Benchmarked

In our Season 1 finale, we discuss future plans for Benchmarked, the Coaches and how applying our own techniques has helped us navigate everyday leadership situations and grow as fathers, husbands and coaches.What we cover: For your athletes and people that you lead to understand what you want from them. You first have to understand them.We explore the idea of parents, coaches, and teachers raising young people and athletes to be prepared for life's challenges - not necessarily the next level of sporting competition.What is a good age to start instilling independent communication for young players.How good communication can solve many “playing time” issues with players and parentsAssuming positive intent from people until their intentions are made more clearLosing useful messages amongst the noise of coaches and parents who are yellers and tellers.We want to hear from you!Where are you in your leadership journey? What's your WHY?How are you chasing your 1%?Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We would be grateful if you chose to like and subscribe!KEEP CRUSHING IT!

 Coach Bobby Magallanes has been developing and refining his leadership and coaching for over 30 years. He is a leader whose journey is as rich as it gets. He joined the Atlanta Braves coaching staff as their assistant hitting coach in 2021 and was part of their World Series Championship run. This year not only are the Braves well in the hunt for another World Series title, but Coach Bobby Magallanes was also part of this year's All Star Coaching staff in LA. Coach Mags is a lifelong learner who has a Masters degree in performance psychology and has a passion for coaching, leadership and mental performance (most importantly family). In this episode:The difference between internal and external focusThere is no bad age to start with mental performance trainingMental Performance lends itself to all aspects of life, not just in sport but in business, personal life and schoolAs coaches, leaders, fathers and husbands it's ok to not be ok but admitting you are not ok is the first step towards improvement.Finding your WHY in life - your purpose - your meaningHave your own mentors who you can count on to help and guide you.Find ways to get yourself more “life jackets” for when you are barely treading waterAthletes who start applying the mental performance part of the game can take their abilities to new heightsHaving a growth mindset to expand your skills, both physically and mentally.Being stubborn about your success. Have a goal and let nothing stop you from achieving it.Connect with Bobby:https://www.instagram.com/magallanesbobbyWe want to hear from you!Where are you in your leadership journey? What's your WHY?How are you chasing your 1%?Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We would be grateful if you chose to like and subscribe!KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

With us for this episode is a very special, talented and successful athlete who has been a standout on both the national and world stages. As a beach volleyball star, Sophie Bukovec is a two time All American, a three time NCAA Champion with the USC Trojans, a U21 World Champion, and has just recently returned from the World Championships in Rome with a hard earned  silver medal. To top it all off she is also a Team Mizuno ambassador and founder of the Northern Elite, an elite Beach Volleyball Training program. Interview Highlights:Working through adversity at the World ChampionshipsBelieving in the "Process"Falling in love with trainingBeing comfortable in your own skin as an elite athleteSaying no to modeling to be true to herself and her love of sportsThriving in a competitive environmentThe chess game of volleyballDealing with momentum shiftsLearning about recruiting as a young athleteConnect with Sophie:Sophie on InstagramThe Northern EliteWe want to hear from you!Where are you in your leadership journey? What's your WHY?How are you chasing your 1%?Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We would be grateful if you chose to like and subscribe!KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

In this episode of Benchmarked we welcome Warrant Officer Scott Coulter. With a long military career and degree in Psychology Scott shares with us how to create situations where people can be successful and how to expect more from ourselves. Scott walks us through an incredible physical transformation as a teenager that came from a place of strength and self honesty. He teaches us how to overcome personal victimhood. He also shares with us stories of his military service in Afghanistan, Nepal and other hot spots that make Coach Mess and Coach Larocque reshape their global perspectives on patriotism, war and the people it affects.We want to hear from you!Where are you in your leadership journey? What's your WHY?How are you chasing your 1%?Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We would be grateful if you chose to like and subscribe!KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

In this episode we are joined by Joe Tolles. As an athlete, leader, and business owner Joe helps us break down what it takes to empower people to become the very best versions of themselves.  Joe has had a long career in professional hockey and CrossFit. His mission as a gym owner is to offer the best possible service aimed at helping people of all fitness levels improve their quality of life. His community-based strength and conditioning fitness programs have been proven effective and deliver unparalleled results. He is a world-class coach that genuinely care about supporting his athletes!Connect with Joe:http://northshore.trainingInstagram: North Shore Athletic ClubWe want to hear from you!Where are you in your leadership journey? What's your WHY?How are you chasing your 1%?Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We would be grateful if you chose to like and subscribe!KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

