Metta Performance

In this episode, Holly and Michael welcome former rower and current performance coach, Madeline Davis Tully to the pod to explore how high performers navigate career plateaus, leadership, and identity shifts in mid-career. The conversation unpacks why traditional success strategies stop working, how values misalignment creates internal friction, and how coaching, systems, and self-awareness can unlock clarity, energy, and sustainable high performance.

How do you sustain high performance across careers, parenting, and entrepreneurship? In this episode, rower turned real estate agent Laura Aubrey joins Michael on the pod to tells us how she makes it happen. This episode explores how disciplined habits, adaptability, and clarity of purpose drive long-term success. From athletics to real estate, the conversation breaks down how to manage chaos, stay focused on what matters, and build a business - and life - that compounds over time.

How do athletes actually reach elite performance? In this episode, Michael and Kate welcome Lauren LeClaire to explore how development-focused teams build long-term success through culture, learning, and opportunity -not just results. Learn how coaching philosophy, team dynamics, and strategic race exposure shape high-performing athletes and sustainable careers.

What does it take to sustain high performance for decades all while balancing a demanding career, personal life, and evolving goals? Join Sean, Michael, and guest John Hirsch as they dive into the details! This episode explores longevity in sport and life, revealing how to stay motivated, avoid burnout, and redefine success over time. From elite triathlon performance to public defense work, this conversation uncovers the mindset, systems, and choices that enable lasting excellence.

What separates athletes who last decades from those who burn out or break down? In this episode, physical therapist, endurance coach, and competitive triathlete Emma Taylor shares what she sees from the front lines of high performance. From intrinsic motivation and consistency to strength training, injury prevention, and fueling strategies, this conversation explores how endurance athletes build durability, resilience, and long-term performance. Drawing on her work with athletes ranging from college competitors to athletes over 70, Emma explains why the best performers focus on process over outcomes, why strength training is essential for endurance sports, and how sleep, nutrition, and systems create sustainable success. This episode is especially valuable for endurance athletes, coaches, and high performers looking to balance training, career, and life while staying healthy and motivated over the long term.

What does high performance look like outside of sports or corporate leadership? In this conversation, singer-songwriter and Steep Canyon Rangers member Aaron Burdett shares how musicians train their minds and craft to perform at elite levels. From managing pressure on stage to turning jealousy into motivation, Aaron explains the internal psychology of performance, creativity, and teamwork in the music industry. The discussion reveals surprising parallels between athletes, leaders, and artists, especially around resilience, preparation, and trusting the process.

What does real high performance look like in sport and leadership? In this conversation, a long-time professional cycling team leader shares lessons from more than two decades building one of the longest-running women’s cycling programs. The discussion explores how elite athletes are developed, how to identify potential beyond results, and what habits separate sustainable high performance from short-term success. Listeners will learn how resilience, consistency, adaptability, and strong environments shape athletes and leaders, and why mastering fundamentals often matters more than talent alone.

What defines high performance in leadership, military command, and cutting-edge technology startups? In this episode with Lt General Ross Coffman [RET], we explore how failure, empathy, clarity, discipline, and mission-driven culture shape elite performance. From leading tanks in Desert Storm to tackling quantum cybersecurity threats, this conversation unpacks practical leadership lessons, sustainable performance strategies, and the future of digital security. If you’re searching for how to build resilient teams, prevent burnout, or lead with humility and strength, this episode delivers real-world insight.

Join us for a coaches chat! In this coaching roundtable, we get the band together to discuss a variety of topics. The conversation explores how athletes maintain motivation between races, navigate identity shifts when performance changes, recover from injuries or illness, and build long-term relationships with sport. The coaches also share practical coaching insights on training structure, nutrition experimentation, off-season preparation, and building consistency without burnout. Enjoy!

How do athletes, executives, and everyday performers stay strong, resilient, and competitive for decades—not just seasons? In this episode, experts in performance medicine and sport science, Sharon McDowell and Regan Stiegman, unpack the science-backed strategies behind long-term performance, recovery, nutrition, and lifestyle optimization. Drawing from their new book Staying in the Game, the conversation explores how nutrition density, fiber intake, sleep, training balance, and lifestyle medicine pillars can help slow age-related decline, reduce inflammation, and sustain peak performance across the lifespan. https://healthylearning.com/staying-in-the-game/

Today, we welcome Laurel Rathbun. This episode explores what sustainable high performance really looks like through the lens of elite cycling, entrepreneurship, and personal resilience. From early athletic development to career-ending injury, returning to competition, launching a women’s pro team, and balancing work, training, and leadership, this conversation offers practical lessons on consistency, intentional living, emotional regulation, mentorship, and building performance ecosystems that last. Listeners will learn how elite performers define success beyond wins, how to manage multiple life demands without burning out, and how women’s sports are evolving through better leadership and partnership models.

