The Playbook with Colin Jonov

The Best of The Playbook: Justin Su'a- Why Success Feels Empty & How To Engineer Your Identity Beyond Achievement

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2280421/fan_mail/new] From one of our top performing episodes of 2025, Justin S'ua and I  break down why top performers can dominate on paper but feel empty, anxious, and never satisfied, then map out how to rebuild a healthier relationship with success. We trade outcome obsession for intentional systems, productive self-talk, and an identity that holds up when the game ends.  • the curse of competence and why winning can feel expected  • performance anxiety as the hidden cost of high standards  • asking what your mindset does to you and for you  • using a performer self and an off-field self to protect relationships  • building an intensity scale and creating cues to regulate it  • visual anchors and breathwork as tools for focus and presence  • hard work as necessary but not sufficient and how luck shows up  • separating decision quality from results and avoiding survivorship bias  • designing a written process and collecting “process receipts”  • starting small so systems become automatic instead of overwhelming  • habit building with self-compassion and “don’t miss two”  • habit stacking to make consistency easier  • pre-mortems and “when-then” plans for adversity and bad breaks  • productive thinking versus forced positivity and personalized self-talk  • post-game questions that keep emotions in check  • identity beyond sport and framing change as a pivot  Check us out, athleticforteshoot.com, download the pod, subscribe to our YouTube channel, five stars only, baby.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2280421/support] Subscribe, Download, Rate 5 stars only baby! Follow @ColkyJonov10 on all social media platforms.

Matt Rotheram- NIL Deals: The Gap Between Headlines and Reality

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2280421/fan_mail/new] Matt Rotheram and I break down how NIL negotiations really work when the public numbers are noisy and the real terms stay private. We also talk about why fit, development, and a long-term plan can matter more than a slightly bigger college payout, especially if the goal is an NFL career.  • Media-driven NIL expectations and why players overvalue themselves without market visibility  • How schools budget NIL and negotiate more systematically than fans assume  • Prioritizing scheme fit, coaching relationships, and development alongside money  • Using past client outcomes to help families think long term  • The “cousin Joey” problem and why certification and experience matter  • Overpromised marketing deals versus the reality for most positions  • Contract complexity, incentives, termination clauses, and clawbacks  • Why role players still benefit from having representation ready  • Ideas for reform like agent qualification and limits on collectives  • The mental health and identity shock when the spotlight and money fade  • Investing, business ownership, and building leverage while your network is strong  Download the pod, subscribe to our YouTube channel, check us out athleticforitude.com. Five stars only, baby.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2280421/support] Subscribe, Download, Rate 5 stars only baby! Follow @ColkyJonov10 on all social media platforms.

Coach Pat Narduzzi- How to Build a Championship Culture

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2280421/fan_mail/new] Coach Pat Narduzzi and I break down why Pitt keeps players and coaches in the building while still producing high character pros and NFL Draft picks. We also get real about the transfer portal and NIL world, from tampering to agents to the hidden costs that don’t show up in the headlines.  • low transfer rates driven by relationships, access, and day-to-day development  • a special teams setback story that shows persistence and honest communication  • culture defined as consistency, standards, and equal treatment for stars and walk-ons  • roster management in the portal era, balancing classes and replacing experience with experience  • tampering as a constant reality and why NIL numbers are hard to verify  • concerns about agents taking advantage of athletes and prioritizing money over fit  • transferring trade-offs, including happiness, system fit, draft stock, and lost academic credits  • adapting as the sport changes, including scholarship expansion and keeping people bought in  • the coaching business, firing cycles, and the pressure for instant gratification  Get your season tickets and get ready to go to Charlotte as well. Get your tickets to go to Charlotte.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2280421/support] Subscribe, Download, Rate 5 stars only baby! Follow @ColkyJonov10 on all social media platforms.

How Champions Build Their Mindset | Rance Mulliniks

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2280421/fan_mail/new] World Series champion, Rance Mulliniks breaks down how winning changes the way we judge a career while reminding us how much of a title is outside any one athlete’s control. We talk about roles, ego, and the daily preparation that turns talent into trust and teams into champions. • how a championship shapes legacy and personal identity • separating outcomes from controllables like habits, effort, and mindset • why leadership is the key to role acceptance and buy-in • preparing at game speed even when you might not play • the mental edge of studying opponents and spotting tendencies under pressure • contributing in ways that do not show up in stats • building culture through nonnegotiable standards from executives to coaches • respect and trust over being liked in a locker room Download the pod, subscribe to our YouTube channel, check us out at athleticfortitude.com. Five stars only, baby. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2280421/support] Subscribe, Download, Rate 5 stars only baby! Follow @ColkyJonov10 on all social media platforms.

Most People Use Their Past as an Excuse. The Best Ones Use It as a Blueprint. | Dr. Mitch Abrams

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2280421/fan_mail/new] Dr. Mitch Abrams and I challenge the one size fits all story about divorce and child development, then get specific about what actually hurts kids and what helps them adapt. We also connect divorce dynamics to sports culture, showing how money, time demands, and maturity shape marriages and parenting in high pressure lives.  • children’s resilience and why age still matters  • why “amicable” divorces can confuse kids  • keeping adult conflict out of kids’ earshot  • putting children’s needs ahead of parental emotions  • co parenting communication as a safety issue  • custody time tradeoffs and bonding with both parents  • why court involvement can be brutal for children  • money incentives that can distort custody fights  • what drives resilience: genetics, mentors, coaches, peers, extended family  • why athletes and coaches face higher divorce risk  • discipline, accountability, and guardrails that protect marriage  • storytelling and personal narratives as a tool for growth  The easiest way to get in touch with Mitch is his website, www.drmitchabrams.com.  Mitch released a book, i’m not fucking angry, adjust the flame to get what you want and need. Available on Amazon.  Check us out, athleticfortitude.com. Download the pod, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Five stars only, baby.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2280421/support] Subscribe, Download, Rate 5 stars only baby! Follow @ColkyJonov10 on all social media platforms.