The Coaches get emotional in this one talking about how one coach made a monumental difference for his athletes. Here's what gets covered in this episode.Culture is NOT a saying or statement posted on your locker room, weight room wall or slogan you slap on a T-shirt and refer to when it's convenient. It's a living breathing organism that's GOT to be nourished and poured into daily.It has to start with a self diagnostic period of reflection on where are you, where do you want to go as a leaderWHAT is your MVP? not who is your MVPUsing 3 C's 3 E's and 3 P's will definitely act as a launching point for developing your culture. So much to work on as a coach, but if we pick one or two elements to focus on at a time for one season, or a week, or even one game or practice, we'll be able to work at becoming that 1%better.BTTYBTTT.Extreme OwnershipDevelop everyday habits for individuals on a team that fosters a sense of belonging, purpose and bettermentService or Status - Status drives failure. When you play to serve others you build trust and love and success will follow.Coaching and leadership at it's best is service to othersCoaching is the ultimate customer service job.The best of the best do things differently and it starts with building the right culture.There is a championship culture that dictates how they treat each other, how they respond to adversity, and how they perform at their highest level regardless of their sport or their level.Creating the right culture will lead to:More predictable and consistent outcomesCatching and passing the competition that's ahead of youLeading others and becoming the best at what you doIf players resist buy in, try to be more clear on what you're asking players to buy into first.  What are the 4 Stages of Buy In?Keep sharing the message even if it's not sinking in for athletes. Find different approaches if one is not working with an athlete or studentClose knit teams and player led teams are the most successfulWe want to hear from you!Where are you in your leadership journey? What's your WHY?How are you chasing your 1%?Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We would be grateful if you chose to like and subscribe!KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Our guest in this episode is Blake Sloan who has won an NCAA  Championship with Michigan, A Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars and a Word Championship Bronze with Team USA. Blake takes us trough his journey through sports, championships and what it takes to be a great teammate. Show Notes:-Winning Hockey's Humanitarian award-Growing up around sport-Championship ingredients-Leadership is the ability to influence others in a negative or positive way-How much better can I get?-How can I contribute and be impactful on a daily basis-Adapting leadership to the player not the other way around-A multisport approach to raising successful young athletes-1996 Michigan hockey championship - People win championships-The Michigan Goal - Goal of the decade - Being on the ice when it happened and witnessing history-Character has nothing to do with winning games - but everything to do with winning championships-Buy into what the vision and accountability to each other wins-What is it to be “a good pro” a good professional athlete and teammate-Be “coachable” and seek feedback-Make yourself one of those people who others want to play with and be teammates with-Be memorable in what you are doingConnect with Blake:Twitter: @bsloan2711We want to hear from you!Where are you in your leadership journey? What's your WHY? How are you chasing your 1%?Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We would be grateful if you chose to like and subscribe!KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Head Coach Liz Keady Norton of the Dartmouth College Women's Hockey Program (and recently named Assistant Coach for 2023 USA U18 Worlds) is a leader who has successfully woven  leadership, motherhood, and fitness into her Ivy League and ECAC coaching career. She takes us through her journey into taking over this historic program and provides insights into powerful leadership and coaching practices.What we talk about in this episode:-how to be a standout recruit-what most coaches look for in potential student athletes and should look for to build a successful program -how good fitness habits play a role in making yourself ready to play-establishing a culture of success through communication and trust-finding balance and staying grounded with family-Process over outcome when building team dynamics for the long term-Core leadership values rooted in growth and empowerment of the athlete-Coaching should be regarded as the service industry-The difference between being "interested" vs. "committed"-How good humans make good teammates-The importance of body language -Getting the most out of your players by giving them a defined role to playCheck out the Institute of Performance and Fitness:https://ipfitness.comhttps://www.instagram.com/ipfnews/ We want to hear from you! Where are you in your leadership journey? What's your WHY? How are you chasing your 1%? Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We would be grateful if you chose to like and subscribe!KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

In this show we cover how as coaches we apply what we know and have learned over our years working with athletes and other coaches. We share some examples of how creating an environment of growth and development will lead to true success in life as well as on the field. In order to reach excellence in leadership, it is vital that you remain coachable yourself and have a thirst to continually improve, seek feedback and growth. Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening and remember we want to hear from you. Leave us message, a review or like our show.KEEP CRUSHING IT!