In this episode, we sit down with start-up CEO Maria Colacurcio to explore how elite performers balance career ambition, family life, and athletic goals without burning out. Drawing from real-world leadership experience and competitive sport, the conversation reveals practical strategies for goal setting, productivity, recovery, and mindset. Listeners will learn how to replace perfectionism with progress, use movement to fuel creativity, and design weekly systems that support both performance and happiness.

What does it actually mean to perform at a high level without burning out? In this episode, productivity expert and endurance athlete Prasanth Nair shares a practical, systems-driven approach to sustainable high performance. You’ll learn how presence, energy management, identity-based habits, and structured time systems create consistent results in work, sport, and life. From micro-focus moments to long-term discipline, this conversation delivers actionable strategies for anyone seeking clarity, focus, and meaningful progress.

In this episode, Sean sits down with sports marketing leader and lifelong endurance athlete Mike Buenting to explore what truly drives long-term motivation, happiness, and performance. From career reinvention to marathon breakthroughs and Ironman setbacks, Mike shares powerful lessons on chasing passion over money, building resilience through adaptability, and creating sustainable habits that fuel both sport and life. This conversation offers actionable insights for athletes, professionals, and anyone seeking fulfillment through movement and purpose-driven work.

What does it take to sustain high performance across work, sport, and life—without burning out or losing yourself along the way? In this episode, Holly sits down with a lawyer, public servant, mother, and endurance athlete to explore how discipline, humility, and long-term thinking create the conditions for real potential. Through stories of running, leadership, self-doubt, and resilience, this conversation reframes performance away from outcomes and toward daily practices that build confidence, clarity, and capacity over time. This episode is a powerful listen for leaders, athletes, and high achievers who carry a lot—and want to carry it well. 00:03 – Introduction and multi-dimensional identity 03:00 – Sport as an organizing force for discipline 07:20 – Letting go of streaks and learning to rest 10:40 – Daily habits that support consistent performance 15:55 – Defining performance beyond results 19:30 – Flow state, suffering, and acceptance 25:20 – Sport as proof of worth and self-belief 30:35 – Starting the day with the hardest thing 36:10 – Why working with a coach matters 45:45 – Saying no, long-term thinking, and perseverance

What does it actually take to perform at a high level—without sacrificing health, joy, or longevity? In this conversation, the guest explores sustainable high performance across work, sport, and life. Through stories of entrepreneurship, trail running, coaching, and community building, the episode unpacks how discipline, fun, mentorship, and self-awareness create lasting success. This episode is a practical and philosophical guide for anyone navigating ambition without burnout. 00:00–02:45 – Identity, entrepreneurship, and community building 02:46–06:30 – Seeing gaps and trusting intuition 06:31–10:30 – Confidence, leadership, and starting before ready 10:31–14:30 – Defining high performance in business 14:31–18:50 – Athletic background and growth mindset 18:51–23:15 – Discipline vs. motivation in training 23:16–26:45 – Burnout, recovery, and sustainable effort 26:46–31:20 – Fun, energy, and performance outcomes 31:21–37:30 – Coaching, self-awareness, and mental agility 37:31–44:25 – Future focus, advice, and building support systems

This episode explores how fear, ambition, and identity shape performance in sport, leadership, and life. Through stories from endurance sport, entrepreneurship, parenting, and coaching, the conversation examines why driven people struggle with balance, how fear disguises itself as wisdom, and how clarity of purpose enables sustained high performance without regret. The discussion introduces a practical framework—the “fear equation”—and reframes failure, recovery, and courage as skills that can be trained rather than traits you either have or don’t have. 00:03 – Background in sport, business, and coaching 09:30 – Identity, ambition, and always needing a goal 12:40 – Burnout, plateaus, and changing pursuits 15:05 – Recovery as an extreme, not moderation 20:10 – Why fear demands understanding, not avoidance 22:15 – The Fear Equation explained 26:40 – Fear of success vs. fear of failure 30:45 – Reframing failure and public judgment 36:00 – Values conflict: work success vs. family presence 45:55 – Paying the “fear tax” over a lifetime

This episode dives into what it truly takes to become—and remain—a high performer across work, sport, and life. Together, we explore mastery, innate drive vs. learned skill, the psychology of sustainable excellence, and the real tension between ambition, identity, rest, and fulfillment. You’ll hear practical insights on stress-management, flow states, deliberate practice, rest-recovery balance, and the inner critic—all grounded in relatable stories from the world of competitive duathlon, entrepreneurship, and leadership development. If you’ve wondered how to excel without burning out, or how to build systems that turn occasional success into repeatable mastery, this conversation is designed for you.

