Amy Morin: Mental Strength Training for Life

Amy Morin: Mental Strength Training for Life

Amy Morin is a licensed psychotherapist, a mental strength trainer, keynote speaker, award-winning host of the Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin podcast, and an international bestselling author of six books on mental strength, including the globally acclaimed 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do. These books have sold over one million copies and have been translated into more than fifty languages. Her 7th book, The Mental Strength Playbook, just released in April of 2026. Her expertise has been featured by major outlets such as Good Morning America, Today, Oprah, Tamron Hall, and BBC and her TEDx Talk, The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong, has been viewed over 24 million times. Amy's passion for teaching mental strength stems from a personal place. After enduring almost unimaginable loss of three loved ones in her twenties, she realized the traditional tools of therapy weren't enough to manage her grief. She's practiced therapy for over twenty years, and she's a sought-after speaker whose Ted Talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong" is one of the most viewed talks of all time, with more than 25 million views. Amy lives on a sailboat in the Florida Keys. Books: * 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do. * 13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don't Do. * 13 Things Mentally Stron Parents Don't Do. * 13 Things Strong Kids Do. * 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do Workbook. * 13 Things Mentally Strong Couples Don't Do. * The Mental Strength Playbook. Takeaways: * Keep. Moving. Forward.: One of my favorite movie lines is from the last Rocky movie where the aging boxer tells his son about how life isn't about how hard you can hit – it's about how hard you can GET HIT and keep moving forward. Amy's hits were about has hard as life can punch. Losing a loved one is difficult. Losing THREE in a relatively short period of time, at a relatively young age, is almost unimaginable. Not only did she keep moving forward, but Amy also made a CHOICE to be mentally strong about it – and now she's as good a model of that as there is – and millions have benefitted from it. * Life hits everybody. As Amy tells us, she seemingly had it all figured out and was set up for a great life path. Great parents. Solid faith. Solid education and training. Her own family off to a great start. Life would be "easy" right? The problem is – we are ALL susceptible to life's hits. Life doesn't discriminate when it takes its swings at people with adversity. What we CAN control is the extent to which the adversity affects us – and how long those effects stay with us. If we are ANCHORED to the right things, we will have the ability to handle the adversity and keep moving forward. When asked what made her sit down and write that list of 13 things mentally strong people DON'T do, Amy pointed to her parents and her faith – two very strong anchoring elements. When life punched – and kept punching Amy, "why me" was an option. This is an always-available option for all of us. However, if we want to keep moving forward – that's not going to help us. As we just discussed, it's a choice – and if we have the right anchor inside us, that choice will be easier to make. * Mental strength. Amy explains mental strength as how we think, feel, and behave. She then went on to share that we have control over all of these. As Amy said, we can REFRAME our negative thoughts, we have WAY MORE control over our emotions than we think, and we can ALWAYS take ACTION – even when we don't feel like it. Amy also says this is a life-long thing – it's a PURSUIT. So, we have to be consistent with this choice. Finally, I love how Amy tells us to coach ourselves which is very empowering for ALL of us. One of the main aspects of this self-coaching is being intentional about assessing ourselves – how are we doing? How did I do today? You might even ask – did I win this day with class? Or did this day strengthen or weaken my ANCHOR? So, mental strength is within our control – and every day matters. * Know your values and priorities. I liked how Amy challenges herself by asking – if people saw a snapshot of my life, would they know what my priorities are? This is a great takeaway for all of us. If people look at our lives will they know our values and priorities? Our standards? So, the first step is to explore and define your standards and priorities. Then, the second step is to LIVE according to your standards and priorities. As Amy showed us, as long as we're living our lives according to a strong set of standards and priorities – and we become anchored to them - we can live and even thrive no matter what life throws at us. * The 13. You need to go get Amy's book so you can really dive into the full list of the 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do and we hit on them briefly in our discussion. Some of my favorites: Mentally strong people