Jeff's career has taken him from Major League Baseball to professional football and hockey, to elite developmental programs, working with Olympic athletes, school academies and player agents helping to develop their professional and armature athletes.He has contributed to a number of international Olympic programs as well as MLB's International player development programs helping to support organizations across Europe, Africa, Canada, the USA and New Zealand.He has lived and operated in the grand industry of sports and sports performance for more than thirty years and just keep going. His passion for this industry of sports performance, skill acquisition, and talent development continues to grow like a wildfire.Small town boy making it to the big leagues…He started his professional career in baseball as one of the first strength & conditioning coaches for the Toronto Blue Jays. Connect with Jeff:https://jeffkrushell.com Purchase Jeff's Amazing Book on Amazon: "The Performance Plan: Strategies for Top Performance in Sport, Business, Coaching and Life" Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening and remember we want to hear from you. Leave us message, a review or like our show.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Head Coach of the Coronado Islander football program Kurt Hines has what it takes to lead people through all of life's challenges. As a Twitter sensation and powerful and engaging speaker, Coach Hines shares with us his path towards being more than a coach. He is a father, a grandfather, a friend and one of the best leaders you can ever meet. In this show we share the following:-The path to success as a coach-How to support athletes on and off the field-The great power of family and relationships-The struggles of defining your "why" -Why successful coaches aren't always winning coaches.-Where do the leaders seek leadership and inspiration.Connect with Coach Hines:https://www.coachkurthines.comConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening and remember we want to hear from you. Leave us message, a review or like our show.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Josh Ross is an up and coming Country Music Singer-Songwriter-Performer who is as genuine as he is talented. Now residing in Nashville to pursue his dream, Josh has recently signed a record deal with Universal Music Group and continues to race up the charts with his hit songs "Tall Boys" and "First Taste of Gone". Both have hit over 2 million streams.In this show we share the following:-Following your heart to get where you want to go-The importance of balance in lifestyle/health/work-The power of acting like you can't fail-Things happen for you, not to youConnect with Josh Ross:https://linktr.ee/joshrossmusicConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment and/or a  review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

China McCarney is the founder and CEO of the Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression Foundation and Vice President and CFO of Jaeger Sports. He has a  demonstrated history of working in the sports industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Budgeting, Coaching, and Athletic Training. He is also an operations professional with a Certification in Sport and Fitness Psychology focused in College of Extended & International Education from California State University-Dominguez Hills. Besides that he a two time Amazon Best Selling author: Off the Field and Tell your StoryShow Notes:-Using his struggles to fuel is career as business professional and help others-Dealing with anxiety, depression and panic attacks (athletes against anxiety and depression)-#Bethechange-#Ridthestigma-The creating of a Mental Health Manual to help other athletes-The reach of Jaeger sports across baseball in North America-The impact of poor coaching and communication on an athletes' mental health-Coaching with compassion and understanding while still holding people to a performance standardConnect with China:https://www.instagram.com/chinamccarney/https://www.instagram.com/aaadfoundation/https://twitter.com/ChinaMcCarneyhttps://twitter.com/AAADFoundationhttps://mentalhealthmanual.orghttps://linktr.ee/aaadfoundationhttps://www.facebook.com/ryanchina.mccarneyBook: The Mental Health Manual Book: Off The Field Book: Tell Your StoryConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment and/or a  review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

In this episode we discuss the formation of habits, the replacement of bad habits and how to develop championship habits to change your life.What we discuss:-Habits are small decisions you make and decisions you perform each dayWe are the sum of all our habits…eat too much, drink too much…don't read enough…-They totally have an impact on our successes and failures in all aspects of our lives-Habits can even come in the form of thoughts (negative or positive)-This is where a good accountability partner can come into play. Or you need to really become self-honest and reflective and ask yourself important questions like-Transforming your habits will transform your life-Don't aim to “Break” a habit. Aim to “replace” a habit. -Take control of your environment. -When things aren't going well or things are tough…The answer isn't always MORE or HARDER, it's in the process. It's in your habits.-According to Duke U. habits account for 40% of our behaviors on any given day.-De-Clutter your mind. -Unshackle yourself from bad habits and negative thoughts.-Discipline = Freedom-The recipe to success isn't motivation; it's discipline. Stop searching for motivation and start cultivating discipline, motivation is fleeting & unreliable, discipline is to get what's best for you done even when you don't feel like it.-Get your house in order - organize your life…Checklist manifesto-Get your finances in order-Take care of your body -Take care of you mind -Spend time with people that matter-Instead of goals or resolutions try themes-Be proud of the little things you do (showing up early, being respectful to service people)-Make yourself worthy of winning by developing winning habits and a winning mindset. Wake up awesome, go to be tired.-Set your own habit benchmark-AM and PM Habits-Habit Share app-Pre and Post Competition/Practice Habits-The 3 Steps in the Habit LoopConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment and/or a  review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Joining us today is one of the most motivational, inspirational, and recognizable people on the web! Robert Gilbert, Ph.D., is a professor of sports psychology at Montclair State University and is a public speaker, motivational coach, sports coach and author. He has developed numerous workshops on success, written books about success but he is most famous for his Success Hotline which just celebrated it's 30th year in production. Since January of 1992 he has recorded DAILY three-minute motivational messages that have reached thousands of listeners around the world. You can still call the Success Hotline at (973) 743-4690. (charges may apply) but now, you can subscribe to his Podcast any way you like streaming your Podcasts.In this episode:-Avoid being average by being EXTREME-Extreme leads to Extraordinary-our youth are suffering from L.O.S.E.-creating leadership that inspires-creating memorable emotional moments leads to greater learning -"a set back is a setup for a comeback"-how to pass the pillow test-how changing your focus can change your future-the law of 3 27 60 10Connect with Dr. Gilbert:sendmeastory@aol.comSuccess Hotline: (973) 743-4690Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/success-hotline-with-dr-rob-gilbert/id1532154557Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment and/or a  review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

