned, Seb is currently with the McChrystal Group which is a firm that takes military strategy and philosophy and applies that to the corporate world. Seb is at the forefront of human development and teaches, trains, and coaches’ elite athletes and elite performers. In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:00), what his mom and grandma taught him (7:30), what his other families do for him (10:35), how seeing his dad go through his challenges impacted him (11:30), how he makes sense of addiction (12:45), how he thinks about belonging (15:40), how academics came into his life (18:15), when sports came into his life (20:40), his mindset when playing football (23:30), what he loved about football (27:00), what got in the way of him being successful

Brandon Chambers joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Brandon is an Assistant Coach with the Men’s Basketball Team at Texas Southern University. Previously to Texas Southern, Brandon was at the University of Nevada where he helped them succeed in the NCAA basketball tournament and before that, he was at Paul VI, and VCU. Brandon has played in a lot of different sandboxes in the coaching world over the last 10 years or so, and he is someone that is a sponge, a lifelong learner, and always trying to become more. At Brandon’s core he is just trying to share knowledge and wisdom and build relationships with people. In this episode, they discuss what childhood was like for him (6:00), his experience with his brothers (9:30), what he learned from moving around (11:30), what his parents are like (13:20), the values his parents passed down to him (15:50), what he learned about his dad after he passed (19:00), how he saw his dad as a ten-year-old and how he sees him now (22:10), what he does to be his best

Sefu Bernard joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Sefu is in charge of player development for the Washington Mystics where he works with them on their skill development and pretty much everything involved in basketball. Sefu really values people, he really looks at players from a holistic level, and is obsessed with trying to get them to a whole new level. Sefu will share his journey and will be vulnerable sharing things that he often doesn’t talk about with people. In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a child (3:40), his experience moving (7:50), the difference in him and his brother (11:00), his experience moving to Toronto (13:50), how he thinks his son would feel in a similar situation to the one he went through (19:40), how his mom responded when she moved to Toronto (21:00), the values his parents passed down to him (22:30), what it felt like to be obese as a kid (25:30), when basketball came into his life (28:00), his experience with education (31:30), what he was lik

This week on the podcast we are joined by Selam Bekele. Selam, who hails from Ethiopia, currently works as a development practitioner with more than 10 years of experience addressing critical social issues on the grassroots level and international development platforms. She now resides in Washington DC where she serves as a senior associate at Results Educational Fund. Additionally, Selam is the founder of Umoja, a non-profit organization that coaches and empowers young Africans to be positive change agents in their communities. She also holds an MA in Economic Development from the Catholic University of America, as well as a Masters in Gender Studies from Addis Ababa University. At her core, Selam is an activist who deeply cares about those who are underserved and underprivileged. Education is at the core of everything she has done, and she has leveraged that education to try and make a meaningful impact. Throughout the episode, Selam discusses her upbringing as a woman in Ethiopia, the oppression she has f

Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Charlie was a fighter in mixed martial arts MMA where he got up to the #7 ranked fighter in his weight class. He also won a contest in the reality TV show, “Pros vs. Joes.” Charlie has become obsessed with this idea of being a lifelong learner and learning how he can show up in his career, for his family, and what his mindsets should be for those scenarios. Today, Charlie is a thought-leader who focuses on giving talks, workshops, he has a podcast, he has written a book and is writing another book, and he’s really trying to help people learn how to be bold. He has developed a systematic approach to learning and teaching that is easy to consume and built upon the five elements of excellence – vision, values, success, accountability, and surroundings. In this episode, they discuss where he got the nickname “The Spaniard,” (5:00), when wrestling came into his life (7:50), what his childhood was like (9:50), his mom (11:00), the val

Jamion Christian joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jamion is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at George Washington University.  He coached last year at Siena and then the year before that he was at Mount St. Mary’s. At the age of 29, he was a Division 1 Men’s Head Basketball Coach. From an early age, Jamion was looked at as somebody who could lead men, and this also was the case when he was a 3-year captain at Mount St. Mary’s. He is somebody who has always been curious and is always learning. Today he will share the knowledge that he has learned in what makes a great team, what makes people perform at their best, and how he can lead those people to achieve whatever it is that they want to achieve. In this episode, they discuss when he got introduced to the psychology of basketball (5:00), what led him to basketball (8:10), the conversations he has with his brother (10:10), what has led to him and his brother’s early coaching opportunities (12:30), his and his brother’s dreams at 14 and 18 (14:0

