The Playbook with Colin Jonov
by Colin Jonov
Formerly The Athletic Fortitude Show.... Colin Jonov’s Athletic Fortitude Show has rebranded to The Playbook with Colin Jonov, evolving from a sports-centric podcast to a universal guide for mastering life’s challenges. While retaining its foundation in mindset and performance excellence, the show now expands its scope to empower everyone—athletes, entrepreneurs, professionals, and beyond—to live life to its fullest potential
Episodes
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"The Brain Is Wired for Safety, Not Performance" What Elite Teams Do Best | Kelly & Juliet Starrett
Send us Fan Mail Kelly and Juliet Starrett challenge the idea that doing more automatically proves commitment, and we argue for a simple performance filter: if the work does not improve the sport, it probably needs to go. We connect subtraction, recovery, and psychological safety to the same...
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The Price of Perfection: What Heartbreak Teaches That Winning Never Could - Michael Kemerer
Send us Fan Mail Michael Kemerer and I go back to an overtime national finals loss and unpack why it feels like grief, not just disappointment, and how you rebuild after a moment you can’t get back. We also dig into what “excellence without exception” really means, from pressure and perfection to...
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"Take Every Day Like It's Your Last": What It Really Takes to Make an NBA Roster | C.J. Watson
Send us Fan Mail I talk with a former NBA guard, C.J. Watson, about the long road from going undrafted to earning a decade in the league, including the emotional hit of draft night and the lonely grind overseas. We also get real about criticism, identity beyond sport, and why building business...
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Why Sexual Assault Prevention Isn't Working (And What Would) | Dr. Mitch Abrams
Send us Fan Mail Forensic Psychologist, Dr. Mitch Abrams, and I dig into why viral sexual assault allegations rarely map cleanly onto what courts and Title IX processes can actually prove. We wrestle with consent, alcohol, memory, and prevention while refusing the easy stories that social media...
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The Three Things Every Athlete Needs to Feel: Competence, Autonomy, and Relatedness | Josh Kozuch & Josh Chambers
Send us Fan Mail Josh Kozuch & Josh Chambers and I talk through the real trade-offs behind “healthy” choices and why high performance breaks the simple good versus bad story. We connect agency, culture, and incentives to the daily habits that actually decide whether athletes and leaders grow or...
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"Comparison Is the Thief of Joy": A College Shortstop's Fight to Stop Chasing His Dad's Shadow
Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Trent and Taber Mongero to talk about what really happens when a dad coaches his son, from personality differences to the quiet rules that keep love from getting tangled up with performance. We also dig into pressure, identity, and why today’s NIL and transfer...
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"They're Not Baseball Players, They're People Who Play Baseball": Inside MLB's Culture Crisis
Send us Fan Mail John Baker, Jim Malone, and I trace what real buy-in looks like, from a high school football brotherhood to MLB clubhouses and front offices where leaders model the standard and relationships drive performance. We also unpack identity, attention, and values-based coaching so...
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Best of The Playbook: "Unsustainable" Only Gets Used When Athletes Start Getting Paid - Jay Bilas
Send us Fan Mail In this episode re-release with Jay Bilas, we challenge the idea that NIL and the transfer portal are “unsustainable” by following where college sports money actually goes and who benefits when budgets keep expanding. We argue that athletes are the revenue drivers, and any real…
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Olympic Gold Medalist: What Nobody Tells You About 'Making It | Taylor Heise
Send us Fan Mail We talk with Olympic gold medalist Taylor Heise about the mental battle of high-stakes hockey, from the gold medal game locker room to the quiet doubts you never see on TV. We get practical about identity beyond sport, routines that help after failure, and how to chase outcomes...
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"You Can't Gain What You Can't Give": An NBA Insider's Brutal Truth About Trust and Ego | Brady Howe
Send us Fan Mail Brady Howe and I talk about what makes the rarest elite athletes stand out, not just in talent but in how they treat people when nobody’s watching. We also get honest about NBA culture, fragile trust, and why meaning has to come from who we become, not what we win. • the...
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Inside the Mindset of the Most Elite Athletes | Josh Kozuch
Send us Fan Mail Josh Kozuch and I talk through what it looks like to choose agency when your body hurts, your environment is loud, and the path back to competition is not clean. We also break down how high performers build identity through daily intentions, reflection, and feedback loops that…
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The Hard Truths About Discipline, Details, and Making an NFL Roster- Silas Walters
Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Silas Walters to unpack how faith, discipline, and relentless self-awareness turn an overlooked athlete into a real NFL roster candidate. We dig into delayed gratification, evidence-based confidence, and the mental habits that keep you steady when pressure and...