The Metta Performance Podcast kicks off by introducing a coaching philosophy that blends compassion with high achievement—so you can perform in work, sport, and life without flaming out. Holly, Michael, and Sean unpack what “Type A+” really means, why process beats outcome, and how to avoid comparison traps, celebrate small wins, and build sustainable performance that lasts. Key takeaways: What “Type A+” means without titles or podiums. Why “hustle-only” leads to burnout—and what to do instead. How to design sustainable performance across work, sport, life. Process > outcome: control what’s controllable. The comparison trap (and practical reframes to escape it). Micro-celebrations: using “singles” to sustain motivation. Sets & reps for the mind: actionable mental training. Coping with bad sessions and switching gears for work. Balancing multiple identities (parent, pro, athlete, leader). Simple reflection prompts to turn lessons into habits. Timestamps : 00:01 – What Metta Performance is: compassion + achievement + connection. 00:23 – Hosts’ backgrounds: psychology, endurance sport, coaching. 03:20 – Culture of hustle, burnout risk, and sustainability. 04:16 – Coaching approach: leadership, performance, and athletic coaching creds. 06:30 – Redefining “epic”: first races, non-podium wins, perspective. 08:00 – Process over outcome; self-awareness and compassion as fuel. 12:52 – Coping when things go wrong; mindfulness and gear-switching. 15:25 – Three “non-Metta” moments: over-fixation on outcomes and recovery. 27:07 – Zooming out: celebrate singles, not only walk-off homers. 27:37 – Work parallels: quarters, launches, and micro-wins worth celebrating. Keywords: sustainable performance; burnout; type A+; self-compassion; process over outcome; work-life balance; endurance sports; coaching; mindset; celebrate small wins

This episode explores what really happens when high-performing athletes transition from elite sport into demanding careers, family life, leadership roles, and new identities. Through honest conversation, the hosts and guest dive into mindset shifts, accepting changing performance, navigating professional pressures, redefining success, and learning to find purpose beyond metrics. Whether you’re an athlete, executive, or someone in a major transition, this episode offers a roadmap for sustaining long-term fulfillment while balancing ambition, wellbeing, and identity. Time Stamps (10 max) 00:00 – Opening and introductions 00:46 – Breno’s athletic journey from Brazil to pro triathlon 06:36 – The hardest adaptation after retiring 07:44 – Shifting from high-volume training to real-world balance 11:00 – Mistakes and lessons learned in transitioning out of sport 12:27 – Identity, acceptance, and detaching from past performance 17:17 – Coaching Type-A and Type-A+ high performers 21:36 – Why losing joy leads to burnout 23:46 – Coaching executives through training, mindset, and life 33:27 – Navigating identity shifts and medical adversity

This episode dives into what it truly takes to perform at a high level across work, sport, and life — not through shortcuts or comparison, but through purpose-driven habits, intentional decisions, and a process-focused mindset. You’ll hear powerful insights on sustainability, balance, curiosity, discipline, and the daily choices that ultimately shape a meaningful life. The conversation explores how personal purpose evolves, how accountability accelerates growth, and why the path to long-term performance is built on consistency rather than intensity. Time-Stamped Highlights (limit 10) 01:03 — Defining a balanced life through personal “tomato plants.” 02:30 — What high performance really means and how to measure it. 04:45 — Using purpose to guide priorities and life decisions. 07:09 — How purpose evolves across seasons of life. 10:02 — The connection between physical health and professional confidence. 11:55 — Building discipline, consistency, and a repeatable process. 13:42 — The impact of coaching and accountability on progress. 16:45 — Health span vs. lifespan and why it matters. 19:14 — Using goal horizons to stay grounded and intentional. 23:54 — How small decisions compound into meaningful outcomes

What happens when the coach is also your parent? In this heartwarming and insightful episode of The Metta Performance Podcast, we explore the dynamics of coaching within a family — how compassion, trust, and consistency shape not only performance but also lifelong connection. Host Sean Luitjens sits down with Michael and Kate Seiler, a father-daughter coaching duo, to unpack the highs, lows, and lessons learned from years of working together in elite cycling and life. From managing boundaries and emotional balance to redefining success and recovering from injury, this conversation offers real-world insight for parents, coaches, and athletes alike. Whether you’re curious about performance psychology, developing resilience, or navigating complex relationships, this episode bridges the gap between achievement and empathy — and how the best coaching sometimes happens at home. Timestamps 00:56 – Kate’s cycling journey and racing in Belgium 06:05 – Defining performance: consistency, progress, milestones 10:25 – How the father–daughter coaching relationship began 14:23 – Challenges of blending family and performance roles 19:50 – Overcoming injury and mental resilience 24:10 – Michael’s proudest moment: Kate’s national championship 33:54 – The emotional intelligence behind athlete feedback 40:05 – Advice for parents considering coaching their kids 44:46 – Kate’s advice for athletes coached by their parents 49:15 – Final reflections: the power of shared growth