What happens when everything you’ve built your identity around—your talent, your success, your career—comes crashing down?

Ryan Leaf’s story is one of the most dramatic arcs in professional sports. Once the No. 2 overall draft pick behind Peyton Manning, Ryan saw his NFL career unravel under the weight of expectations, addiction, and ultimately, prison. And here’s what makes his story powerful—he doesn’t run from it. He owns it. And he’s turned it into a mission to help others navigate mental health, shame, and resilience.

In this episode, we get real about the dangerous side of the “chip on your shoulder” mentality, how stigma kept Ryan from asking for help, and the moment that changed everything—when he stopped proving people wrong and started focusing on service.

If you want to dive into an episode about redefining success, resilience, and ultimately redemption, this conversation with Ryan Leaf is for you.

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How do the best in the world channel the intensity of their emotions—like frustration, anxiety, and love—into creative power that impacts the world?

Serj Tankian is a Grammy-winning artist, activist, and frontman of the iconic rock band System of a Down. Known for his dynamic vocals and thought-provoking lyrics, Serj blends creativity, activism, and mindfulness into his music, poetry and art – all with the goal to inspire change, advocate for justice, and explore the depths of human emotion.

In this conversation, we explore how Serj transforms emotional tension into creativity and clarity. We dive into his early days growing up as a first-generation Armenian American, the profound influence of his family’s history, and his journey to finding equilibrium between justice and forgiveness.

For anyone looking to better manage emotions, lean into creativity, or make sense of life’s contradictions, this conversation is packed with wisdom. We can’t wait to share it with you.

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What does it mean to develop mastery of self and mastery of craft? That’s a foundational question.

Today, I’m really excited to welcome back to the podcast, one of the great minds of our time—Robert Greene. You probably know Robert as the author of some of the most influential books on human behavior—The 48 Laws of Power, Mastery, and The Laws of Human Nature.

Today, we go beyond the pages to dive deep into his unique approach to understanding self-discovery, mastery, and love. We also dig into how he’s navigating his recovery from a major stroke in 2018. It is so inspiring.

Robert’s wisdom is practical, sharp, and transformative. In this conversation, he unpacks some of the most important lessons from his life and his work—lessons that can help all of us better navigate the messy, exhilarating, and winding adventure to becoming our best selves.

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In this fast-evolving business landscape, how do leaders turn setbacks into opportunities for growth?

Today, I’m thrilled to share this conversation with Deb Cupp—the President of Microsoft Americas. Deb embodies the best of leadership – and I don’t say that lightly.

I’ve had an up-close view of how she works – she comes alive at the intersection of staying customer-centric while being able to scale teams within highly complex business landscapes.

Deb is fun, amazing to be around, brings the best out of her teams, and brings the best out of me as well. She’s earned her resilience… it’s no wonder why her teams perform in a world class way.

If you're curious about building a career that's both purpose-driven and high-performing—or how to lead with resilience and empathy—this conversation is packed with actionable insights and wisdom.

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How do a UFC fighter, Olympic skier, and extreme climber manage high pressure moments?

This is an episode unlike any we’ve done before.

Last summer you may remember that a few members of the Finding Mastery Team, along with Olympian and X-Games Champion Kaya Turski, UFC Champion Vitor Belfort, and famed climber Tommy Caldwell, went aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, while she was on deployment in the Western Pacific. We were there to work with the crew on mindset and high performance. Now these men and women understand high stakes environments. They know what it takes to live on their edge and push the boundaries of what’s possible. They do it everyday, and it was so inspiring.

While we were on board, we recorded a podcast with the ship’s Commanding Officer, Captain Daryl Cardone and the Commander of the Air Group - Captain Patrick Corrigan. It’s a great episode. If you haven’t listened to it or watched it, I really recommend you go check that out HERE.

Now… before we went onboard, we were stuck at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, waiting out a typhoon that was wreaking a little havoc in the western Pacific. The weather was terrible, and we were all waiting in the hanger for the storm to blow through. We had a high performance psychologist, an MMA fighter, a climber, and a world class Olympic skier… it’s like the start of a bad joke, yet there we were. So, we decided to make the most of our time. We sat down on cases and whatever we could find in the hanger and had a conversation. A kind of roundtable... It was a wide-ranging discussion that delved into adversity, resilience, and high-performance mindset. Each of them has faced extreme challenges, from high-altitude survival to fight-night pressure to life-threatening injuries. And in this conversation, we break down the mental frameworks and strategies that helped them do more than survive; they emerged stronger and more invigorated than ever.

