Jeff is a major league hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. He played baseball at Butler and received a master's degree from Louisiana Tech University in Kinesiology. He served as the Minor League Hitting Coordinator for the Houston Astros for 5 years before returning to the St. Louis Cardinals as a major league hitting coach. Jeff is a long time mentor and friend and is responsible for shaping a large part of my mindset in regards to hitting, training, learning and life. We talk about everything but baseball. Mental game, information consumption and lifestyle.

Theta Wave Podcast

Jeff Albert: St. Louis Cardinals Major League Hitting Coach

Brandi is a retired soccer player, two time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and two time Olympic gold-medalist. She is widely known for the 'kick heard around the world,' when she kicked the winning penalty kick in the 1999 World Cup championship game and ceremoniously ripped her jersey off of her back before she ran to celebrate with her teammates. Frankly, I had her on the show because I watched that event live as a 12 year old girl and was deeply effected by it. She was one of my first ideas of strong women and female athletes. We covered her upbringing, her philosophy now as a coach and what she hopes to pass on to young women 20 years after she changed the landscape of female athletics for all eternity. Honored to have been on with her! Enjoy! 

Brandi Chastain: The Mindset of an Icon

JL Holdsworth is the owner of Spot Athletics in Columbus, Ohio, Co-Founder of RPR (Reflexive Performance Reset) and a World Champion Power Lifter.  He has gone through major personal changes through the use of RPR in managing his nervous system with physiological tools and credits his understanding of the nervous system with improving his outlook on life, relationships with his family and friends and his management tactics.  His story is one of massive personal growth and overcoming a tumultuous upbringing in order to serve others. 

JL Holdsworth: From Powerlifting to Empowering

Few 13 year olds know their life's purpose, but Vianez is the exception to the rule - in many ways.  Just a few short years ago, Vianez and her Mother and Father took a leap of faith and moved to Los Angeles from Puerto Rico to pursue Vianez's skateboarding career.  She is not only trying to be the best in female skating, but is bringing other young women along with her.  Follow her journey as she tries to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo! @vianezsk8 on Instagram

The Future of Female Skateboarding, 13 Year Old Vianez Morales

Twelve years ago, two college football players in a dorm room had an idea. Six years after that, I met James Peters & Hewitt Tomlin through using their incredible software, but have remained friends with them because of their work ethic, mission to serve & value based business tactics. Now they are tackling bigger issues than just strength training programming software by using their platform as a business to help the strength and conditioning community - WAY beyond an app for programs. Highlights:  1. Teambuildr's vacation policy - this will shock you and make you want to send your resume.  2. How Teambuildr started up in James and Hewitt's dorm room 3. The phone call from the St. Louis Cardinals that shocked Hewitt and ultimately led to our friendship! 4. Why Hewitt would NOT take a strength and conditioning job and why I am exiting the field in hopes to actually help the field more. 5. A special topic about coaching female athletes that is close to my heart. To find Teambuildr: Instagram @teambuildr / teambuildr.com / Twitter: @teambuildr

A Purpose Beyond Programming Software: Hewitt Tomlin of Teambuildr

Brian Peters has played football in the NFL for 4 seasons with the Houston Texans.  As is usually the case, that is what he does for a living, but that's not why he's on the podcast.  His journey is one of absolute grit and transformation through failure and rejection on and off the field.  Listen as he gets really vulnerable in sharing some low points of his young life that ultimately served as foundational learning experiences and led him down a path of knowledge seeking and growth later in life.  