don't get stuck in self-pity. We all get in ruts – the secret is to not STAY there. Also, mentally strong people don't live in the past and related to that, they don't repeat mistakes. We are all human and we all screw up and have bad patches in our lives. However, as Amy says, there is really very little in life we can't UNDO. We just need to learn from our experiences and then choose, as Amy did, to be strong and move forward. Lastly, a theme that covers a couple on the list – mentally strong people aren't afraid to take the time to be intentional about building and preserving their inner peace. This is what we're all chasing and we can all get there – but, we have to be intentional with our time and attention to ourselves – putting the phone and other distractions to the side and checking in with ourselves, figuring out what that inner peace looks like based on our values and priorities, and then pursuing that on a consistent basis. * The choice is clear: To sum it all up, as Amy says in her book, "When you become mentally strong, you will be your best self, have the courage to do what's right, and develop a true comfort with who you are and what you're capable of achieving." Sounds like a pretty good way to live an anchored, winning with class life. So, let's coach ourselves every day to be mentally strong. It worked for Amy despite severe and very real, life adversity. And it will work for us too. Links: Website: amymorinlcsw.com Instagram: @amymorinauthor X: @AmyMorinLCSW Podcast: Mentally Stronger, with Therapist Amy Morin

Frank Martin: Coaching basketball and LIFE.

Massachusetts head basketball Coach Frank Martin was named the 23rd head coach in men's basketball history in March of 2022. Martin brought 15 years of head coaching experience to Amherst after spending 10 seasons prior as the head coach at South Carolina, where he led the Gamecocks to the program's first ever NCAA Final Four in 2017. Martin began his 10-year run in Columbia, S.C. prior to the 2014-15 season and went on to match the program's record for wins in a season as his team finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 25-9 record. The squad rose to as high as 15th in the USA Today Coaches Poll following the Gamecocks' best start since the 1933-34 season. Under Martin, South Carolina broke the record for wins in a single season with 26 in 2016-17 on the way to the best NCAA Tournament run in program history. Martin led the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Tournament win since 1973 and to the program's first-ever Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final Four. The No. 7-seed squad defeated No. 2 seed Duke in the round of 32 and earned wins over Baylor in the Sweet 16 and Florida in the Elite Eight before falling to Gonzaga in the national semifinals. He was named the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year. The Gamecocks were ranked in the AP Poll for nine weeks and the Coaches Poll for 10 weeks and finished as the No. 6-ranked team in the final USA Today Coaches Poll. Sindarius Thornwell was named a CBS Sports First-Team All-American and the NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player. Martin got his first head coaching opportunity at Kansas State in 2007-08 and brought the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in four of his five seasons at the helm. He guided the Wildcats to their first win over rival and No. 2-ranked Kansas since 1983 and took the team to its first NCAA Tournament since 1996. In 2009-10, Martin led Kansas State to a 29-8 record and an Elite Eight appearance. The Wildcats earned their first win over a No. 1-ranked team in Texas since 1994 and finished the year ranked inside the top 10 in both major polls. Kansas State went into the 2010 NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed and defeated North Texas, BYU and Xavier in postseason play. He was recognized as the Big 12 Coach of the Year. A Miami, Fla. native, Martin began his coaching career in the high school ranks in Miami, earning his first head coaching job at North Miami High School before moving to Miami Senior, where he led the team to three straight state championships. His first collegiate coaching job came in 2000 as he was named an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Northeastern University. From there, he joined Bob Huggins' staff at Cincinnati and was part of Huggins' coaching staff at Kansas State during the 2006-07 season. A fixture off the court and in the community, Martin and his wife, UMass track and field alumna Anya (nee Forrest), have hosted numerous philanthropic events and have been key investors in the UMass women's track and field program. In 2019, Martin was introduced into the Naismith Coaches Circle that was created by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to recognize coaches who have impacted their communities, players, other coaches, and society in a positive manner. Martin earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Florida International in 1993. He and his wife, Anya, have three children: Brandon, Amalia and Christian. Takeaways: 1. Coach's anchor. From listening to him, it's clear to see what makes up Coach's anchor or internal foundation. Family – starting with his grandmother, a rock-solid work ethic, his faith and, related to and largely gained from his work ethic – a clear knowledge of how to treat people. It's not hard to see how Coach is so admired and respected. 