Jake Thompson joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jake has lived an intentional life. He was very into sports growing up and he will talk about points in his life that led to different changes. He is very open in this conversation about his past struggles, challenges, and failures, and how that has led him to become a combination of a teacher and entrepreneur. He is somebody who is trying to pour what he’s learned, and what he continues to learn, into others. He’s a speaker, podcast-host, brand and marketing expert that has launched an apparel line, and a writer. In this episode, they discuss what life was like growing up (4:50), his experience working in sports (8:30), why he had a growth mindset in sports and not school (12:30), his thoughts on standing out (17:30), the values his parents passed down to him (21:10), how he’s intentionally created his career (24:10), how much of his job is a mixture of his parent’s careers (28:00), how he stays even while also having energy and passion (30:50),

Jesse Cassady joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jesse is a yoga-instructor, a deep thinker, and he’s philosophical. He thinks about how he wants to show up in the world and he’s extremely intentional. Jesse is extremely vulnerable and willing to share his story even if it can help just one person. Jesse is a giver and a teacher, and he loves sharing his knowledge in both the body and the mind. In his yoga practice, he brings together the body and the mind in an incredible way. In his business, he’s about to open a yoga studio in Washington, D.C. in the Georgetown area. In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:30), what it was like being the middle child (7:30), the qualities his parents passed down to him (9:20), the draw to being in the outdoors (11:40), how he thinks about religion compared to spirituality (13:20), when yoga came into his world (14:50), if he was a reader (20:20), if the accident helped him discover yoga (22:10), what allowed him to go towards some

Dr. Travis Heath joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Dr. Travis Heath is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver which is also where he attended. He is a licensed psychologist working in private practice in Denver, Colorado, and is the Co-Founder of Rocky Mountain Narrative Therapy Center. He will talk about narrative therapy which focuses on shifting from multi-cultural approach counseling to one of cultural democracy. He really believes in the power of writing and how writing can help people shift their narrative and story, as well as elicit emotions. He is currently in the process of writing a book on narrative therapy. Travis is a psychologist, teacher, writer, and he wears all these different hats which make up a lot of his identity. He is also passionate about sports, but this conversation is mainly about humans and how he feels about the world of psychology. He has run workshops to share his work in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Norway, Unite

Ticha Penicheiro joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Tina is a Portuguese sports agent and retired basketball player. She was just recently nominated to get inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. She is in the Old Dominion University hall of fame where she played her college ball. She was also a four-time WNBA all-star, and three-time all WNBA selection. When she finished her career, she was considered one of the all-time greatest point guards in the history of women’s basketball and led the WNBA in all-time assists and is now currently second in all-time assists. She won a WNBA championship with the Sacramento Monarchs in 2005, and she also led ODU to the national championship game during her time. Ticha is very free, fearless, lives for the moment, and focuses on controlling what she can control. In this episode, they discuss what life was like growing up in Portugal (3:50), her mindset playing against boys on the playground (5:40), the values her parents passed down to her (7:20),

Matt Bodnar joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Matt wears many hats; he has been named to “Forbes 30 Under 30” and he’s a partner in multiple “Inc Fastest Growing Companies.” He is a deal maker, strategy expert, and he has scaled businesses across multiple industries. He has done over $100 million in deal volume across 25+ transactions. He is Chairman of Fresh Technology, CoFounder and Managing Partner of Fresh Capital, and Managing Partner of Fresh Holdings. Matt will share with you some of his work in real estate, restaurants, and technology. He is always looking to invest and become a partner in companies as he really values ownership. He is an entrepreneur at heart, but his career started at Goldman Sachs where he learned a lot about finance and what went into that world until he decided to pursue a life that went along with his values and strengths. Matt is intentional about how he spends his days and his weeks, and where he’s looking to go from a career standpoint. In this episode, they di