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The Best of The Playbook: Dr. Julie Gurner: The Unglamorous Truth About Ultra Success
Send us Fan Mail In this episode playback, we wrestle with why brushes with death don’t automatically change behavior, then land on courage as the skill that unlocks a life that actually feels like yours. We break down how courage compounds, how fear fades with reps, and why the way we think...
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Bridging the Gap Between Western Medicine and Performance | Kyle Baum
Send us Fan Mail Kyle Baum and I unpack why recovery metrics can look perfect while your body still feels off, using HRV and the LF/HF ratio as tools rather than truth. We also dig into adrenal fatigue, low cortisol, caffeine dependence, gut health, and the hard skill every competitor needs:...
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Discipline Over Motivation: How to Keep Commitments When Life Gets Hard | Kaitlyn Kenna
Send us Fan Mail Kaitlyn Kenna and I start with caffeine withdrawal and end up somewhere much deeper: how discipline, identity, and self respect actually get built when things feel hard. We share what helps us train, recover, and eat with intention without getting trapped by perfectionism or…
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The Dark Side of Leadership: Ambition, Family, and the Cost of Being “The Guy” | Zach Brandon
Send us Fan Mail Performance and Leadership advisor, Zach Brandon, and I dig into why the traits that drive excellence can also sabotage it when we overuse them. We trade stories and mental models that help leaders, coaches, and athletes stay adaptable, serve others well, and keep their values...
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The Half‑Truths Holding Athletes Back: Lessons from 30 Years and 120 Episodes
Send us Fan Mail I reflect on turning 30 and break down the lessons that keep showing up across sports, coaching, and life: every decision has downstream effects, and you always have more choice than you think. We challenge popular one-liners about performance and replace them with a practical...
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Strong Beliefs, Loosely Held: How to Evolve Without Losing Yourself- Josh Chambers
Send us Fan Mail Josh Chambers and I talk about why “unorthodox” often becomes the new standard and how the best performers find an edge by refusing to protect their ego. We connect sports stories to leadership, identity, and habits so you can adapt faster and build something that lasts. • a...
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What Coaches Get Wrong About Building Winning Teams: Greg Berge's 27-Year Playbook
Send us Fan Mail We sit down with retired coach and school leader Greg Berge to unpack what actually lasts after the wins and losses fade. We dig into trust, culture, and parenting pressures, then land on a simple north star: people over plays, every day. • people over plays as the core coaching...
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Mike Adams: PTSD, Identity Crisis, and Rebuilding After Football
Send us Fan Mail We sit down with former NFL tackle Mike Adams to trace how a random act of violence pushed him into PTSD, identity collapse, and a fight to stay alive. We also unpack how yoga, breathwork, better habits, and honest connection helped him rebuild his body, calm his nervous system,...
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The Best of The Playbook: Justin Su'a- Why Success Feels Empty & How To Engineer Your Identity Beyond Achievement
Send us Fan Mail From one of our top performing episodes of 2025, Justin S'ua and I break down why top performers can dominate on paper but feel empty, anxious, and never satisfied, then map out how to rebuild a healthier relationship with success. We trade outcome obsession for intentional...
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Matt Rotheram- NIL Deals: The Gap Between Headlines and Reality
Send us Fan Mail Matt Rotheram and I break down how NIL negotiations really work when the public numbers are noisy and the real terms stay private. We also talk about why fit, development, and a long-term plan can matter more than a slightly bigger college payout, especially if the goal is an NFL...
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Coach Pat Narduzzi- How to Build a Championship Culture
Send us Fan Mail Coach Pat Narduzzi and I break down why Pitt keeps players and coaches in the building while still producing high character pros and NFL Draft picks. We also get real about the transfer portal and NIL world, from tampering to agents to the hidden costs that don’t show up in the...
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How Champions Build Their Mindset | Rance Mulliniks
Send us Fan Mail World Series champion, Rance Mulliniks breaks down how winning changes the way we judge a career while reminding us how much of a title is outside any one athlete’s control. We talk about roles, ego, and the daily preparation that turns talent into trust and teams into champions.…
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Most People Use Their Past as an Excuse. The Best Ones Use It as a Blueprint. | Dr. Mitch Abrams
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Mitch Abrams and I challenge the one size fits all story about divorce and child development, then get specific about what actually hurts kids and what helps them adapt. We also connect divorce dynamics to sports culture, showing how money, time demands, and maturity shape...