What we talk about:This is where a good accountability partner can come into play. Or you need to really become self-honest and reflective and ask yourself important questions likeAm I truly open to accepting change, responsibility, advice, input, criticism?It takes experience, perspective, and discipline to shift to a growth mindset and once you get there it's like unlocking all the cheat codes in a video game. The possibilities are endless.You are going to have bad days. No it's not feasible that everything is perfect like an Instagram post there will be days you will get punched in the face.The idea is to minimize those days or isolate the bad moments in a day and not let them ruin all 1440 minutes of your day.Growth and fulfillment often lie on the other side of hellWe want to continue to grow and learn as we age. We want to be the best fathers, husbands, friends, teachers and coaches we can be.To do this it requires getting outside of a comfort zone and being reflective that good enough isn't enoughExamples of fixed mindset that limit your successConstructive criticism is just a personal attack.”“I give up when I'm frustrated.” I'm taking my toys with me and leaving“I don't need to learn any more.”“It is what it is.”Jealous of others success or attentionHow do you stop an average mindset?Avoid BCDAim for Self-Awareness, Reflection and ReassessmentAvoid Negative, Fixed Mindset Self-TalkAsk for Feedback (and listen to it)   Do Not Overreact to Failure (keep it in perspective) Do Not Compare yourself to others, only the best version of yourself. How good can I actually get?Celebrate Effort (POO)UNSTICK YOURSELFEliminate mental limitations on physical performancePROGRESS IS THE STANDARDCall To Action:Create your own mindset list with 3 columns START STOP CONTINUE. In each list 3-5 things you want in those categories.Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment and/or a  review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Today we talk with Olympic Bronze Medalist and Team Mizuno Member Natalie Wideman. Beyond being an outstanding athlete for Softball Canada and brand ambassador for Mizuno, Natalie is an entrepreneur, a speaker, and is completing her studies in Naturopathic Medicine . Saying she is a role model for younger athletes is an understatement as she travels around providing clinics, camps, and guidance for young ball players. Her amazing  mindset and varied skills make her a swiss army knife for the national team and has propelled them to several international medals within her time with Team Canada. Overall, this energetic, thoughtful, and inspiring athlete will have you wanting to get after it and get into pits with your own lions!What we discuss:-How to be a great teammate-Learning to win as a team after challenging times-Forging a championship mindset as an individual and as a group-Exposing yourself to failure early in life as a learning opportunity-Growth mindset and how being a lifelong learner leads to greater opportunities for success.-Getting into pits with lions to open yourself up to big opportunities in lifeConnect with Natalie:https://linktr.ee/nataliewidemanConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment and/or a  review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Holding yourself accountable is a precursor to holding others accountability. Accountability builds trust, trust build culture, and culture builds success. In this episode we cover the importance of a quality accountability partner for individual progress towards successful leadership and growth. Coaches who master the ability to develop accountability within their team will drive performance of both individuals and the group to new heights.What we talk about:Accountability is controllable and optimizes your chances for a positive outcomeERO & BCD Accountability should be molded through definable parameters that dictate what needs to be achievedWhy do I need to be accountable to myself, my team, my organization? Layers of accountability - Personal (self, family, friends) Professional (team, business, organization, community)If you can't hold yourself accountable, you cannot hold others accountable.Self Discipline Discipline = Freedom  Extreme Ownership - Own your role and play it to its fullest potential.Do your job! Demonstrating self accountability will make others more likely to want to be more accountable to you.Set habits that allow you to establish a routine where you can be successful and control what you can control. Show up when times are tough. When you are in Charge Take Charge.Avoid the leadership vacuum where nobody wants to make a decision. Define your role and define other people's roles and make sure they have the tools necessary to do their jobs. Provide clarity on what to do and make sure you do it.Accountability is one pillar that Builds trust Become a Lifelong Learner (GROWTH MINDSET) be open minded and accept feedback from others even those who are under your leadership.Have expectations of excellence for yourself but accept failure and commit to resilience when things go wrong.Surround yourself with good people Make a list of items short/medium/long range that need to be completedBe Present not PerfectK-A=O (Knowledge - Action = Nothing)Well Better HowAlignment and assignment  To be perfect is to be fake.Call to Action:Start or a wall/mirror of accountability or find an accountability partner and list 3 things you will be accountable for (short/mid/long term)   Examples of accountability partner/mirror (self care, check in with others in your organization/team, mental muscle training -reading, podcasts or finding opportunities to expand and build on your leadership skills)Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment and/or a  review.KEEP CRUSHING IT!

