The Foundations of High Performance: Translating the Secrets of Elite Athletes Into the Boardroom

Imagine this… You're on a business retreat and as part of the "surprise & delight" culture, you're being driven to an undisclosed location for your next activity. You arrive at a local swimming pool where you are taken into a classroom and you begin to learn about the physiology and biology of breathing, the impact that is has on the performance and function of our physical body.  You're shown how different breathing methods influence the amount of oxygen in your blood, how many breaths you can take and how simply changing the way you breath using different techniques can change the way you feel in your body.  The next thing we are in the pool, practicing various breathing techniques as we swim from one side to the other with a single breath, elevating our heart rates and then doing it again experiencing that feeling in your chest, of the pressure building, of so desperately wanting to take a breath but pushing through…. I continue to progressively push myself physically out of my comfort zone over the course of a few hours – to the point that if I was a surfer, I could survive a wipe out. What was happening right there in that pool, was that I was being shown how with the use of my breathe, my mindset and practiced techniques, I could continue to push myself beyond what I would have previously considered my physical limits, and to demonstrate to myself that I am capable of more than I thought, with the right tools.   This whole experience was led by today's guest, Nam Baldwin. I was fascinated by this session and the work that Nam does, and how he has translated his experience of working with elite athletes to working with some our top business executives.   Nam has an impressive client list that includes, Mick Fanning, Steph Gilmore, Pat Rafter, AFL's Richmond Tigers, NRL's Sydney Roosters plus Olympic Athletes and World Champions. And he's also the best kept secret of some of our top 1% business leaders…  Nam has a gift for simplifying the complicated science behind brain and body performance, & delivering it in life-changing, digestible sessions, creating proven successes and powerful outcomes across all scenarios. In today's episode we get into: How the techniques that he taught us in the pool translate into the boardroom The power of the breath and why such a simple thing can be so powerful His definition of performance and why it's not about going harder for longer Why a foundation of personal wellbeing is so important for our own performance Managing good stress and bad stress As well as How our own sense of identity and purpose contributes to our overall wellbeing, resilience, and prioritisation of what's important Nam has a way of explaining things in a way that make sense and you can take away and implement into your daily life.  NAM Baldwin  Website Melissa Marsden Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website | Work Life Lounge