He Said "Screw This" and Got His Confidence Back — How to Stop Overthinking Who You Are

The One Question That Will Change How You See Your Life: "What Do You Have to Show for It?"

What Do You Have to Show for It? Stephen Brown has been playing professional basketball overseas for eight years. But the moment that changed everything wasn't a big game or a contract — it was a conversation with his dad. This episode is about three things: staying grounded in your faith when life gets loud, being present in a season that won't last forever, and building something real while you still can. Stephen's been doing all three — from multiple countries, building a family, always learning. If you've ever been so locked into the grind that you forgot to ask whether it's actually working — this conversation is for you. Key quote: "The more pressure I took off myself, I started to play better — because I realized there's more to life than basketball." Connect with Stephen: Instagram: @SLBrown2 [https://www.instagram.com/slbrown2/] TikTok: @SLBrown2 [https://www.tiktok.com/@slbrown2] Connect with Sam: samnott.com [http://samnott.com] Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly

Imagine Telling Your Past Self Where You Are Now

Imagine Telling Your Past Self Where You Are Now Growing up, Izzy Wilkins convinced herself she wasn't an athlete. By 26, she's a professional fighter living in Thailand — and she got there one decision at a time. Her story isn't about talent. It's about what happens when you stop listening to the voice that tells you it's too late. In this episode, you'll hear how Izzy handled her worst loss, why too much confidence almost cost her everything, and what it actually looks like to rebuild after you hit rock bottom. If you've ever felt behind — this one is for you. What you'll hear in this episode: — Why starting later than everyone else in the room can actually be an advantage — The loss that nearly ended her career — and why she immediately got back in the ring — How being "too happy" going into a fight was the exact thing that beat her — The coach who sent a throwback video that completely changed her mindset before her biggest fight — What coaching others teaches you about your own growth that competing alone never can — Her definition of a simple win — and why consistency is the only system that matters Key quote: "Imagine telling this version of you what you're doing right now." Connect with Izzy: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fit.izz_/ [https://www.instagram.com/fit.izz_/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fit.izz [https://www.tiktok.com/@fit.izz] Connect with Sam: samnott.com [http://samnott.com] Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly.

He Said "Screw This" and Got His Confidence Back — How to Stop Overthinking Who You Are

He Said "Screw This" and Got His Confidence Back — How to Stop Overthinking Who You Are What happens when everyone around you believes in you — but you don't believe in yourself? Cole LaCrue knows. He was Colorado's 4A Player of the Year, a state champion in two sports, and had scholarship offers from programs most athletes only dream about. Then he got to college and spent the next two years buried — two surgeries, an injury report he couldn't escape, and the slow realization that being "the guy" in high school meant nothing anymore. When he entered the transfer portal, school after school looked at his medical file and passed. He found himself in a dark place, asking a question no competitor ever wants to ask: Is this it for me? This episode is about the moment between giving up and getting back. Cole doesn't just talk about what happened to him — he walks you through what it feels like to lose your identity, to watch people invest in a version of you that you're no longer sure exists, and to make the decision to stop performing and start being yourself again. If you've ever been stuck in your own head, chasing a version of success that keeps moving further away, Cole's story will hit different. What you'll hear in this episode: * How losing his father at 16 forced Cole to choose between self-pity and becoming the man he was raised to be * The coaching conversation that stopped him in his tracks: "If I believe in you and you don't believe in yourself, what am I believing in?" * What it felt like to go from the top of the world to the bottom of the totem pole * The exact practice where he said "screw this" and decided to go back to being himself * Why he believes consistency — not talent — is the habit that separates people who make it from people who don't * How controlling what you can control as a quarterback taught him to stop overthinking outcomes * His advice for anyone who feels like they're one foot away from quitting: keep digging Key quote: "If I believe in you and you don't believe in yourself, what am I believing in?" Connect with Cole: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacruecole18/ [https://www.instagram.com/lacruecole18/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lacruecole18 [https://www.tiktok.com/@lacruecole18] X: https://x.com/lacruecole18 [https://x.com/lacruecole18] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lacruecole18 [https://www.youtube.com/@lacruecole18] Connect with Sam: samnott.com [http://samnott.com] Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly.