2. Don't worry about what you don't have. What a great lesson for us all. This one started with his grandmother – the source for a lot of his lessons as you heard. Coach Martin mentioned it in the context of telling young coaches to just take care of the job they have and not to worry about chasing that next job. He also mentioned that this came from growing up and building furniture with his grandmother, noting that they didn't have much at all – but they didn't know it because they just appreciated what they DID have. What a great lesson for all of us – especially in today's comparison world led by social media. We all need to stop, appreciate what we DO have and take care of the people around us NOW. Like Coach said, it's far better to do it this way and more often than not, ascension up that mountain will come. And, even if it doesn't, the genuine peace and fulfillment that comes from enjoying the journey and the people around you are worth it. 3. Spirituality and the Pursuit of Complete. As you heard, Coach had a couple of amazing experiences that made it very clear to him that God has a plan for him. It's now very clearly a part of his life's pursuit of complete – a main part of his set of priorities - as he continues to impact lives. Another great reminder to, at the very least pay attention to the spiritual side of ourselves as we build and maintain our own pursuit of our complete selves. 4. Culture. This one is hard to beat. Coach Martin mentioned that his culture is based on four building blocks - honesty, loyalty, trust, and love. I love how he explained how each building block built off the previous one. I also love how he started with honesty and the truth as the first building block, or foundation, for it all. Then, if you get to love – that's when you arrive at a family…and, if you get there, you can deal with the storms. When it comes to culture, it's hard to say it all any better than that. 5. Winning + Class. Coach Martin described this by saying it's about how we should strive to focus our energy on uplifting the lives of those around us. As coach said, when we can show up the next day excited regardless of the previous day's outcome because we're inspired this way, that's winning with class. It's clear that Coach lives this notion and it's a great one for all of us to follow as well. Links: Website: https://umassathletics.com/sports/mensbasketball/roster/coaches/frankmartin/2452 [https://umassathletics.com/sports/mensbasketball/roster/coaches/frankmartin/2452] Instagram: @frankmartinumass; @umassbasketball

Nick Lavery: American Hero – Unstoppable Warrior

Nick Lavery is the founder and CEO of Precision Components LLC, where he and Team Machine train, advise, enable, and inspire organizations and individuals to unlock capacity and increase capability. He is also the best-selling author of Objective Secure – the battle-tested guide to goal achievement. Nick is a warrior, leader, teammate, and most importantly, a proud husband and father of two boys. Nick enjoys reading, writing, lifting weights, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and shooting. Most significantly, however, he enjoys building forts, Legos, getting dirty, drawing and reading with his sons and traveling, eating dinner, and watching movies with his wife. Nick founded MCHN to build a community that embodies these same principles – where discipline, leadership, and resilience aren't just taught, but lived. Nick, born and raised in Massachusetts, is an active-duty Green Beret within The United States Army Special Forces. The Green Berets perform critical missions including direct action, counterinsurgency, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, and unconventional warfare. Nick is currently serving as a Special Forces Chief Warrant Officer and is widely recognized as an experienced subject matter expert in special operations, intelligence fusion, mission planning, and complex problem solving across all operational continuums. He is also the first amputee in military history to complete the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification course, the Special Operations Combatives Program Instructor course, and the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification course. In 2013, while deployed in Afghanistan, Nick and his detachment fell victim to an attack that ultimately resulted in the amputation of his leg. Following a year of surgeries and initial recovery including the use of a prosthetic at Walter Reed National Medical Military Center, he returned to his unit. Refusing military medical retirement, Nick set his sights on returning to operational status. In 2015, at the