Heideh Shahmoradi joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Heideh has her own firm that some would call a lobbying firm, but she calls it an educating firm. She really has become a big player in Washington, DC and on Capitol Hill and has made a tremendous impact on the homeless community and transportation industry all over the country. Heideh has worked with some of the most influential people in our government and she will share how she came to get to that point, and also some of the challenges that she’s faced along the way. At the end of the day, Heideh is someone who is kind, grateful, and looks for the best in life. In this episode, they discuss what Sasha Bruce does (4:40), her story and how she ended up at Sasha Bruce (5:30), her teenage years (7:30), how religion played a role in her life (8:20), her experience meeting her husband (10:00), when Sasha Bruce became a resource for her (11:00), why she ran away from home (13:00), what was so great about her experience at Sasha Bruce (14:50), what

Stu Singer joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Stu has worked as a Director of Performance Psychology for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and as a Performance Psychologist for the University of Maryland Women’s Basketball team, Fordham University, Rice University, and the Connecticut Sun among other teams. Stu has served an integral role in helping the University of Maryland Women’s Basketball reach back to back Final Fours, and Fordham University win their first A10 Championship. Stu’s approach focuses on teaching and providing mental performance skills for athletes that have the pressures of competing at elite levels in high school, college, and pro sports. He also provides team trainings, clinics, and consultations with coaches on how to develop healthy and effective mental performance fundamentals for their athletes. Stu completed his doctoral coursework at the University of the Rockies where he specialized in sport and performance psychology and is also a professional member of the Association

Tom Penn joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Tom has had quite an illustrious career in the sports industry. He started out his relationship with sports playing basketball in high school, and then he went on to become a captain of the swim team at the University of Notre Dame. From there, he went on to law school, and after law school he decided to get into the NBA where he became an elite executive for the Portland Trail Blazers. He also served as a high-ranking executive in the basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies where he worked alongside Jerry West. Tom also worked for ESPN for a number of years as an analyst and continues to do TV work currently for Turner. Tom also runs LAFC which is one of the the best MLS soccer teams in the league. In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:50), the values his parents passed down to him (7:40), what he was like as a teenager (11:20), why making the Notre Dame swim team had such a big impact on his life (12:50), his re

Paul Biancardi joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Paul is somebody who has spent his entire life analyzing people, trying to figure out how to bring out the best in people as a coach and now as a scout for ESPN. Paul has spent a lot of his career as a Division 1 basketball coach. He’s served as an assistant coach for Boston College and Ohio State, and then went on to become the head coach at Wright State University. Today, Paul works for ESPN doing all of their basketball recruiting at the high school level. He is in charge of creating the board that shows the top 100 basketball players in the country and he plays a major role in the recruiting that goes on at the college level. In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:00), what his parents were like (6:30), the values his mom passed down to him (8:35), what his coach provided for him (10:40), his experience playing Division 3 basketball (12:00), where his persistence came from (16:00), why he didn’t get into trouble

Phil Costa and Rob Curley join us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Phil and Rob recently wrote a book called The Transition Playbook for ATHLETES: How Elite Athletes WIN After Sports. Phil played professional football and was the starting Center for the Dallas Cowboys. After football, he worked for a medical device company assisting heart surgeons through more than 500 operations. In 2018, he decided to go back to school and got his MBA from Columbia Business School and today he lives in Madrid, Spain where he is enrolled in Spanish Language School. Phil has played football at the highest level and has also done academics at the highest level, and he’s somebody who is very thoughtful and intentional with how he’s going about his life. Rob was the winner of the Charles L. Albert award for the most outstanding athlete at Lafayette College. Phil and Rob played football in high school together where Rob was the QB and Phil was the Guard, and Rob went on to play professional football in Europe. Rob has worke

Henry Abbott joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Henry started a blog in 2005 called True Hoop and that blog ended up gaining a ton of interest. It was so popular that he brought that content to espn.com and he started True Hoop at ESPN. Henry has since left ESPN after a 10-year run and started his own thing called True Hoop which sends newsletter format emails with all kinds of gems and quality content you can’t get anywhere else. If you are an NBA fan you have probably ready some of Henry’s work, heard him on podcasts/TV’s, and he has been at the forefront of the changes that have occurred in the NBA over the last 10-15 years. Henry will share how he became a writer/journalist and entrepreneur, and how he believes teamwork plays a role in developing culture. In this episode, they discuss what inspired him to get into the blogging world (5:40), what it felt like to get paid for different reasons (10:30), what his childhood was like (13:40), his experience with his parent’s divorce (17:20), if he