In this episode we interview Dwayne on his move to Detroit and how he helps players of all levels improve their skills through building relationships.  Along with working in the NHL as a player development coach Dwayne is also the owner of Total Package Hockey in London Ontario. His goal is to develop players as well as people. We also discuss the vital role of parenting in raising young athletes - the right way. Dwayne shares with us how he makes connections with elite level athletes and how the best are always looking to get better.Connect with Dwayne:https://www.totalpackagehockey.caConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment and/or a  review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Fresh off helping the Atlanta Braves win the World Series, Zach Sorensen author of "The Hard 90" book and podcast joins us to share his journey and mental performance tips. Zach has been instrumental in helping so many athletes achieve a higher level of performance through taking care of the mental game. He wants everyone to achieve real world results by empowering athletes to develop an elite mindset through learning how to PREPARE, COMPETE and PROGRESS in the Mental Game. Connect with Zach:https://www.amazon.ca/HARD-90-Prepare-Compete-Progress-ebook/dp/B08JKXB1BJhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-90-podcast-with-zach-sorensen/id1560368271https://phenomsports.comConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We want to hear from you! Like Subscribe Comment!KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

This week we discuss our last "P" and final of the Nine Elements of Successful Leadership. PERSIST! Our goal this week is to help you create a mindset of continuous personal and professional growth and persistence. Never give up. Stare down those wolves and overcome all obstacles in your life to become the best you and the best leader you possibly can. KEEP CRUSHING IT!What we discuss:Persistence is a controllableNever Give Up. Your breakthrough can be the very next attemptMost successful people have failed more than they have succeededE+R=O The action that I take next is what I have absolute control overIf you don't believe in yourself, why should anybody else?Dealing with failure:Forgive yourself: eyes up, next targetFEAR: Failure-Expected-Are-You-ReadyFailure is Fertilizer for your FutureGrowth mindset vs Fixed Mindset - you must adapt and evolve as a coach, player, teammate, parentHabits are how we respond when it matters the most---when things are tough your habits will take over and make things workSelf pity and helplessness produces more victimhood. Victimhood produces more victimhood - Adversity creates struggle...struggle creates rewardNever waste your pain - Use it to move ahead, evolve and exist for greatnessCall to Action:Go out this week and really get after it. Tackle those tasks/challenges that have been hindering you. Push yourself to a new limit in whatever it is you can-fitness, reading, journaling. If you have an obstacle in your life and run through it!Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment and/or a  review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

This week we discuss our second of three "Ps" of our Nine Elements of Successful Leadership. PERFORM! This is where the rubber meets the road. So many crucial things add up to this moment, the big meeting, the big game, the big performance, or simply just being your best in everyday life.  Don't let a lack of mental preparation and confidence affect physical performance! Get out of your own way and just start CRUSHING IT!What we discuss: Do your jobComplete tasks with effectiveness and competenceCompete at your best and in service of others around you.Review past performances for future improvementsAttention to each tiny detail is a must to ensure consistent performance at a high levelService or Status - Status drives failure. When you play to serve others you build trust and love and success will follow.As a leader you don't need to be the best at everything, but you must be able to find people who have the skills you might be missing and put them in positions to be successful for your organization/team.Meditation and breathing as a tool for performanceBeing a leader is about having all pieces pointed in the right direction will allow  the best group performance. Stay in the moment, have confidence that all preparation and other elements mined and refined will support your performanceIt's okay to make mistakes. Fail forwards and have short term memory. The only important play is the next one. Signal light awareness will play a big role in maintaining peak performance state.Find gratitude in the ability to compete and share your talents and Define what your Perform benchmark is. Establish a person, event, situation, highlight the effort that you want to replicate and set it as a reminder.This could take the form of real time feedback on data…ie. HR, times, lifts, pitch count, shot attempts, goals against…what determines a good performance in real time. It's too late once the game is done.Crush it!Call to Action:Your task for this week is to reflect on your best performance ever and your worst performance ever and write down what you believe led to those performances. What were the differences in how prepared your were vs things within your control you lost control of?Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