conclusion of a challenging, comprehensive assessment designed to evaluate Nick's abilities to operate, he returned to his detachment and was subsequently deployed once again to Afghanistan conducting full spectrum combat operations. Nick is considered the first Special Forces operator to return to combat as an above-the-knee amputee in military history. Nick's awards include the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars, Bronze Star with "V" for valor, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, the OSS Society Peter Ortiz Award, the Bruce Price Leadership Award, and the Special Operations Command Excalibur Award. Takeaways: 1. How YOU Livin? When I hear Nick's story – the bravery, the courage and all the selfless sacrifice that he has endured and continues to endure for our country, this simple question comes to mind. "How you livin'?" The simple challenge that comes along with it is this: are we living in a way that is worthy of all that Nick has gone through? Would Nick be able to look at our lives and say to himself – "yep, that life is worth fighting for" or "yep, I'm proud to fight for him or her and the way they're living." This one is for all of us and it's especially good right now. There's a lot going on in this country – I think it's a great time for all of us to look in the mirror both individually and collectively and ask this question…and KEEP asking it to keep our pursuits on a good path. 2. Character Reps. I like how Nick went out of his way to point out that he was not always the massive 6'5" warrior that he is today. In fact, for most of his childhood, he was the small, weak one who got picked on. However, he mentioned that each patch of difficult time served as a character rep that ended up adding to the toughness that embodies so much of who he is today. So, no matter how we struggle at times, let's remember that life has a way of throwing us these character reps – and if we can see it this way, we'll be stronger in the long run. 3. TEAM First. Nick's story brings so many examples of an intense and high-level TEAM FIRST mindset. From the way he handled all of his injuries – refocusing his mission to that of getting back to his unit as fast as humanly possible, to the way he helped his teammate put his eye back into socket as he was bleeding from his own face, to the way he watched with pride when he thought he was dying as his young teammates fought off the enemy…It's just endless with Nick. And it shows that great things happen when we put the TEAM first. 4. GRACE/FORGIVENESS/PERSPECTIVE. I thought it was a very powerful story regarding Nick getting his blood transfusion. After all he had survived on the battlefield, he almost died due to a blood transfusion that resulted in him getting the wrong type of blood. Not only did Nick go quickly to GRACE in terms of handling this mistake – forgiving the doctors – but he also took it a step further by saying that he was grateful that his experience led to a change in protocols that could have saved lives like Nick's down the road. In a world of me first and who can I sue when mistakes are made, this is incredibly refreshing. Nick knew his medical team was doing all they could to help him and immediately went to a "mistakes happen" mentality, especially under that much pressure. He then took that "team first" mentality, thinking about how his suffering hopefully saved lives in the future. More great lessons from Nick. 5. I WILL Mindset for Adversity. Nick clearly had and maintained an "I WILL" mentality throughout all he faced both in battle and recovery. Getting back to his unit after each injury, getting through his rehab, getting through training after learning to walk again with his new leg, having endured 35-40 surgeries…There was no "I think I can" or "I'll try" or anything else less than complete "I WILL" in his head. These are two extremely powerful words to guide us in our pursuit. Things may happen along the way that are out of our control and take us off path, but if we keep the words "I WILL" at the forefront, we will never have to doubt whether or not we gave it all we could along the way. Nick certainly does not have to wonder about this in all that he did. 6. PURSUIT of COMPLETE: Nick's description of winning with class is a great one. He likens it to the climbing of a mountain and talks about how getting to the top just isn't right if you haven't done it the right way – leaving others behind or stepping on them to get to the top, etc. And is there a better warrior than Nick to remind us that this is NOT just a "soft" or "cheesy" notion? As he said, winning with class is by far the harder and tougher road to take. Let's all follow his lead and get to the top of the mountain with the great feeling and positive IMPACT that comes along with taking the challenging pursuit of complete that is based on bringing winning AND class into all that we do. Links: Book: Objective Secure, The Battle-tested Guide to Goal Achievement Website: https://mchn.co [https://mchn.co] Instagram: @thenicklavery Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nick.Machine.Lavery?_rdr [https://www.facebook.com/Nick.Machine.Lavery?_rdr]