Grit and Uncertainty: Brian Peters' Journey to the NFL

First generation immigrant, the son of military parents, the grandson of holocaust escapees and a lifelong iron enthusiast, Zach Even Esh is one of the most passionate coaches I know.  I am always curious to know where undying obsession and relentless pursuit of a goal comes from.  No doubt, Zach was greatly influenced by his upbringing and lineage and it shows up in his coaching and mentality every day at Underground Strength Gym.   I'm so thankful that he was willing to share his story with me on the podcast as it is extremely unique and brings clarity to his coaching style.  Highlights:  What is the 'de-evolution of kids' that Zach has seen of youth in the last decade? Where did Zach take his first steps as a child?  Who is Andre and how did he play an important role in Zach's early training habits?  How did Zach's heritage and upbringing create his mentality? https://zacheven-esh.com/ https://undergroundstrengthclub.com/ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/iron-roots/id1448496010?mt=2  

No Participation Trophies: Zach Even Esh

This is not about sets and reps. Marc Megna was made by mentors.  Mentors like Belichick, Parcells, Carroll and Jim Reid.  Yea.  Those kind of mentors.  I have been fascinated with Marc's leadership qualities since the moment I met him and was SO grateful to be able to dive DEEP into his upbringing to uncover what it was that made him into leader and the visionary that he is today.  No surprise, it started WAY before his career in the NFL with his Mother and Grandfather being extremely influential players. Currently, Marc is the leader at Anatomy gym in Miami, Florida where he leads a TEAM of personal trainers.  He and the Anatomy TEAM are undoubtedly one of the most knowledge seeking, positive groups of people I have ever had the pleasure of being around.  Clearly, this stems from their leadership in Marc.  I truly respect Marc and what he has been able to accomplish, but furthermore what he has been able to contribute to his TEAM, his community, his wife and many other people.   Highlights:  1. What kind of car he drives. (This will surprise you.) 2. What he said he wanted to be when he grew up. 3. The incredible impact of his mother and other key mentors in his life. 4. How he knew every detail of popular football players growing up even though he couldn't afford ESPN or magazines to get the information.  5. What it was like playing for Bill Belichik 6. When he said he couldn't afford a full ride scholarship because he didn't really know what that meant. 7. How he went from not being able to afford football cleats, to playing for the New England Patriots  

#6: The Making of a Patriot: Marc Megna from Fall River

This is not about sets and reps. *For those of you who haven't heard my full story - I was diagnosed with PTSD at the age of 21 by a sport psychologist.  Yes, a SPORT psychologist.  This podcast is one of my favorites as I 100% resonate with Erin's story of extremely high demands and pressure leading to anxiety, depression and loss of identity.  It happens more than we know and are willing to talk about.  Erin Cafaro Mackenzie is a 2 time Olympic Gold Medalist for the USA in women's rowing.  But that's not what this podcast is about.  She graciously shared her struggles post Olympics with depression and identity loss.  We get a solid idea of who she is as a person and what may have led to some of the issues she struggled with during and post her incredible athletic career. Highlights:  1. Why she kept her last name... this is a GOOD reason! 2. How she walked on at Cal with zero experience as a rower 3. The huge influence that her Dad played in her being a confident female athlete. 4. Why she is glad that it's a hard trek for women. (I agree with this standpoint.) 5. What took her from a walk on to the Olympics... (Hint, this involves Kelly Starrett and Brian Mackenzie.) 6. What is the 'Post Olympic Depression?' 7. How she took herself off of depression medication 8. What she thinks can be done to prevent things like this for other athletes and high performers

#5: The Dark Side of High Performance: Erin Cafaro Mackenzie

This isn't about sets and reps. Mycal Anders (@coachderz) is the owner of Crossfit PHX, father, ex-Marine and podcaster (@feedmefuelme). After we dive into his upbringing and background, I asked Mycal to describe a very unique experience that he had recently. In 2017, he was invited to a veterans only retreat during which he experienced hallucinogens for the first time in his life. The benefits were plentiful and he shares the entire experience here. Vulnerability is the name of the game.   Highlights:  - Upbringing in a military family - Getting kicked out of the Air Force Academy   - The exact moment he knew he wanted to serve our country - The veterans only retreat that led to his first experience with hallucinogens.  He goes DEEP here and is very open about the experience! - The leader of the retreat telling him that he was very restless and was going to have a rough time - The meaning of "Bring me peace" and how it was instrumental during the experience - The clarity that the experience brought him on having closure and not playing the ‘what if’ game with your life 

