Episode 5: Fatherhood

Episode 5: Fatherhood

In this episode, Andrew Porter and I sit down to talk about fatherhood - specifically what it's actually been like for Andrew in the nine months since his son Max arrived. We talk about the lessons he wants to pass on, whether he'd want Max to follow him into rugby, the pressure kids can quietly inherit from high-performing parents, and what he genuinely thinks about young children playing contact sport. We also get into what is very hard to prepare for - the identity shift, the loss of freedom, and the strange weight of suddenly being the most important person in someone else's world.

Pressure, Setbacks & Grief

In this episode, we talk about pressure, setbacks, injury, performance, grief, and what happens behind the scenes during difficult periods in life. Following a difficult run of injuries, Andrew reflects on returning to play in a high-pressure environment, the experience of stepping away from social media, and what it felt like walking back into a huge game after a long period of uncertainty. The conversation gradually becomes much broader than rugby. We explore coping with bereavement, dealing with periods where confidence is low and whether difficult experiences change perspective. This episode is ultimately a conversation about resilience, pressure and perspective.

Training Around Injury and Our "Death Row Meal"

We start this episode with something a lot of people will recognise at some point. Injury, and what to do when it shows up. Andrew shares his experience of navigating training while dealing with an injury, and how his approach has shifted. Rather than stepping away completely or pushing through blindly, it became about adjusting. Finding what he could do, not just focusing on what he couldn’t. That shift tends to change everything. It keeps momentum, but also takes a bit of pressure out of the process. From there, the conversation moves more broadly into how people respond when things don’t go to plan. Injury often exposes the all-or-nothing mindset that many of us carry into training. Either we’re fully in, or we feel like we’re failing. In reality, most progress sits somewhere in the middle. We then move into a lighter but surprisingly meaningful conversation around “death row meals”. It’s an interesting way of highlighting that food is rarely just about nutrition. It reflects memory, enjoyment, culture, and connection. Things that often get lost when food is reduced to calories or macros. Overall, it’s a conversation about perspective. Training doesn’t need to be perfect to be worthwhile. Food doesn’t need to be optimised to be valuable. And when things go off track, there is usually more room to adapt than we think.

Andrew on Living With an Eating Disorder

In this episode, Andrew openly and honestly shares his experience of living with an eating disorder. We also reflect on childhood memories - comments about our bodies, weight, and how those moments can stay with you longer than you realise. It’s an honest and important conversation. If you are looking for support or help, please see support services below. https://www.bodywhys.ie/ [https://www.bodywhys.ie/] https://nedrc.ie/ [https://nedrc.ie/] https://www.rutlandcentre.ie/treatments/addictions/eating-disorders [https://www.rutlandcentre.ie/treatments/addictions/eating-disorders] You are not alone. 🤍 - Josh & Andrew

Episode 1: Starting Without a Plan

In this first episode, Josh and Andrew sit down to talk about Andrew’s rugby career, performing under pressure, handling negative feedback, and the lessons that carry over into life and business. They also share the story behind Three State - why it was created, why it didn’t need to be a gym for everyone, and why they think it’s working so far… and much more.