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"Unsustainable" Only Gets Used When Athletes Start Getting Paid - Jay Bilas
Send us Fan Mail Jay Bilas and I challenge the claim that NIL and the transfer portal make college athletics “unsustainable,” and we point out how the industry keeps finding money for everything except athlete compensation. We argue for player choice, smarter support systems, and a path that…
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You Will Never Outperform Your Purpose- Tim Cortazzo
Send us Fan Mail Tim Cortazzo and I pull back the curtain on how supplements are made, why labels can be misleading, and what it takes to build a product we would confidently give to our own families. We also zoom out into the bigger theme of decision-making, where chasing “optimal” can quietly...
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The Unconscious Competence Problem: Thinking Too Much Is Destroying Performance- Dr. Ismael Gallo
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Ismael Gallo and I unpack why young athletes are losing movement fluency and how that loss shows up as injuries, stiffness, and underperformance. We argue for a return to exploration and constraint-led play, then break down how flow-based training rebuilds coordination…
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Jim Malone - The Truth About What Separates Hall of Famers From Everyone Else
Send us Fan Mail I talk with veteran strength coach Jim Malone about why authenticity is the fastest path to trust, buy-in, and better training outcomes in pro sports. We dig into how baseball strength and conditioning changed over the last 30 years, why one-size-fits-all programs fail, and what...
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Jordan Colbert- You Will Never Perform Freely Until You Stop Needing the Outcome
Send us Fan Mail Jordan Colbert and I break down what it really takes to go from small-school football to an NFL locker room where every rep feels like a tryout. Jordan shares how he learned complex defenses fast, handled cut-day stress, and rebuilt his mindset after a season-ending injury. •...
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Jeff Schaefer- Everyone Wants the Big Leagues. Almost Nobody Wants What It Takes to Stay There
Send us Fan Mail Jeff Schaefer and I dig into how a five-year big leaguer turns failure into fuel, why short memory beats loud emotions, and how role clarity plus relentless preparation create staying power. Youth sports culture, parenting, specialization, and social media all come under the...
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20 Lessons From 100 Conversations With the Highest Performers in the World
Send us Fan Mail I share the 20 strongest lessons distilled from 100 conversations with world-class performers, from identity and courage to preparation, chaos training, and leadership. The goal is simple: build proof, narrow your worst days, and fall in love with the process so trophies become...
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Michael "The Fort" McKenry- 25 Lessons on Identity, False Labels, and Performing on Your Worst Day
Send us Fan Mail Michael Mckenry and I break down how identity in sport is built by daily actions, not labels, and why chasing “optimal” conditions keeps athletes fragile. Practical tactics show how to perform under chaos, pick fit over hype, and use systems to turn evidence into confidence. •...
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How To Build ‘Rock’ Athletes- Trent Mongero
Send us Fan Mail National High School Baseball Coach of the Year Trent Mongero and I trace the shared DNA of elite performance across music and sport, then drill into how discipline, intent, and humility turn average days into winning outcomes. Along the way we tackle parents, politics, and...
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Brian Kight - 14 Hard Truths About Fear, Desire, and Discipline
Send us Fan Mail Brian Kight and I challenge the myth that more information leads to better lives and show how courage, discipline, and clarity turn principles into practice. We map emotions to desires, reframe integrity as wholeness, and break down four identities that define every team’s…
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Steve Springer - How To Compete With Confidence When Everything Is Going Wrong
Send us Fan Mail Steve Springer and I dig into how to play “opening day every day” and why “I don’t give a crap mode” frees players from the weight of stats. The focus shifts to quality at-bats, team-first play, hunting speeds, and building confidence that survives 0-for-20 stretches and youth...
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Matt Farago- How to Make Your Voice Louder Than the Noise
Send us Fan Mail We trace Matt Farago's broadcasting path from calling simulated NBA games to walking away from a dream tour to care for family, and how that choice reshaped his idea of success. Along the way we dig into empathy in media, preparation as an edge, resilience under scrutiny, and...
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10 Lessons on Identity, Obsession, and What It Takes to Be Elite - AJ Shavell
Send us Fan Mail Coach AJ Shavell and I argue that identity beats motivation under pressure and that real confidence is earned through evidence, not affirmations. We share how to raise your floor with small wins, balance gratitude with ambition, and build systems that match your values. •…
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Dr. Julie Gurner: The Unglamorous Truth About Ultra Success
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Julie Gurner and I weigh mortality against ambition and land on a clear thesis: courage is the keystone habit that lets you live on your terms. From chronic pain to scaling companies, we show how small wins, clear thinking, and the right kind of pressure build momentum and...