This week we start with our first of three "Ps" of our Nine Elements of Successful Leadership. PREPARATION! Don't let the lack of mental preparation affect physical performance. Ask yourself if you are properly prepared for meeting your goals, being the best version of yourself and leading others. Many of us dive into tasks or challenges or even daily routines without proper preparation. Remember PPPL2PPP (piss poor preparation leads to piss poor performance)What we discuss:Again start with the end in mindParts of preparation: Nutrition, Training, Sleep, StrategyPreparation is controllable. Are you controlling the controllables in your life?Habits are how we respond when it matters the most.Form Good HabitsPractice good habitsPractice ideas to include skill development and fitnessAsk yourself: What do I have to do to be successful?Do you have an Accountability partner/mirror/journal?Mental push upsPractice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfectP.O.O. Process Over OutcomeYour MVP needs to be THE ProcessLove the details even the smallest one.Avoid everyday habits that drain your energyAvoid going through motions. As a leader keep your team stimulated and dialed in. When working with younger athletes, remember that practices should be stimulating and make them want to come back. This will build habits in them that will have them appreciate going to practice as part of the process. Build in time to enjoy their teammates. Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Today we talk with UNC Women's Rowing team member Kristen Siermachesky. This gamechanger takes us on her journey from a captain of the women's hockey team at Syracuse University to working on her masters degree and being a leader on the rowing team at the University of North Carolina. Kristen is an influential leader who has had an impact at every stop along her leadership path. What we discuss:-Leaving home at 14 to pursue her dream-The influence and role of family on someone's leadership development-How stepping up for your teammates and community can build capacity and growth-Being a leader when times are tough-Changing positions at a critical time your career-Making your mark through a positive attitude and building up others-Having an impact on a team based on everything BUT skill-How being a quality leader can help build a better team culture-Even the best of us have bad days sometimesConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

In this interview with former Hamilton Tiger Cat Courtney Stephen, he shares with us his perspectives on good leadership, exceptional coaching, and the role of family in supporting their children through sport.  Courtney also brings in his passion for financial education and provides us with some great ideas to increase personal wealth. From bitcoin to base cover 3 this episode has it all.What we discuss:How coaches can have a vast influence on young playersHow parents support their kids in positive and encouraging waysCourtney shares how to be the best you can in all the areas of your life because you have to be.How not being exposed to crypto currency is more risky than being exposed to it.How even small steps in financial literacy can make improvements to your current situationHow being a good teammate is one of the best skills you can possessWe discuss the broader concept of "Alignment and Assignment"How a growth mindset can prepare you for life beyond sportsCourtney is a community leader, a coach, a business owner and an investor. He has played over 100 games as a pro in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger Cats and Calgary Stampeders. He is best known for his dedication to helping young athletes in the community. He also has a passion for financial education and empowering people to create generational wealth. He is a writer, writing about personal finance on his blog at CourtneyStephen.com. He is passionate about teaching students, athletes, and young professionals how to build wealth for their families. The $10 Million Marathon - His goal is to help 100 people built their net worth to $100,000.Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Excellence is not an end game it's a constant pursuit that requires your attention, effort and a determined process to navigate towards it. In this episode we discuss how to chase your own excellence and built the capacity for excellence in others and within your team or organization.What we discuss:Reverse engineering greatnessEmbrace doing the boring things that make you great.Attention to Detail is a mustConfidence ConditioningBuild a good framework of what proper execution looks like, feels like, sounds like.Process Over Outcome mentality, excellence is in the process/preparation"Wake up, Grow up, and Clean up so you can Show Up as your true self." Ken Wilbur (American Philosopher)Doing more of what doesn't work, doesn't make it work any better.Think Big, Act Big, Commit BigTraining the Mind Muscle 5 minutes per day is just as important as physical training or physical skills development.What does a culture of Excellence look like? Excellence in small things is excellence in all things14 minutes and 24 seconds (1% of your day) doing something towards excellence is not a lot of time.Small habits are underestimatedDefine what your Excellence benchmark is. Establish a person, event, situation, highlight the effort that you want to replicate and set it as a reminder.Ego is the Enemy - the difference between Ego and ConfidenceCall to Action:Your homework for this week is to fill your cookie jar - 11 items. When you need the boost of confidence pull some out.Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Having a good handle on your emotions and helping others with big emotional moments will build trust in your leadership. Finding that balance of not getting too high or too low is a skill that requires refinement and experience. Join us as we talk about how emotion can build amazing moments but can just as easily rob you of opportunities to be successful. What we discuss:Emotion is a controllable Play/Coach compete with Controlled EmotionThe highs and lows-know and identify your triggers for each how to navigate back to a place of positive performanceFinding the zone. The right combination of focus and emotional controlSelf pity and helplessness produces more victimhood. Victimhood produces more victimhood.Signal light awareness - Green/Yellow/Red  (requires more work and time to develop this skill but helps greatly with performance anxiety and finding the “Zone”).Dr. Ken Revizza Heads Up BaseballHarvey Dorfman Mental ABC's of BaseballTeach yourself and athletes to avoid BCD behavior. Self Awareness builds Self Control, self control builds confidenceEmotional intelligence.Emotional Self Management.How to control emotional momentum in big emotional momentsHow breathing, focus and meditation can be used to help overcome lack of emotional controlAct Differently Then You FellEgo is the EnemyAre you growing up or growing downAPI - Assume Positive Intentthe idea that in difficult situations we turn to Perfect - Primal - PrayerCall to Action"This week we want to you to take 10 minutes everyday to mine and refine one of the following skills: Meditation - Breathing - Visualization. See if it helps you with challenging emotional moments.Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Dangerous Dan Dawson of the Toronto Rock is one of the greatest NLL lacrosse players of all time. He joins us today to talk lacrosse, leadership and juggling a career, sport and family. We cover the importance of family in raising well rounded athletes and Dan elaborates on the "December baby" effect on younger kids in sport and how they can overcome this.In his 20 year career, he has been a 3 time NLL champion, a 7x NLL All-Pro, NLL MVP, NLL Finals MVP, he has played in over 300 career games and will soon be in sole possession of the most games played in NLL history.  He is 4th in all time goals. He is currently sitting in second in all time assists, 2nd all time in points. He is an 8x MSL Champion, 2x WLA champion, 5x Mann Cup Champion, 3x Gold Medalist with Team Canada Indoor and 1x Silver medalist with Team Canada Field. Representing Canada, he has won two World Indoor (Box) Lacrosse Championship titles and was a finalist in the 2010 World (Field) Lacrosse Championship.What we discuss:How good team culture build great team successLearning from our mistakesThe December baby effect and how to overcome itHow family influences athletics and raising well rounded kidsDan shares lessons he's picked up along the way on his path towards becomes the all time leader is games played in the NLL.Overcoming ourselves to become the best we canFollow someone who's been to where you want to goConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Effort endeavors to bring about change. It can be contagious and have a major impact on team culture. Define it and give visual and concrete examples for your team to understand with it looks like, feels like and sounds like. What we discuss:We need you to work in a range of 8-10 on a 1-10 scale (no 7's)Be an 11!Control the Controllable Effort is one of the things you can controlNot looking for perfection, looking for effort3 choices of where to direct your effort: against each other, with each other, or for each otherTake Extreme Ownership of your actions.One of the greatest challenges in coaching is taking a talented person who does not put in much effort and turning them into people who put in more time and effort.Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.The concept of Process Over OutcomeYour MVP needs to be your processIn some cases, having Potential is not a compliment. If you are using your “potentials” people would just say you are legit. If you have potential it means you are not using it.Call to Action:Identify if your group is directing effort: against each other, with each other, or for each other (elite teams). If it is not FOR each other what efforts can you take to make change? If effort is indeed for each other in your group, reward it, recognize it and celebrate it.Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