If you’ve ever wondered how elite performers navigate fear, setbacks, and the unknown, this is a conversation you will want to take the time to listen to.

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The Super Bowl can mark the pinnacle of a team’s journey—but when the final whistle blows, another game begins: the game of transition.

For NFL players, the end of a season isn’t just about the scoreboard—it’s about identity, loss, and what comes next. Some teams prepare for this reality. Others ignore it, only to face the reality later.

In this episode of The Game Inside The Games, Dr. Mike and NFL legend Brandon Marshall pull back the curtain on the psychological weight of the season’s end—and how elite teams, like Pete Carroll’s Seahawks, used emotional intelligence, team culture, and mental preparation to thrive under pressure.

Brandon opens up about the hidden struggles of post-career transitions, the mistakes most players make, and how studying at Harvard changed his approach to life after football. Plus, Michael shares never-before-heard stories from the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run—including why a locker room fight days before the game wasn’t a crisis, but a sign that the team was right where they needed to be.

Because whether you’re an athlete, a leader, or anyone navigating major life shifts—transitions define us.

🔥 Don’t miss this masterclass on resilience, leadership, and the psychology of high performance.

🎧 Subscribe now and follow along with Finding Mastery all week as we unlock the mindset of high-performance athletes on the world’s biggest stage. Get The Game Inside The Games on Youtube, Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

…

This episode is brought to you by…

Microsoft Copilot

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Mack Weldon

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For two weeks, players are surrounded by relentless media, soaring expectations, and the weight of a lifetime of preparation. Some rise under the pressure. Others crumble.

In this episode of The Game Inside the Games, Dr. Michael Gervais and Brandon Marshall unpack what makes the Super Bowl build-up so uniquely intense—and how the best athletes train their minds to handle the noise. From managing anxiety to creating a mental bubble, they reveal what it takes to stay locked in when the whole world is watching.

Brandon shares his own experiences from the NFL, opening up about mental health, confidence, and the hidden psychological battles of high-performance sports. Because at the highest level, winning isn’t just about talent—it’s about mastering the mind.

Whether you’re an athlete, a leader, or just someone looking to perform at your best under pressure, this episode is packed with powerful insights on mental resilience, confidence, and the mindset needed to thrive when everything is on the line.

Subscribe now and follow along with Finding Mastery all week as we unlock the mindset of high-performance athletes on the world’s biggest stage. Get The Game Inside The Games on Youtube, Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

…

This episode is brought to you by…

Microsoft Copilot

Try Copilot for yourself → https://rb.gy/u8xr9z

Find the right Microsoft Partner for your organization → https://rb.gy/xb3kgt

Mack Weldon

Get 20% off orders $100+ with code FINDINGMASTERY → https://rb.gy/8gsani

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Super Bowl isn’t always won by the best team—it’s won by the team that adapts when everything falls apart.

In this episode of The Game Inside the Games, Dr. Michael Gervais and Greg Olsen break down the hidden battle of the Super Bowl—the fight to stay mentally agile when the game doesn’t go as planned. Greg shares firsthand insights from Super Bowl 50, where he faced Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, revealing what happens when strategy collides with chaos.

Later, Pittsburgh Steelers legend Cam Heyward joins the conversation to talk about how elite athletes handle pressure, quiet the noise, and mentally adjust when the stakes are at their highest.

Because in the Super Bowl—and in life—it’s not about having the perfect plan. It’s about knowing what to do when the plan is gone.

Subscribe now and follow along with Finding Mastery all week as we unlock the mindset of high-performance athletes on the world’s biggest stage. Get The Game Inside The Games on Youtube, Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

…

This episode is brought to you by…

Microsoft Copilot

Try Copilot for yourself → https://rb.gy/u8xr9z

Find the right Microsoft Partner for your organization → https://rb.gy/xb3kgt

Mack Weldon

Get 20% off orders $100+ with code FINDINGMASTERY → https://rb.gy/8gsani

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.