#4: Bring Me Peace: Mycal Anders Shares Rare Experience on Veterans Only Retreat

Brian Mackenzie is an expert in the development and application of custom protocols to optimize human health and performance. His work harnesses and integrates respiratory, movement, strength and endurance-based training approaches to elicit unprecedented positive results.  Brian is himself a highly accomplished athlete. He completed the Ironman (Canada, 2004), completed both the The Western States 100 (2006) mile and The Angeles Crest 100 (2007) mile runs using adapted training protocols he developed to avoid injury and fatigue. Also a writer, Brian co-authored the book Power Speed Endurance, The New York Times Best Seller UnBreakable Runner, and UnPlugged, which assesses the integration of emergent technology and human performance.  Currently, Brian is the Creative Director at Power Speed Endurance a company focused on the optimization of human performance, corporate performance and the delivery of science based protocols to optimize physical, emotional and cognitive performance for health. Some Highlights from the Podcast:  Why he is 'unscared' and where the term came from. (Hint, it involves Dave Castro and Kelly Starrett and pink arm warmers.) Why he has all the ink What Orange County was really like growing up in the 80’s (Think more Blink 182 and less Real Housewives) How a biker gang helped him overcome an addictive state How 3 strong women have had a major impact in his life Why breathing is the most underutilized tool in controlling our state of readiness and arousal What it was like swimming with Great White Sharks off the coast of Mexico in the name of science 

#3: Don't Get Mesmerized by One: Brian Mackenzie of Power, Speed, Endurance

@bertsorin on IG Notable Moments: Learn where Bert got his entrepreneurial spirit When Sorinex almost didn’t make it, for the second time and second generation Why Bert isn’t a sports fan even though he works primarily with sports teams Being yourself in a world full of followers What it was like taking over a decision making role from his father What it was like growing up in a physical culture What is behind the funny videos from Dan McKim 

#2: Sorinex President Bert Sorin

Sean Pastuch is one of the most unapologetic and true-to-himself entrepreneurs out there. It all started with a middle school bully and an important message from his father that has stuck with him for life.  In this podcast, I dig deep into Sean’s past to find out what makes Active Life RX such an incredible company that has been able to work with top athletes like Rich Froning, Lindy Barber, Brooke Ence, Jacob Heppner.  Hear about some of his most devastating failures on his way to creating one of the most recognized performance therapy practices in the sport of Crossfit.    Notable Moments:   Losing 97% of him and his wife’s savings and how that turned into a catalyst for exponential growth   Winning a huge lawsuit, taking on 120K in debt and losing his gym and house to hurricane Sandy in a matter of 5 days.   Why he screams every day   The importance of having a supportive significant other when chasing your dreams   Contact Sean Instagram: @activeliferx Facebook: Active Life RX Website: https://performancecarerx.com/

#1: Active Life RX CEO and Founder, Sean Pastuch

My name is Rachel Balkovec and I am a strength and conditioning coach in professional athletics by trade. I have always been fascinated with the routes that people take to reach peak levels of performance through taking the path less traveled, having a vision that no one else could see and adding an insane work ethic to that vision to get to their end goal. These people seem to be operating in a different level of consciousness than the rest of the population - possibly, in the flow state. Theta waves are the brain waves that are typically associated with the flow state and are usually about 4-7hz. (This is the brain wave pictured on the logo!) I've had an opportunity to meet incredible people all over the world through my professional and personal experiences. Some of these people are shifting the paradigm in the space in which they work. When I have an opportunity to connect with these people for a conversation, I always walk away with practices and thought processes that I can apply to my own life and I hope to do the same for the audience.

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Theta Wave Podcast

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