In this episode we interview Olympic gold medalist, Canadian baseball great, and current first base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals Stubby Clapp. He takes us through his path in baseball and life and offers his take on becoming a great leader, father, and coach. What we discuss:the importance of knowing your athletes on a personal levelwhy Stubby learned Spanish to better connect with his playersdo you raise your kids the same way you coach your players?family before flagslearning how to transition from player to coachhow to communicate with intent and helping athletes stoke their own passion and firewhat's the difference between making it and staying in the big leagues vs being a minor leaguer.It's ok to make mistakesConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Commitment is a critical element in successful coaching, parenting, and leadership. People will often misuse or do not have true understanding of what commitment actually is and its impact on one's personal growth and team success. In this episode we will share our experiences on how good leaders can refine this skill and get more out of their teams and organizations. We will also look at how commitment to better mental performance can improve success on all fronts. What we discuss:Commit to yourself before you commit to others.Skills that fall into this category are typically free AND require zero talent!Lifestyle (nutrition, rest, exercise)Discipline = FreedomMotivation, Schedule, RoutineP.O.O.CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLE If you are early you are on time, if you are on time you're late. What do you play for and what is your mindset?Finding your purpose Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset (lifelong learner)Set a standard and commit to maintaining and consistently improving your standards.Commitment is based on continuously re-evaluating your  E's, C's and Ps and ensuring progress is being made towards your themes or ultimate standard of performance.Learn to know when to cut your losses and walk away from a situationImportant rules on this if you are a parent or coaching younger athletes.Teach kids to commit to being a good teammate, work as hard as they possibly can, have a good attitude and have fun. This is so overlooked as many focus on winning, being the “best player” and they lose sight of the long term goals.Play the long game in sports. You will build relevance, respect and recognition for the right things. Talent and ability will speak for themselves in the long run. Think Big, Act Big, Commit BigCall to action:How are you using your 168 plan?  Where and how are you sharing your time? Is it productive? Is it moving you towards your goal? Is it making you and your team better?168 hours in a week - 1440 minutes in a dayit takes 14 minutes and 24 seconds to get 1% betterConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT!

