excellence, actually

Clay interviews Brad about his new book, The Way of Excellence, which releases January 27th and is a culmination of 15 years of research, reporting, and coaching on what it means to live a truly excellent life. Brad shares the remarkable story of how his book landed a blurb from Steve Kerr, how this idea originated on a trip to the Himalayas almost two decades ago, and breaks down the biological, psychological, and philosophical foundations of excellence, as well as the mindsets that will allow you to practice it. Featuring insights from world-class performers—including chess grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Olympic bobsledder Kaillie Humphries, and master furniture maker Peter Korn—this conversation reveals how excellence isn't about perfection, but about pouring your all into what matters while accepting the heartbreak that comes with caring deeply. Whether you're an athlete, artist, parent, or professional, this episode offers a roadmap for reclaiming excellence in your own life—one focused day at a time.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER Brad's new book, "The Way of Excellence," which Steve Kerr, nine-time NBA Champion, is calling "an absolutely beautiful book"
AMAZON LINK

Click here for an AI-generated, unedited transcript

Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter

Join The Growth Equation Academy

If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!
iTunes and Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Android
PocketCasts
YouTube
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Routines are powerful tools for peak performance—until they become the performance itself. In this episode, we explain the important difference between routines that serve you and routines you serve. You'll learn why elite athletes keep their warmups simple, how to avoid turning routines into superstitions, the "training wheels" theory of routines, Brad's 3-3-3 daily, weekly, and monthly practice system that he uses in place of routine, how to bulletproof your routine by developing multiple pathways to the same mental state, and what to do when your routine falls apart (hint: it's a learning opportunity, not a catastrophe). Whether you're an athlete preparing for competition, a creative trying to do deep work, or just someone drowning in productivity advice, this episode will help you build routines that actually work—and know when to let them go.

Click here for an AI-generated, unedited transcript

Click to pre-order Brad's new book, "The Way of Excellence," which Steve Kerr, nine-time NBA Champion, is calling "an absolutely beautiful book"

Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter

Join The Growth Equation Academy

If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!
iTunes and Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Android
PocketCasts
YouTube
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

91% of New Year’s Resolutions fail. That’s because behavior change is really hard. Which means that the only real way to make new habits stick is to build them in the right way. Today, we’re giving you a few ideas on how to do just that, exploring why values-driven goals beat outcome-based ones, how to design your environment for success rather than relying on motivation or willpower, and why starting small (really small) is the secret key to radical reinvention. We’ll talk using your phone less, moving more, and allowing yourself to keep procrastinating (sometimes).

Click to pre-order Brad's new book, "The Way of Excellence," which Steve Kerr, nine-time NBA Champion, is calling "an absolutely beautiful book"

Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter

Join The Growth Equation Academy

If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!
iTunes and Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Android
PocketCasts
YouTube

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're ringing in 2026 by bringing you 26 lessons that will help you achieve excellence in whatever it is you do. These are the the habits, practices, and mindsets that we revisit so often in our work and that have proven effective in creating a foundation for high-level achievement. Consider this your cheat sheet: Give yourself credit for the things you're doing well, notice areas you might like to improve, and then come along with us for another year of trying to help you perform your best at the things you care about most.

Click here for an AI-generated, unedited transcript

Click to pre-order Brad's new book, "The Way of Excellence," which Steve Kerr, nine-time NBA Champion, is calling "an absolutely beautiful book"

Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter

Join The Growth Equation Academy

If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!
iTunes and Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Android
PocketCasts
YouTube
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Merry Christmas! We're taking a little break, so we're bringing you an episode with an all-time great athlete, Courtney Dauwalter, whose interview, two years later, still delivers some all-time great advice on excellence. Here's the original intro...

01/04/24: Last summer, ultrarunner Courtney Dauwalter did something that had never been done before. She ran three of the sport's most iconic 100-mile races... within 10 weeks of each other... and won all three. (She also set the women's course record on two of them.) It was an incredible achievement, even for someone who has long established herself as one of the greatest ultraunners of all-time. How does she do what she does? Through a rare mixture of joy, curiosity, and intensity that will change how you think about competition and ignite your own self-belief. Here, she talks about what she calls "the triple," why she goes in search of the pain cave, the unique visualizations and mantras that she uses to help her solve problems on the trail (like the time she went 98% blind), and how she manages to always keep "joy in the front seat."

Click to pre-order Brad's new book, "The Way of Excellence," which Steve Kerr, nine-time NBA Champion, is calling "an absolutely beautiful book"

Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter

Join The Growth Equation Academy

If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!
iTunes and Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Android
PocketCasts
YouTube

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.