Half the Battle Is Your Mind — How an Underdog Stopped Overthinking and Started Performing

What happens when the thing you've built your entire life around suddenly goes quiet — and no one's calling? D'Andre Bernard was ranked the number two basketball player in Canada coming out of high school. What followed wasn't a straight line to the top — it was multiple college transfers, a redshirt year, a senior night where his family watched him sit on the bench, and a full year after graduation with no professional contract in sight. His own brother told their mother, "I've never seen him like this." But instead of walking away, D'Andre got a job, poured every dollar he earned into training, and decided to bet on himself when no one else would. That bet eventually took him professional — playing across Canada, overseas in Germany, and all around the world. This episode is for anyone who has ever been stuck in the gap between where they are and where they thought they'd be by now. Whether you're an athlete who can't stop replaying the last game, a professional obsessing over a career move, or someone whose identity has become so wrapped up in what they do that they've forgotten who they are without it — D'Andre's story will challenge everything you believe about talent, comparison, and what it actually takes to perform when the pressure is real. What you'll hear in this episode: * Why D'Andre spent his entire freshman year comparing himself to peers at bigger schools — and how it held him back more than any opponent ever did * The senior night moment that broke him down in tears in front of his family — and the message he gave his younger brother through it * What happened during the year no one signed him and how he pulled himself out of the lowest point of his life * His framework for separating who you are as a person from what you do as a performer * Why he believes over half the battle is the mind — and how players with "ugly" technique outperform textbook-perfect competitors through pure belief * The lesson he learned from an NBA coaching family about the power of decompression * His advice to anyone stuck in the comparison trap: "Run your race" Key quote: "Over half the battle is the mind. If you believe that you're that good, if you believe that you can make that shot, you've won half the battle." Connect with D'Andre: TikTok: @deandreweigh22 [https://www.tiktok.com/@dandreway22] Instagram: @deandreweigh [https://www.instagram.com/dandreway/] Connect with Sam: samnott.com [http://samnott.com] Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly.

You're Not Missing Out - Ep 22

Adam Timbrook | "If You Want This, Prove It" — How to Build Confidence Through Discipline Everyone has a version of "normal" they think you should want. Adam Timbrook stopped listening. Adam is a record-holding powerlifter and the coach behind Timbrook Training System. He's squatted 600 pounds, deadlifted over 600, and built a coaching business — all before most people his age have figured out what they want to do. He doesn't drink. He doesn't go out. He skips the parties, turns down the invitations, and stays locked in while everyone around him says he's missing out. His response? "That's not the experience I'm seeking." But here's the thing about Adam — underneath all of that discipline is a guy who puts an insane amount of pressure on himself to prove that the sacrifices were worth it. His mom tells him she's proud of him no matter what. It doesn't matter. He still feels like he has to show her, show his family, show himself. That pressure has been there since middle school, and it's the engine behind everything he's built. If you've ever been the one who stays home while everyone else goes out, or if you've caught yourself wondering whether all the discipline is actually going to pay off — you're going to connect with this one. And if you're a parent watching your kid sacrifice everything for a goal and wondering what's really going on in their head, Adam might just tell you. What you'll hear in this episode: * Why Adam says "that's not the experience I'm seeking" when people tell him he's missing out * The self-imposed pressure he's carried since middle school — and where it actually comes from * How he flips a switch and becomes a completely different person in competition * A story he's almost never shared publicly that changes how you see his entire journey * His approach to finding a win even when everything in a session feels off * What he tells his coaching clients when their actions don't match their goals * The three daily habits he refuses to skip no matter what Key quote: "If you want to not be average, these sacrifices have to occur at some point." Connect with Adam: Instagram: @adam.timbrook10 [https://www.instagram.com/adam.timbrook10/] TikTok: @TimbrookTrainingSystems [https://www.tiktok.com/@timbrooktrainingsystem] Coaching: Timbrook Training System [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8rF92jjItUyTOoTOp8Fx9mSwrZh9ahVyxkLfhFqXYLf1Naw/viewform] Connect with Sam: samnott.com [http://samnott.com] Subscribe to Simple Wins on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes drop weekly.