Patric Young – Turning Tragedy into Victory

Patric Young is a basketball analyst, author, speaker, and philanthropist. Patric played for the University of Florida Gators from 2010-2014, playing for Hall of Fame Coach Billy Donovan, which included a Final Four appearance. Patric then played professionally in the NBA and then overseas from 2014-2020. In 2021, he transitioned into a college basketball analyst for the SEC Network, a position he holds currently. In the summer of 2022, Patric was involved in a single automobile accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Once a towering force on the court, Patric now had to face new challenges that initially tested his faith, resolve, and the very core of his identity. In 2023, Patric summarized his inspiring story in his book Sit to Rise, Turning Your Darkest Pain Into Your Brightest Victory. His story now serves as a beacon of hope, proving that in moments of vulnerability, we can discover newfound strength and unleash new levels potential within ourselves. Four months following his accident and while undergoing intensive therapy and treatment, Patric launched The Patric Young Foundation. With a mission to help those facing life-altering injuries, the foundation works to provide financial, emotional, and physical support to those who need it most. Determined to make a difference, Patric is working to be the best he can be for himself, his family and his new adaptive community. Takeaways: 1. The DRIFT. This is a truly great LIFE lesson and one that is consistent with a lot of what we discuss on this show. Patric reminds us that we have to live intentionally, anchoring ourselves to the right identities. Anchoring? Sound familiar? As Patric said, if we don't, then – just like the ocean's tide takes kids playing in the waves – life will take us where it wants us to go, not where we want to go. Soon we end up in unexpected and most of the times, undesired places. We need to establish a strong identity, based on the right standards, principles, and priorities, and then go live a life with intention to maintain all of it every day. It's not easy. Just worth it. 2. Your Reputation. Feeding off the point about The Drift, when we develop a positive identity, and live it consistently, it transforms into a positive reputation. That leads to others being drawn in – and increases our ability to make positive IMPACT, which is something that all humans are wired to seek. 3. Being Coachable. We all need to be coachable. One simple reason is that great leaders and great teams simply don't have time for those who aren't. Patric mentioned how he got his wake-up call when Hall of Fame Coach Billy Donovan had to tell him he was going to have to leave if he didn't become more coachable. We need to always strive to find that balance of contributing our unique talents, while also maintaining the humility that acknowledges that we can always get better and grow – especially when it comes to what the TEAM needs. 4. Success. Speaking of Billy Donovan, his description of success, as Patric relayed in our conversation, is simple, yet powerful. As Coach Donovan said, you "just have to live it." What a great reminder that we need to be thinking about success and our pursuit of it – all the time - in all that we do. 5. Life is where you are. As we discussed, due to an infection, Patric was stuck in the hospital for an extended period of time following his accident. How did he handle it? By deciding that he was going to be as nice as he could possibly be to every single person with whom he came into contact. We have a chance to IMPACT everywhere, all the time. I like how Patric refers to the option of bitterness by saying "I just don't see the point in it." As we discussed, there were a couple of nurses who were positively impacted by Patric – opportunities that would've been lost if Patric had chosen bitterness. Because he chose positive instead, who knows who else may be impacted – through the stories those nurses tell their friends and families and beyond. 6. Living FULL and DYING Empty. What a great way to think about life. This includes the notion Patric mentions of using trials and adversity as tools to develop us. It isn't always easy – Patric admitted there are good and bad days on his journey, of course. But, overall, with each challenge, he's getting better. And that allows him to keep living fully…I have no doubt that when it's all said and done, Patric's tank will be empty – all of it having been spent positively impacting a countless number of people. Links: Website: patricyoung.com Instagram: @patricyoung4 Foundation: py4foundation.org

Molly Miller - Winning with Relentless Positive Energy