With good communication leaders leave no doubt where everyone stands. It is a skill that can be mined and refined. Good communicators have clear intentions, listen well, are open to feedback, give good feedback and typically if you are a good communicator people know exactly what their roles are and what needs to be done, they trust you and are likely more willing to share their truth with you. The way we communicate as leaders will have a direct affect on building a culture of success. Skillful leaders will use communication to build capacity, trust, curiosity, and cohesion within their teams or organizations.What we discuss:Know who you are communicating with. Use good nonverbal communication.WHEN YOU ARE IN CHARGE TAKE CHARGE. Avoid the leadership vacuum where nobody wants to make a decision. This happens most when times are tough and people lock up in fear of making a poor decision. Even if you make an incorrect decision be ready to pivot and say ok that didn't work let's do this instead. That's real leadership, the ability to make mistakes and learn from them.. Sometimes saying something gets the ball rolling on new ideas and directions and group creativity has a kick start. Self Honesty, Self Awareness, builds trustBuild curiosity, ask quality questions that will pull out self-honesty in people which will bring out more opportunity for advancement.Speak with care and pay attention to people.Clearly define your role and clearly define other people's roles and make sure they have the tools necessary to do their jobs.Provide clarity on what to do and make sure you do it and give feedback on progress. Set specific, measurable, and realistic goals for yourself and others. Or themes.ATHLETES/EMPLOYEES should be clear on where they stand with you. Why are you not getting promoted? Why are you not getting more playing time? They need to knowHave an open mind + Control your emotions 4 things that drive me crazy:1: “Can I be honest with you?” What are you typically not honest with me?2. “In my opinion”...replace with I believe3. “I'm not sure, but” or “I could be wrong, but”4. “Just a thought” replaced with ``Have you thought of?...5. “This is probably a stupid question”. If your question is valid, ask it, if not don't.Think Big, Act Big, Commit BigWE SEE IN PICTURES NOT WORDS3 of the hardest things for people to say:I'm sorryI was wrongI need helpBe a player led team not a coach fed teamInclude the team in decision making and problem solving and to some vision buildingBetter pre-game speeches and between period, quarter, halftime summaries and regroups. (ask the right questions)What is going well? What is that we need to improve on? What can we change or improve immediately?Praise in person, discipline in privateConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Character is the first of our three C's of successful leadership. Without it your team, organization, or company will find itself with innate challenges that will be difficult to overcome. In this episode we discuss not only the importance of character but also how to mine it and refine it within yourself as well as those around you.What we discuss:How character is tied to individual and group success.How you can develop character even though some people don't think you can.How do you want to be remembered?How does character build trust?Never sacrifice character for talent. Hire character and train talent.Don't compare yourself to anyone else but the best version of yourself...How good can you get?Learn to avoid certain behaviors like Blame Complain Defend that sabotage character. It will block progress and the possibility of complete performance readiness.Character has nothing to do with winning any single game. BUT it has everything to do with winning championships.How to develop a growth mindsetDefine your purpose as a person/student/athlete Leave a legacy larger than sports. Leadership will outlive the leader Build people not victoriesCharacter builds leadership, leadership builds capacity and capacity builds better people and better people builds better success“A coach whose perspective is limited to one dimension will not inspire this kind of love and appreciation of the game nor will he help his players have right values and place all things relative and absolute in perspective.”Call to Action:In your leadership journal, define what your Character benchmark is. Establish a person, event, situation, highlight the character that you want to replicate and set it as a reminder. Examples: a mentor, a fictional character someone you respect.Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT!Mizuno

Today we talk with member of the 2022 Canadian Women's Olympic Hockey Team Emma Maltais. She takes us along on her journey to becoming an olympian and reflects on pivotal moments and influential people that made a difference in her life and hockey career.What we cover:How to overcome adversityHow Emma had to face challenging feedback to find her best selfHow good leadership has brought forth one of the best teams in the history of Team Canada HockeyA culture of successConnect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno

Welcome to Benchmarked with Marc Messier and J-G Larocque. Here, we are all in on leadership, coaching, mental performance, parenthood, education, and the betterment of those seeking to be the greatest version of themselves. We are all about leading the players and coaching the coaches. Stay with us as we adventure through our 9 Elements of successful leadership (the 3 Cs, 3 Es and 3 Ps). We will bring you interviews with amazing people and leaders, as well as a bunch of stories from our time on the bench and in the classroom.In our inaugural show we cover how we've come to want to share our experiences with others. We discuss how things happen FOR us and not TO - with the right perspective. Turning low points of our lives into fertilizer for our futures. As coaches we reflect on how we've grown and evolved as both educators and coaches with far better perspectives after years of experience and development. Winning as people has helped us win as coaches, fathers and husbands.Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/BenchmarkedPodcastThanks for listening to our show. If you like what you hear leave us a comment and review.KEEP CRUSHING IT! Mizuno