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Dr. Sean Drake: Nervous System Periodization for Elite Performance
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Sean Drake and I challenge the grind-at-all-costs model and show why safety in the nervous system is the true unlock for speed, strength, and durability. Breath-work, emotional clearing, and smart routines turn chronic pain and burnout into sustainable capacity. • defining...
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Nick Raquet: The Pitcher Who Quit Baseball, Joined Wall Street, Then Fought His Way Back to the MLB
Send us Fan Mail St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Nick Raquet and I dig into the mindset that turns overthinking into action, why conviction beats a “perfect” plan, and how a three-year break from baseball led to a sharper return to the show. The call-up, the debut, and the plan to stay there all…
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Coach Evan Burk: Delusional Confidence, 450 Letters, and a Job With the Miami Dolphins
Send us Fan Mail We unpack how Coach Evan Burk without pedigree built his own path into the NFL by handwriting 450 letters, reverse-engineering relationships, and turning tiny moments at the Senior Bowl into real opportunities. The conversation blends tactics and mindset: self-awareness…
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BEST OF THE PLAYBOOK: Yogi Roth- Finding Balance, Curiosity, and the Future of College Athletics
Send us Fan Mail Yogi Roth and I dig into how clarity, confidence, and discipline help us choose family, protect mental health, and still compete at a high level. Yogi shares hard career calls, coaching frameworks, and why seekers—curious, coachable people—win over time. • choosing family as the...
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Grief, Grit, and Grace: How Hannah Mears Found Her Voice in Sports Media
Send us Fan Mail We trace the arc from unpaid reps to a trusted role in pro sports with Hannah Mears, then go deeper into grief, faith, and the boundaries that keep a public life humane. The heart of the conversation is perspective: preparing harder, saying no, and honoring the human behind every...
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Jessica Rose Hood: How She Built 4 Businesses While Training For 100K Races
Send us Fan Mail We explore the mindset behind a 100K ultra, the joy of race day, and how flexible training beats rigid plans. The same approach fuels a move from corporate to entrepreneurship, where feedback, periodization and service define success. • Breaking big goals into aid‑station chunks…
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AJ Shavell- Six Lessons That Build Real Mental Fitness
Send us Fan Mail We map six sub-skills that make confidence, mental toughness, and leadership real: ownership, self-awareness, presence, character, intention, and growth. We share tools like meditation, journaling, and deliberate practice to build alignment, adaptability, and peace under…
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Dr. Mitch Abrams - Why Anger Is Actually a Performance-Enhancing Drug (And How to Control It)
Send us Fan Mail What if anger isn’t a problem to erase but a resource to master? I sit down with Dr. Mitch Abrams, Author of "I'm Not F*cking Angry," for a candid, no‑evasion conversation about relationships, performance, and the messy middle where emotions live. It starts with alignment in...
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Tim Cortazzo- Why Young Athletes Need Failure More Than They Need Trophies
Send us Fan Mail Tim Cortazzo and I dig into raising daughters and sons with different instincts, why toughness is really confidence, and how to coach kids without breaking their spirit. The weight room becomes a tool, not a religion, as we push for specificity, rest, and joy that keeps kids in...
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How To Silence Your Inner Critic- Luke Falk and AJ Shavell
Send us Fan Mail We unpack how to quiet the inner critic, channel ownership, and build confidence through controllables, forgiveness, and identity-driven habits. Luke Falk shares the exact tools that turned “not clutch” into Cool Hand Luke and how simple application beats complex theory. •…
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Dave Kline- How To Become an Unstoppable Leader
Send us Fan Mail Dave Kline Founder @ MGMT | CEO Coach | Advisor | Speaker | and I pull apart modern recruiting and leadership through the lens of college sports and business, weighing culture-building against transfer-portal efficiency and mapping a practical playbook for feedback, alignment…
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About this show
Formerly The Athletic Fortitude Show.... Colin Jonov’s Athletic Fortitude Show has rebranded to The Playbook with Colin Jonov, evolving from a sports-centric podcast to a universal guide for mastering life’s challenges. While retaining its foundation in mindset and performance excellence, the show now expands its scope to empower everyone—athletes, entrepreneurs, professionals, and beyond—to live life to its fullest potential
Hosted by
Colin Jonov