On March 22, 2025, Molly Miller agreed to join Arizona State University as its next head coach of the women's basketball program. ASU hired a proven winner in Miller who guided Grand Canyon University to a 32-3 record last season which included a 30-game winning streak and GCU's first berth in the NCAA Women's Tournament. Miller went 117-38 (.760) at GCU and overall is 297-55 (.845) at the collegiate level that also included 180 wins in six seasons at her alma mater (Drury), where she served as an assistant coach and was a four-year letterwinner. Miller was the most sought after mid-major coach in America with numerous SEC Universities and others seeking her services. Molly and her husband, Derek have two children, Crosby and Cy. Takeaways: 1. Positive Energy. For this, you simply need to take a look at Coach Miller's Instagram from the moment she took the job at Arizona State. She was simply everywhere – all the time. On campus. In the community. With current players. Former players and coaches. And more. I'm no expert on coming in to build a program, but I think it looks pretty much like this. And, as we discussed, she talked about how much fun she was having doing it all – it's hard not to follow a leader like this. 2. Culture – This is talked about a lot these days, but that doesn't lessen its importance. I like how Coach Miller referenced culture as being a brand of habits the entire team lives out every single day that should carry over every year. She also mentioned that it was something she could work on quickly upon taking the job. The wins she promised would come, but she could start working on culture immediately – and she clearly did just that. When you do it the way she describes - in genuine way…like a family…the need to recruit your own players lessens. As we discussed, you end up with happy players – who will stay. 3. CHARGE – What a great mantra and acronym that Coach Miller referenced as a foundation of her program. It's also fitting as she mentioned she loved the defensive side of the ball and taking charges is one of the toughest parts of that side. This one covers it all – Communication, Humility, Accountability, Respect, Gratitude, and the Energy, that Coach Miller takes to the next level. Again, this is a rock-solid foundation for Coach Miller's culture – and it sure seems to result in a lot of winning as well. 4. Leadership – Coach Miller's style – a firm hand with a gentle heart as she described it. This seems to be a great way to describe the way she empowers the team by giving them the chance to embrace the opportunity they have to make their own mark on the program so long as they "take CHARGE" as we just described. Do this and she'll have their backs the entire way. She'll listen and do all she can to make their ride as good as it can be for them as individuals and as a team. 5. Four pillars of the program – As a compliment to her CHARGE foundational theme, Coach Miller's 4 pillars further strengthen her program. The notions of teammate, manners, commitment, and communication – four non-negotiables that are essential for lasting success. I especially like the "manners matter" element. Manners really do matter – the seemingly little things of treating people all around you with good solid manners as we discussed – this is the "class" icing on the cake that will make all the winning truly last. 6. Culture check – I love how this is a part of Coach Miller's program. Teams can do all they want in terms of building a great culture, but if they don't keep everybody accountable to it on a consistent basis, it will fade and cracks in its foundation will develop. Coach Miller does a great job of not only pointing out when the team is getting sideways in terms of culture but also explaining why and how it's happening. And her question of "does your audio match your video" is a great one for all of us – are our words matching our actions? And are they both in alignment with our culture? This one is a good one not only for team culture but also for the individual standards we set for ourselves – are we living those standards we set for ourselves? What a great way to stay on track. Finally, on this point – Coach Miller mentioning another fantastic question – are you a drain or a faucet in terms of the team's culture. Great reminder to always be the faucet – be the one who ADDs to the culture. Never be the one who takes away, lessens or drains it. 7. 0-0 Mentality. Coach Miller has clearly had a ton of success in her career so far. One of the main reasons is the way of she's able to maintain a sharp focus for her teams – even when the wins are stacking up - by challenging them to focus as if their record is 0-0. And I love how she mentioned that she is sure to coach them through this process – she makes sure she explains the way behind the method – which makes it much easier to follow. This is another great way to think BOTH in terms of a team as well as individually. On either level, you may be on a great streak – but there are always ways to improve. Celebrate wins? Yes. Then get right back to work as though your record is 0-0. Links: Website: https://sundevils.com/sports/womens/basketball [https://sundevils.com/sports/womens/basketball] Instagram: @coach_mollymiller, @sundevilwbb X: @MollyMiller33 https://www.instagram.com/coach_mollymiller/